Airports are using technology for passenger flow, baggage tracking, and predictive maintenance to improve efficiency and experience.
Published January 29, 2026
With global air passenger numbers expected to reach 10.2 billion in 2026, up 3.9% year-on-year, there is a flurry of investment to improve airport infrastructure and operational efficiency, and leverage artificial intelligence to achieve it.
We use data published by Airport Council International.The import industry is relying on increased use of AI to meet increasing demand.
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AI is now being integrated into airport workflows to reimagine everything from passenger flow management to airside maintenance, cybersecurity and lost baggage to improve the on-site and virtual customer experience, according to analysts and experts who discussed the technology’s existing applications and its potential at this month’s Airport AI Exchange event.
Using AI-powered analytics to predict congestion at security checkpoints, immigration, and boarding gates can also help prevent delays. Resources are being allocated to move from reactive crowd management to predictive operations.
AI-powered baggage optimization tools and biometric processing (allowing passengers to pass through immigration without having to present a physical passport) are also gaining traction as airports look to improve the passenger experience while maintaining operational efficiency.
“AI started changing rapidly in 2017 and started this whole AI race and we were able to actually use AI, which is neural networks, which we’ve been talking about and hearing about since the 1940s,” said Ahmad Malik, chief AI officer at Airport AI Exchange.
“Since then, progress has been very steep. If you look at the curve from day one to now, AI has been able to do so much more. In just the past two years, its capabilities have grown exponentially.”
What are airports using AI for?
Analysts said that in addition to speeding up immigration, AI is assisting with automated check-in and boarding, baggage handling and tracking, and predictive maintenance. It also improves the passenger experience.Securities examination and offeringThey said personalized services and assistance will be provided.
According to Mahmoud Al-Seddiqi, former Vice President of IT at Bahrain Airports Company, AI-powered analytics will allow airports to tailor services and experiences to individual passenger preferences, facilitating a more personalized and efficient journey from check-in to boarding.
While insights shared on the Airport AI Exchange suggest that AI has advanced at an exponential pace over the past few years, some argue that adoption of the technology in the aviation industry remains relatively limited.
“Although AI has advanced by leaps and bounds over the past few years, the use of AI in aviation is still negligible when compared to that curve,” Malik said, adding:The hat gap is partially explained by the industry’s reliance on legacy systems and inherently cautious operating model.
He said much of the technology still supporting aviation operations dates back decades, and the safety-focused nature of the industry often slows innovation.
“When you’re dealing with people’s lives, safety and regulation are more important than speed of innovation,” Malik said.
