Glasgow Airport selects three SMEs for technology trials
Glasgow Airport will trial three technologies aimed at improving passenger experience and asset maintenance, including AI-powered feedback analysis and real-time congestion monitoring, with the potential for wider deployment across the AGS Airports group.
The trials, involving UK companies Beam Connectivity, Createc and Wordnerds, form part of the Connected Airport Living Lab programme, run by Connected Places Catapult in partnership with Glasgow Airport. They will be completed by the end of January 2027, with reporting and analysis scheduled for February and March.
Sameer Savani, Transport Managing Director at Connected Places Catapult (c) CPC
Sameer Savani, Transport Managing Director at Connected Places Catapult, told the Airports AI Alliance that the programme connects airports with smaller technology companies developing solutions to specific operational challenges.
“One core benefit of the programme is that it introduces our partner airport – in this case Glasgow Airport – to a tailored network of startups and SMEs with innovative solutions that can specifically address their challenges they’re looking to solve,” he said.
The Innovate UK-funded programme, now in its fourth year, provides selected companies with up to £30,000 in funding, commercial support and access to airport facilities to test their technologies in a live operational environment.
AI-powered passenger insights
Wordnerds will develop bespoke AI models using passenger feedback to identify recurring issues affecting the airport experience, including security queues, wayfinding and accessibility.
The company will use specialist classification models rather than generic generative AI tools, allowing airport teams to trace how feedback has been categorised and monitor changes over time. Potential sources include surveys, complaints, emails and social media, although these will be agreed during an initial discovery phase.
A Wordnerds spokesperson said: “Airport staff can ask questions in everyday language, and get answers based on counted, auditable data rather than an AI’s best guess. They don’t need to be analysts to understand what passengers are saying or to act on it.”
The system’s agentic reporting capabilities are also intended to flag emerging problems and help staff assess whether operational changes are improving passenger satisfaction.
Createc will trial its Situate platform, which combines privacy-preserving LiDAR sensors with AI and passenger feedback to monitor crowd density, movement and queue times.
They said: “In the short term, this could help airport teams identify emerging congestion, respond proactively and deploy resources where they’re needed most.”
The company hopes the resulting data will also inform longer-term decisions about staffing, space utilisation and infrastructure investment.
Meanwhile, Beam Connectivity will test its Connectivity as a Service platform, providing engineering teams with real-time information about the condition and performance of airport assets, including lifts, escalators, scanners and car park barriers. The technology aims to identify maintenance requirements earlier and reduce disruption to passengers.
Potential for wider deployment
Successful trials could lead to longer-term commercial deployments, although no commitments have been announced. Savani pointed to Hello Lamp Post, which secured a multi-airport contract with AGS Airports after participating in an earlier cohort.
“If the trials prove successful, the programme facilitates a direct route for deployment for the solutions to be implemented on a longer-term basis,” he said.
Main image: AGS Airports