Airport Experience® News - Food & Beverage Issue 2026

AI Interactions Accelerate From Life-Size Performers To Multilingual Humanoid Robots, New Technology Is Redefining The Passenger Journey

BY DAVID GORDON

Below: San Francisco International Airport created a digital twin of two-time FIFA World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brandi Chastain to welcome visitors to the airport ahead of this year’s World Cup events.

Ahead of the recent FIFA World Cup 2026 games held in the Bay Area, San Francisco International Airport tapped into technology – combined with a local hero – to welcome guests to the airport and region. A digital twin of two-time FIFA World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brandi Chastain joined a similarly rendered twin of San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie to greet passengers arriving for the games.

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AX NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2026