CVG Airport adopts Veovo’s curb-to-flight passenger flow management for data-driven passenger enhancements

Cincinnati/Northern International Airport (CVG) was one of the first airport operations in North America and the first airport in the United States to deploy internet of things (IoT) sensor technology in the security checkpoint to monitor and display wait times. That project and the drawn data allowed CVG and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to make data-driven decisions on staff scheduling, which improved wait times and passenger experience.

CVG is now adopting Veovo’s curb-to-flight flow management technology to better understand passenger movement beyond the security checkpoint and into other areas of the terminal and concourses. Specifically, the airport will get to see how travellers, processes, and airlines interact and interconnect.

“Providing memorable and predictable journeys, from the driveway to the runway, is a top priority for CVG, and data is the key enabler for our vision,” said Brian Cobb, Chief Innovation Officer at CVG. “Innovative solutions, like those provided by Veovo, allow us to gather and analyse data in real-time and proactively put it to work. We will be able to make better plans and improve productivity, respond to customer needs faster and tap into revenue growth opportunities.”

The roll out of the technology will be done in phases throughout the year. Once complete, historical and live data will enable CVG to make daily operational decisions and long-term facility improvement plans. For example, by understanding gate arrival patterns by flight, CVG can adjust call-to-gate times or airline gate assignments to minimise crowding. The airport can evaluate the effect disruptions have on passenger behaviour and prevent issues and mitigate their impact. Dwell and flow data can also drive strategic plans for layout configuration, signage, food and beverage placements and gate assignments.

As passenger traffic returns over the next several years, these insights will help the airport grow efficiently with the proper staff resourcing and concession planning to improve product offerings and placements for travellers.

Background on the tech: The Veovo platform bundles artificial intelligence-powered analytics, data from movement sensors and rich visualisations to provide live and historical insights into passenger occupancy, dwell times and movement patterns by flight. This data can be viewed for specific areas, grouped areas, and eventually the entire facility, including the terminal and both concourses.

“CVG is one of a growing number of airports globally that have come to recognise the intrinsic value of managing and understanding passenger movements throughout their concourse,” said James Williamson, Chief Executive Officer at Veovo. “Because traveller behaviour can vary, depending on volumes, time of day, travel class, destination and various other factors, this technology is invaluable in developing an even greater knowledge of the customer journey and helping to shape its future.”

CVG joins a host of other airports, including Amsterdam Schiphol, Bristol, Birmingham, Billund and Keflavik, that have moved beyond single-process measurement to terminal-wide insights.

The post-pandemic world will only accelerate the focus on the passenger experience for the airport; both to attract customers who have a choice of departure/destination airports and airlines who want the routes to/from airports, which are both economic and provide the best travel experience.