Barney Stinton, head of Connected Aviation, reveals what the airport of the future will be like: “No waiting in lines”

The world is constantly evolving, from the people who inhabit it to everything that surrounds us. Adapt or be left behind.

This is especially true for processes that can be developed through technology, and even more so now with the arrival of artificial intelligence. Our daily lives are shaped by processes and experiences that, throughout history, have gradually evolved into what we know today.

One of the next major improvements may come in the transportation sector, particularly in aviation. Taking a flight can sometimes be a tedious experience. Arriving at the airport hours before boarding and waiting in long lines to pass through security are just a few of the factors that make flying less appealing. However, that could soon change.

The future of travel on display

The recently concluded Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona offered a glimpse of what the future of air travel might look like. With a pavilion dedicated exclusively to this topic, several companies gathered to present their solutions. These include travel experiences with minimal lines, biometric security checks, and digital assistants that help travelers from the very beginning of the planning process.

The exhibition featured an immersive space with 14 stages that recreated the entire journey from start to finish. Barney Stinton, Head of Connected Aviation at GSMA Fusion, explained that many airports are unable to expand their physical infrastructure.

Because of this limitation, the key improvement lies in optimizing processes. One example is the ability to verify a traveler’s identity before even leaving home, eliminating the need to present a passport at the airport.

As a result, the journey begins even before a traveler walks through the airport doors. Vueling, one of the companies present at MWC, introduced an assistant that will launch later this year. It will allow travelers to plan their trips through chat or voice commands, suggesting dates, destinations, and prices based on each traveler’s preferences.

The experience is complemented by a proposal from Metafor. After a ticket is purchased, the system provides information throughout the journey, including alerts about potential delays, boarding times, and the distance to the departure gate.

AENA, the company responsible for managing Spain’s airports, proposes electronic luggage tags that would eliminate the need to visit the check-in counter, reduce the risk of lost bags, and allow suitcases to be tracked in real time.

Facilities and aircraft

One of the most notable innovations appears once passengers are inside the airport. The company Agibot is developing humanoid robots designed to guide passengers to their boarding gates and answer questions related to their flights.

Meanwhile, ANYbotics, a Swiss robotics company, proposes robot dogs to inspect airport infrastructure. Equipped with thermal cameras and acoustic sensors, they could detect potential failures that might cause delays.

Regarding aircraft themselves, the company Waltr proposes multispectral cameras capable of measuring engine emissions throughout the entire flight, with the goal of reducing fuel consumption and the overall carbon footprint. Airbus, on the other hand, envisions a future with aircraft that remain permanently connected to 5G networks.

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