Digital Strategy in Airports

The continuing pervasiveness of digital technology has dramatically changed the way that organisations operate and utilise technology. The digital trend has seen IT move from a functional, to a strategic role in many businesses, and airports are not immune to this. As airports continue to become more ‘customer-centric’ the use of digital technologies has now become embedded within the passenger journey. This study takes a customer centric view of airport digital technology through determining the ways in which digital technologies are being applied to airports to improve passenger perspectives of service quality and the passenger journey. As a result of the literature review a framework entailing the themes of airport service quality (function, interaction and diversion) and digital strategy has been developed and analysed against six airports exhibiting high service quality. Currently, the findings suggest that the improvement of customer function involves the use of automated and self-service technologies providing passengers efficiency and effectiveness during processing points. Additionally, technology to improve experience during wait times may entail either aesthetic qualities, or provide some form of productivity to passengers. Alternatively, customer interaction is influenced by digital technology through constant passenger engagement throughout their journey. As the research nears completion, the influence of these themes on the framework will become more apparent