Beyond the Runway: How Airports Can Leverage Data to Drive Revenue and Elevate the Passenger Experience
Airports are sophisticated and intricate spaces through which millions of passengers travel every day. With so many diverse people in one space, airports are in a unique position to capture a multitude of insights and use them to inform decisions that can improve the passenger experience and boost airport revenue.
Currently, airports across the globe are seeing a substantial uptick in the importance of non-aviation revenue. Many airports generate up to 50 percent of their total revenue from non-aviation sources such as retail, dining, advertising and other premium services. Globally, non-aviation revenue is expected to grow 8.7 percent from $144 billion in 2024 to $306 billion by 2033.
This substantial growth underscores an increased need for airports to create innovative ways of diversifying their revenue streams to keep them competitive, not only as transit hubs but also as lifestyle destinations.
With Purple, airports across the globe are leveraging first-party data to elevate the passenger experience while generating non-aviation revenue and opening new streams of revenue throughout the terminal.
Gate Anxiety: The Barrier Between Travelers and Airport Retail Revenue
Despite the widespread availability of premium shopping and dining options, many passengers are hesitant to explore such offerings due to an underlying fear of missing their flight. In larger or unfamiliar airports, passengers feel unsure about how long it will take to walk between a restaurant or store and their gate.
Unfamiliarity with airport layout, anxiety about getting lost or a lack of personalized recommendations can cause uncertainty about when to head to the gate. As a result, passengers decide to “play it safe” by passing time sitting at the gate rather than exploring airport amenities.
The Role of Data-driven Passenger Engagement and Tools for Maximizing Non-aviation Revenue
Real-time data insights and digital engagement tools are the key to optimizing the passenger experience and creating a more profitable airport environment.
Digital indoor navigation
Tools like interactive digital maps and mobile wayfinding apps that integrate with existing technology like Google Maps can provide stress-free, turn-by-turn navigation to retail, dining and lounges. They can also tailor recommendations for restaurants, bars and shops based on individual passenger preferences and location as well as deliver targeted promotions.
These wayfinding tools boost passenger confidence by estimating the time it will take to walk to the gate. Utilizing real-time data integrations, estimated walking times can be updated with real-world data such as security or gate times, giving further confidence that the time of arrival is the true time, without unforeseen delays. Those same real-time data integrations can guide passengers to the dining establishments or shops they need that are least busy. This encourages passengers to explore rather than stay close to their gate, thus increasing airport revenue from retail and dining establishments.
With Purple, Airport management can draw insights from the same real-time updates, to identify operational issues and understand what’s happening across the network if users are failing to authenticate to the WiFi. With this data in hand, airport management can quickly solve problems to ensure the passenger experience remains seamless and stress-free.
WiFi analytics
A frictionless WiFi experience and login process that encourages passengers to log in via social media, email or other streamlined authentication methods is a necessary tool for airports that want to elevate the passenger experience while also collecting vital and verified first-party data. Utilizing WiFi profiles or apps to make this onboarding as seamless as possible is important. By allowing users to connect to WiFi in this way, passengers can pre-authenticate, which means they can connect to WiFi as soon as they arrive at the airport. Additionally, the airport can push timely information to them about their flight status and even links to maps immediately upon arrival.
WiFi analytics provide airports with valuable information like foot traffic, dwell times and movement patterns, which can optimize revenue opportunities by informing retailers and restaurants of ideal store locations, staffing, promotions and inventory. Real-time data integrations as part of the WiFi connection experience can allow airports to capture flight numbers and give users personalized data about their flight status, gate information, or shopping and dining opportunities in their terminal. It's also a chance to encourage users to subscribe to flight or gate notifications and for airports to present passengers with highly targeted information or advertising about their destination. Some customers choose to also integrate AI agents that can answer basic questions about the airport, This is not only a way for passengers to quickly find what they need (via map routes), but also for an airport to gather information about the issues that passengers most frequently encounter to identify how to best address them (i.e. with improved signage).
Real-time alerts and engagement tools
Once passengers are logged onto WiFi, airports can strategically leverage passenger data and demographics by pushing personalized real-time messages to them through mobile app notifications, SMS, emails and digital signage to make their journey from check-in to gate easy and engaging. Not only can they guide passengers with navigation prompts for boarding alerts and flight updates like delay notifications or gate changes, but they can also engage passengers with targeted offers at the right time like last-minute discounts, promotions or dining recommendations. Approaching passenger engagement in this way opens further revenue-generating opportunities for airports. By making the passenger journey easy and engaging, airports can improve passenger loyalty. According to a 2024 study, 82% of passengers indicate they would spend more if they could move through check-in and security more quickly.
Turning Anxiety into Opportunity: Creating a Stress-free Journey
According to a study published in Forbes, research shows that for 63 percent of passengers, travel can be so stressful that they experience anxiety even before they step into the airport. By providing reliable connectivity and real-time, personalized notifications and updates, airports create an elevated experience that’s tailored to individual preferences and desires while removing the barriers that cause passengers stress.
Purple speed tests from passive results derived from passenger devices, allow airport management to fully assess WiFi quality so they can quickly address issues before they impact the passenger experience. This means that even amid the pressure of trying to find their gate, and arrive at it on time, WiFi speed won’t hinder passenger efforts.
Giving passengers the confidence they need to navigate the airport with ease transforms travelers from passive passengers to active consumers. As such, they’re more likely to approach their time at the airport as a lifestyle experience by making the most of retail and hospitality spaces before they board their flight. Such a shift can increase passenger spending.
This impact reaches beyond revenue by building passenger trust and loyalty in an airport brand. In short, a seamless travel experience translates into higher customer satisfaction, repeat visits and long-term loyalty.
The Future of Airport Revenue
Amid economic downturns, fluctuating airline fees and disruptions to air traffic, aeronautical revenue alone cannot sustain airport operations. Airports around the world are seeing the value in driving non-aviation revenue as more stable and diversified income streams. Moreover, passengers are demanding more seamless, elevated experiences that luxury retail and dining experiences can offer.
The airline industry is experiencing a shift towards tech-driven engagement and receptive moments where they can grab and keep a passenger’s attention. The airports that can rise to the occasion and embrace data-driven strategies for growth will be the ones that are better positioned for long-term growth and infrastructure investment.
