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    Everything You Need to Know About Airport Digital Signage

    By Oliver Candy | 17.03.22

    Digital signage has seen a significant and consist

    Airports are some of the busiest facilities in the country. With thousands of flights that depart and arrive in the UK airports on a daily basis, offering solutions for travellers to get the information and services they need as efficiently as possible becomes a necessity rather than a luxury. 

    With airport digital signage, airport management can help customers book flights, check flight schedules, and get information about flights. 

    In this guide, we’ll explore the benefits of digital signage in airports and how to implement them. So, let’s get started right away!

    signage in airport

    Here are the tools needed to create an effective airport digital sign:

    1. Digital signage software. This software lets travellers choose the content they see on one or more digital signs using an intuitive web interface. An airport may have a few dozen of these or even more, depending on how big the airport is. 

    Alternatively, staff members may just update the content on each individual display with USB drives. However, this process is impractical and can be very time-consuming. Instead, digital signage software allows for centralised control over the content displayed in all of the signs.

    2. Digital signage player. This is a media player that processes the content on the digital sign. When choosing a digital signage player for airport signs, make sure that its specs are just enough to handle the type of content you’re going to display. 

    Investing in high-end digital signage players may result in higher costs without any real value in return. On the other hand, outdated media players will cause your digital signage software to lag and display improperly, which will affect the travellers’ experience.

    3. Digital signage security feature. Security is often overlooked when it comes to digital signage, but it’s a more serious concern than you think. If a hacker finds their way through your systems, they may display inappropriate content on the digital signs, which could affect the airport’s reputation. In some less common situations, hackers may use your digital signage system to access sensitive data and paralyse your operations. 

    So, make sure that the software is well-encrypted and secured with advanced and regularly-updated security features.

    benefits of airport digital signage

    Not sure how digital signage would be beneficial for airports? These are some of the best ways airports can utilise digital signage:

    • Improve the travel experience with digital signage. Utilising digital signage from the moment a traveller steps into the airport’s welcome door all the way until they get on the plane will definitely make their experience delightful, convenient, and hassle-free. In addition, you can add tips, reminders, and interactive kiosks.
    • Advertising across the airport/ hot screens. Ads don’t have to be boring; with digitally displayed ads, you’ll be able to give the passengers something to look at while they wait at the airport while also boosting revenue. Plus, you can advertise some of the products offered at the airport’s cafes and shops.
    • Entertain and inform. With digital signage, you’ll be able to give travellers valuable information without making it seem like homework. In addition, Digital signs are super fun to look at, especially if the content is well-crafted.
    • Explore new horizons with programmatic. Programmatic transactions will not only boost the airport’s revenue but also give passengers what they need at just the right time. Is it too sunny outside? Displaying an ad about discounted travel packages to Canada would be an excellent opportunity. 
    • Optimising the Traveller’s experience. A traveller’s time at the airport constitutes a major factor of their overall travel experience. Digital signage lets you entertain the travellers and update them in real-time about flights and offers, resulting in a much more satisfactory experience. 
    • Entertainment and information relay. Let’s face it; nobody likes to wait for hours at the airport waiting for a flight. But that tedious waiting time doesn’t have to be so boring; by adding some digital displays around the waiting areas and lounges that contain entertaining and informational visual content and screensavers, travellers will find something to pass the time with while they wait.
    • Internal communication. Digital signage in airports can be utilised by management to communicate efficiently with staff members and stakeholders through visual communication channels. 
    • Engage people. Using digital signage makes it easier for passengers and employees to engage with the airport and feel like they’re at the centre of what’s happening. 
    • Digital menus. In the airport’s restaurants and cafes, digital menus will help travellers browse the options and make a choice quickly before reaching the cashier, ensuring that they catch their flights on time.
    • Schedule and baggage information. Digital signage can be used to display schedule and baggage information in a proactive and easy-to-digest way. Passengers hate having to ask about every single detail of their flight, so getting the required information before they need to ask for it would be ideal.
    • Emergency messaging. Whenever an emergency takes place at the airport, the fastest and easiest way to inform travellers, pilots, and staff members is to use digital signage. This allows for quicker actions, which can save resources or even lives.
    • Streaming video/news updates. Travellers often like to stay updated on what’s happening on every spot of the globe, so streaming video or news updates on digital screens at the airport would definitely be a good idea.
    • Create passenger satisfaction with real-time information. Whenever there’s an update about a flight status at the airport, the passengers have the right to be informed instantaneously so they can reschedule their work commitments or vacations. That’s where real-time digital signs come in handy.
    • Airport flight information display system software. Specialised software that keeps travellers updated on flight information can be displayed using digital signage.
    • Safeguard competitive advantage. Travellers often have a preference on the airport they would rather use due to past experiences, how up to date the airport is and how easy their experience was. An airport with advanced digital signage systems can certainly contribute to a better experience making your airport their preference. 
    • Avoid financial penalties. Travellers may get penalised when they’re uninformed of baggage requirements or exact flight times. With digital signage, you can give travellers everything they need to know to avoid penalties.
    airport digital signage

    How Digital Signage Is Used for Interactive Wayfinding at the Airport

    Airports are packed with millions of travellers every day. Travellers are almost always in a rush, which is why helping them navigate the airport will result in a better user experience. Even if an airport is managed and organised exceptionally, travellers may still have a hard time finding ticket desks, toilets, cafes, shops, boarding locations, and other facilities.

    By implementing digital signage for interactive wayfinding, travellers will waste less time searching around for what they need. We’re not talking about simple signs with arrows; these are useful, but they’re not even 30% as effective as interactive digital signage. Interactive digital signs allow passengers to interact with the content displayed and even search for what they need. 

    For example, if a passenger wants to weigh their baggage, they can just type in “baggage check weighing machine” in the search bar, and the software will tell them how to get to the nearest one.

     It’ll also make it easier for airport staff to focus on their tasks rather than help travellers move around. This is especially important for safer communication during the covid-19 pandemic era.

    Conclusion: Airport Digital Signage

    So that was a detailed guide on the best ways to use digital signage in airports. In this day and age, passengers need to quickly access the needed services and information in airports, and digital signage would be ideal. 

    It’s cost effective to implement and doesn’t require many resources. Once the initial setup is done, there’ll be minimal costs involved in keeping the system up and running.