Digital airports in action: AI, biometrics and smarter operations

Liberty Defense has secured a contract to deploy its HEXWAVE screening system at a major unnamed U.S. international airport handling more than 30 million passengers annually.

The airport will install the HEXWAVE systems at aviation worker screening checkpoints to meet Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requirements. Liberty Defense, a Canadian security technology company, said the contactless system uses millimetre-wave technology, artificial intelligence and 3D imaging to detect concealed metallic and non-metallic threats, including explosives and 3D-printed weapons.

The deployment expands Liberty Defense's presence at major U.S. airports and transportation hubs. The company is also developing advanced body and shoe screening technologies for passenger security applications.

Paramaribo’s Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (Suriname) has deployed Ink Innovation's common-use passenger processing system (CUPPS) across its recently renovated terminal to modernise check-in and boarding operations. Ink Innovation, a passenger processing technology provider, delivered the platform in partnership with local ICT company Wintel, which is responsible for implementation and ongoing support in Suriname. The shared infrastructure integrates with airline departure control systems and supports both legacy and modern platforms, while also enabling mobile passenger processing through the Ink Touch application.

Sky High Dominicana is already using the system, while FlyAllWays has completed certification. GOL, Copa Airlines, Caribbean Airlines, KLM and Surinam Airways are undergoing certification before joining the platform. The deployment forms part of Airport Management's programme to modernise Suriname's main international gateway and accommodate future passenger growth. 

Zurich Airport Brazil has deployed electric operational vehicles at Florianópolis Airport, Vitória Airport and Macaé Airport (Brazil) to support airside operations. Zurich Airport Brazil, the Brazilian subsidiary of the Swiss airport operator, introduced five Riddara RD6 electric 4×4 vehicles for runway inspections and technical support in restricted airside areas. The operator estimates the fleet will reduce CO₂ emissions by approximately 15 tonnes annually across the three airports and plans to progressively replace its remaining operational vehicles with electric or hybrid models.

The three airports are accredited at Level 4 under the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. Zurich Airport Brazil stated that all four airports in its portfolio have operated with zero landfill waste since 2025 and use 100% renewable electricity, supported by on-site solar generation at three locations.

Additional environmental measures include rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment and reuse systems, and annual greenhouse gas emissions inventories to monitor operational emissions.

The Italian Civil Aviation Authority has certified Smiths Detection's AI-based automatic prohibited items detection system for deployment at airports across Italy. The certification covers Smiths Detection's iCMORE Automatic Prohibited Items Detection System used with the company's HI-SCAN 6040 CTiX and HI-SCAN 6040 CTiX Model S cabin baggage screening systems. It also approves the use of OneTray and Cassioli trays following independent testing confirming detection performance equivalent to the company's reference tray, which has previously received European Civil Aviation Conference APIDS 1 approval.

The certification allows the approved screening configurations to be used at Italian airports. The AI-based system provides automatic prohibited item detection and alarm-only image review, reducing the number of images requiring manual assessment by security operators.  

The New Terminal One at John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York, USA) has appointed Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) as its strategic technology and innovation partner. TCS, an IT services and consulting company, will deliver and support the terminal's technology systems, including passenger processing, infrastructure management, enterprise applications, cybersecurity and AI-enabled IT operations. The partnership also covers digital airport operations, with systems designed to monitor passenger processing, baggage handling and terminal security.

The New Terminal One forms part of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's USD 19 billion redevelopment of John F. Kennedy International Airport. The wider programme includes construction of two new terminals, expansion and modernisation of two existing terminals, a new ground transportation centre and a redesigned road network.

The New Terminal One is currently under construction and will become the airport's principal international terminal.  

Singapore Changi Airport (Singapore) has adopted Komatsu's Smart Construction digital platform for the Terminal 5 project, marking the technology's first full-scale deployment in Singapore. Komatsu, the Japanese construction equipment manufacturer, is supplying 3D Machine Guidance, 3D Machine Guidance Flex and SC Dashboard to support earthworks and construction management. The digital systems provide real-time monitoring of construction progress, equipment integration and site data sharing to improve project management and operational efficiency. Komatsu has also supplied construction equipment for the programme, working with its digital solutions subsidiary, EARTHBRAIN.

Terminal 5 occupies approximately 1,080 ha and is designed to handle an initial 50 million passengers annually, with expansion potential to 70 million passengers. Construction began in May 2025 and completion is targeted for the mid-2030s.

Komatsu stated that the deployment forms part of its broader expansion of digital construction technologies in Singapore. Globally, the company has delivered more than 9,000 units of its 3D Machine Guidance system and over 22,000 intelligent Machine Control machines.

