Smart and Connected: A Glimpse at the Future of Airport Experiences from PTE
- Abagael Rudock
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Our team had a front-row seat to the future of airports during this year’s Passenger Terminal Expo. We joined industry innovators and experts to explore how digital transformation, smart systems, and integrated technology are shaping the next generation of airport experiences. Synect's Head of Strategic Engagement, Montee Fiely, was on the ground in Madrid to see all the best panels and tell us about the latest trends.
Across panels and conversations, several key themes emerged—each pointing to a smarter, more seamless, and deeply connected future. As Montee said after the show:
“Attending PTE is always an incredible experience. I had many great conversations this year, and everyone was seeking the same thing: smart, scalable, passenger-centric solutions.
The digital content explosion is very apparent. Five years ago, digital content in airports only consisted of FIDS and advertising—those days are coming to an end. Airports like MCO, DFW, Changi, and others have paved the way and pushed the bar for what digital displays can do to improve passenger experiences.
I was asked numerous times about Synect’s DCMS platform and how we deliver our content services. These conversations demonstrated how airports are looking at—and investing in—their digital content strategy as part of their efforts to improve their passenger journey. The opportunities to partner and build what’s next have never been bigger."
In today’s blog, we’ll cover the biggest news from PTE and examine the trends shaping the industry.
Airport Innovation in Action
Alongside major conference announcements, such as the show’s rebrand to PTE World and the launch of PTE Asia in 2026, we caught some exciting updates from some of our favorite airports and organizations!
Just before PTE’s official start Munich Airport International (MAI) made a major announcement: Joerg Esser has taken on the role of Managing Director alongside Lutz Weisser.
On the show’s second day, JFKIAT unveiled their bold new strategic vision. Five pillars —employees, airline, commercial, passenger, and ambiance—create their North Star, setting a new standard for passengers’ experiences. Roel Huinink, president and CEO of JFKIAT, explained the pillars and the reasoning behind the new strategy:
“I strongly believe in looking beyond the infrastructure ... everybody can invest in infrastructure and technology, and everybody does, including ourselves. However, in the end, how does that translate to the passenger? If we all come together and perform in the right way, then the passenger will have a great experience, and that sets us apart from others.”
Throughout the conference, exciting technology announcements and plans to enhance passenger experiences were plentiful:
Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) announced that 24 new SureScan screening solutions will soon enhance their TSA checkpoints.
Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and International Gate Control announced a new collaboration with AirportLabs to unify airport operations.
London Gatwick (LGW) launched a new partnership with Veovo to develop an integrated airport control system.
Collins Aerospace revealed enhancements to their SelfServ platform that promise to streamline check-in and bag drop.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released their Contactless Travel Directory, a new API that helps airports “identify available biometric services, determine passenger eligibility, and enable secure data sharing” in a single integration.
On the last day of the show, Skytrax announced the winners of this year’s Best Airport Awards on the last day of the conference, and it was quite a celebration! We were delighted to be part of the crowd recognizing some of the greatest airport achievements from across the globe, and we’d like to extend our congratulations to all the winners.
Panels Present the Future
This year’s conference agenda was rich with future-focused conversations—from big-picture strategy to data-driven tactics.
Megatrends Shaping the Industry
In the panel A megatrends mindset – what keeps airports up at night? leaders from SFO, DEN, and SITA discussed the major forces reshaping the industry—from climate change and economic shifts to rapid technological advancement. As airports plan for growth, their leadership teams must be agile, proactive, and adaptable.
Smart, scalable digital infrastructure is a must-have. User-first design is non-negotiable. FIDS must be smarter. Modular systems, like Synect’s, are essential to support rising passenger volumes without constant, sweeping infrastructure upgrades.
Smart Systems and Automation are Transforming Airport Operations
Automation, AI, and real-time analytics are transforming how airports operate—and how they plan for the future.
For leading airports like DFW, that means embracing new processes. During the panel Development and use of DFW’s dynamic operational impact model, Bill Grozdanich, Vice President of Controls & Analytics at DFW, shared how the airport is building on years of work in operational modeling and traffic forecasting to better anticipate the ripple effects of major infrastructure changes.
Security Innovations are Shaping the Future of Travel
Security remains a top priority for airports, and multiple panels at PTE highlighted innovations designed to make every checkpoint faster, safer, and more efficient. We’ve already seen glimpses of this future, like implementations of ReadySeeGo and the instant footwear scanner at TSA’s booth at CES.
Several panels reinforced how quickly these innovations are coming to life:
Innovating Security Checkpoints for the Passenger Experience of the Future brought together experts from the TSA, SFO, and Noblis to discuss transformations in security, such as shifting away from centralized checkpoints.
Leveraging technological innovation to enable seamless travel opened a discussion on how disruptive technologies may offer exciting opportunities to create a new version of seamless travel.
Smart security – a collaboration between airports, governments and airlines asked leaders from across the globe to outline possible futures for multilateral security environments, highlighting the importance of collaboration in creating improved security experiences for passengers.
AI and Automation are Enhancing the Airport Passenger Experience
AI is reshaping airport workflows—but it isn’t replacing the human touch. Maurice Jenkins, CIO of MIA, and Kristen Brandy, Director of Baggage Strategy and Innovation for United Airlines, discussed AI’s potential benefits in AI's impact on the airport workforce, but noted that these gains may come with challenges. Richard Clarke, COO of MCO, noted similar challenges in his presentation The digital journey: an extension of human needs, adding that AI may enhance connection and efficiency.
The promise of smarter operations is no longer hypothetical, as James Hill, Group Product & Services Director of Manchester Airports Group, and Kasper Hounsgaard, CEO of Copenhagen Optimization, illustrated in Machine learning AI – changing the flying schedule forever. By applying concepts from passenger-focused operations, this panel opened new possibilities for transforming the airfield with data.
The Future of Airport Experiences Is Smart, Seamless, and Inclusive
Airports are evolving from transit hubs to high-efficiency, passenger-centric spaces, and leading airports are leaning on new tools and technologies to build unparalleled experiences. As they build smarter, more efficient, and more passenger-centric environments, Synect’s solutions are making those changes simpler:
Synect’s FIDS of the Future helps streamline communication with glance-and-go design, real-time updates, and dynamic rules that adjust each display to meet changing operational needs.
ReadySeeGo is creates better security experiences by proactively communicating procedures and real-time updates to passengers.
Our AI solution puts people first, delivering a multilingual, accessible, and personalized experience that empowers travelers without overwhelming them.
Passenger Terminal Expo 2025 made it clear that the future of airports is here—and that smart, connected solutions power it.
Is your airport ready to evolve? Connect with Synect to explore how our solutions support airport transformations.