'We can become the best airport in the world': How Heathrow's new CIO is transforming travel

‘I want my time in the airport to be seamless, personalised and digital-first'

As the transport sector emerges from the pandemic, Europe’s busiest airport plans to revitalise the passenger experience using AI.

Heathrow is one of the busiest airports in the world, coming in at #4 when ranked by 2023 passenger traffic. Gatwick, by comparison, isn't even in the top 35.

Such status is a heady rush, but it also comes with a number of demands, especially from passengers.

"As a passenger, the demands I have over the last 14 or 15 years have significantly changed," says Sharon Prior, CIO at Heathrow, who joined the airport last October.

Bill Twibill, VP of travel and transportation at Capgemini, which has worked as a technology consultant with Heathrow for 14 years, agrees. He said passengers "are become more demanding and more savvy" across the whole travel and transport sector.

"Time is always of the essence. I think, as a race, we are more time starved, and therefore people want to make best use of the time that they have available... It's about creating the right environment that's suitable for all passengers to be able to maximise the journey and what you want to get out of it."

Understanding how to create that environment required the ability to think about the passenger journey from their perspective.

Sharon says, "I want [my time in the airport] to be seamless. It has to be personalised in some way... [It has to be] a digital-first travel experience. And I want to be able to prioritise my convenience and the speed at which I go through the airport, and the other passengers are looking for that as well."

A major demand has been for "automation and the digitisation of services." That includes all the little touches that make modern travel a bit better and little less stressful: things like free WiFi, e-passport gates and real-time information on gate and security queues streamed live throughout the airport

"It's been a key enabler for us," she says, adding that data and digital strategy will continue to be a key focus over the next 12-18 months – especially as Heathrow increasingly seeks to integrate AI beyond the current level.

"It's a big topic - not just at Heathrow, all industries are looking at this."

Sharon plans to use the technology to build out new operational efficiencies, specifically in "understanding how AI could potentially help optimise operations."

Some examples of where AI algorithms might help to predict and mitigate potential issues with delays include "baggage [handling], optimising the scheduling of flights, ground services [and] maintenance activities."

On the people side, generative AI could change both the passenger and colleague experience.

Passengers are "fickle beings," and predicting what they'll do or how they'll move through the airport is "not easy." Using AI to speed their progress through security, and even streamlining their journey with personalised communication through an app, chatbot or digital assistant, will all help to improve the flow of foot traffic through Heathrow's terminals. Having real-time information on passenger movements will also help to decide how to adjust staffing levels throughout the airport.

Installing new tech with such potential, and at such a scale, could be a terrifying prospect, but Sharon is set on leveraging the Capgemini partnership to bring about real transformation at the airport.

"If we can do it, these are the areas where I think we can really become the best airport in the world. That's my ambition."