Naver Pay has integrated its facial recognition service with the Smartpass biometric checkpoint system at Incheon International Airport (South Korea). Naver, the South Korean technology company, has linked its Facesign facial authentication service to Smartpass, enabling eligible South Korean users to register facial biometrics, passports and boarding passes through the Naver Pay app before travelling. Existing Facesign users only need to register their passport to activate the airport service.

Smartpass supports biometric identity verification at airport security checkpoints and is accepted by several South Korean airlines, including Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. Naver also introduced passport verification for foreign visitors in June 2026, allowing them to access app-based services using biometric identity verification. According to the Korea Internet & Security Agency's biometric testing centre, the company's facial recognition algorithm achieved a matching accuracy of more than 99% during payment-stage testing.

Western Sydney International Airport will introduce Australia's first airport-wide ground support equipment pooling operation when the airport opens in October 2026. Under a partnership with Freightquip, an Australian supplier and integrator of ground support equipment, the airport will deploy and manage a shared fleet of predominantly electric equipment for baggage handling, cargo loading and aircraft movements. The fleet will include belt loaders, cargo loaders, baggage tractors and pushback tractors, supported by a dedicated on-site maintenance team.

The pooled fleet will be managed through a central digital platform providing real-time equipment visibility, automated dispatch and integration with the airport's flight information system. Unlike the traditional model, multiple ground handlers will share a centrally managed fleet rather than owning separate equipment, reducing fleet duplication and improving utilisation.

Western Sydney International Airport is a new greenfield airport being developed to serve the Sydney metropolitan area. According to the airport, the system will give it the highest proportion of electric ground support equipment of any Australian airport and could serve as a model for future airport ground handling operations.

SITA has stated that digital technologies rather than new airport infrastructure will be the primary driver of future aviation capacity as global passenger numbers continue to increase.

In its latest impact report, SITA said technologies including artificial intelligence, biometrics and digital airport operations can improve border processing, baggage handling and operational efficiency without relying solely on airport expansion. The company noted that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecasts global passenger traffic will reach 10 billion passengers by 2050.

SITA reported that its OptiFlight software processed 2.9 million flights for 59 airline customers in 2025, saving 127,732 tonnes of fuel and reducing carbon emissions by an estimated 403,633 tonnes. The company also highlighted artificial intelligence applications such as automated baggage rebooking through its WorldTracer Auto Reflight platform. SITA's revenue increased 7% year-on-year to USD 1.71 billion in 2025.

The report also highlighted wider adoption of biometric technologies across the aviation sector, including digital check-in legislation in Germany, expanded biometric security screening in Thailand and Somalia, and deployment of SITA's Fast Pass facial recognition system at Hamad International Airport (Qatar). Download the report here. 

TK Elevator published its 2024/25 Sustainability Report, reporting lower emissions, increased renewable electricity use and wider deployment of its EOX elevator platform.

TK Elevator, a manufacturer of elevators, escalators and passenger boarding bridges, reduced Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 31% compared with its 2019 baseline and Scope 3 emissions from the use of sold products by 19% compared with 2021. Renewable electricity accounted for 83% of global consumption during the reporting year. The company stated that its EOX platform represented 80% of elevator order intake in Europe and 40% in the Americas, following investments of EUR 400 million (USD 469 million) over the past four years.

Service and modernisation accounted for 65% of revenue in 2024/25. TK Elevator also launched an AI-supported connected service model in the United States to improve maintenance efficiency and reduce technician travel. In its supply chain, 95% of high-impact suppliers were covered by sustainability assessments, up from 71% a year earlier, with full coverage targeted for 2026.

The company retained its position on the CDP Climate A-List for the sixth consecutive year and received an EcoVadis Gold rating for the fifth consecutive year. Download the report here.  

Publisher’s note: The articles in this special report, compiled for inter airport Global, are a few select samples from the biweekly Momberger Airport Information newsletter, published since 1973. The newsletter is an advertising-free, global airport news service that consists of 9 modules and allows subscribers to customize their own newsletter package. The modules that make up the biweekly newsletter are: Airport Development (DEV), Calendar of Events (CAL), and the subscriber-selectable modules Airport Operations (OPS), Management, Ownership & Finance (MGT), Ground Support Equipment (GSE), Air Traffic Services (ATC), Consultant & Contractor / Sustainable Aviation (CON), Airport Information Technology (AIT), and Maintenance Base & FBO (MRO). For more information, a sample of a complete newsletter issue, and to order an annual subscription, please visit www.mombergerairport.info.

Looking for something else?