Everyone talks about AI like it’s a silver bullet. But for airports facing rising passenger numbers, aging infrastructure, and increasing complexity, AI won’t solve problems that leadership isn’t bold enough to confront.
Many airport leaders underestimate what it really takes for AI to make a meaningful impact. It’s not just about adopting new tools – in most cases, it means changing the way business is done every day.
Doing business differently sounds simple in theory – but in practice, it’s a tough nut to crack.
Contracts with stakeholders often need to be renegotiated, including how costs, revenues, and responsibilities are shared. On top of that, many efficiency measures touch legal and regulatory frameworks – and changing those is especially complex and time-consuming.
These challenges can’t be solved by operational teams or middle management alone. And they’re not just technical projects.
To succeed, AI initiatives at airports need five key conditions:
- A clear vision that creates positive momentum – not just for the airport, but also for airlines, ground handlers, and authorities.
- High-level “political engineering” towards key stakeholders, to negotiate a future business model.
- A step-by-step strategy that shares cost and risk among stakeholders.
- First small goals -reachable in shorter time- to create an “it really works!” atmosphere
- Constant management attention, to keep the change energy high
The hard truth: there is no quick, manageable path to real progress. You can’t delegate this to the front line or simply buy a solution off the shelf. You must lead it yourself. It will always cost a lot of money and time. It will be risky and requires bold decisions.
But it’s worth…Go for it!
