Glasgow Airport’s ambitious trials aim to set new standards in air travel accessibility

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Today, Connected Places Catapult, the UK’s innovation hub for urban, transportation, and spatial strategy, in partnership with Glasgow Airport, announced the launch of a series of trials aimed at enhancing accessibility technology. These tests are scheduled for March and are part of the Connected Airport Living Lab initiative.

Glasgow Airport is recognized for its significant proportion of passengers who are either disabled or have reduced mobility (PRM), having welcomed over 110,000 PRM passengers last year alone. This achievement led to the airport receiving the highest ‘Very Good’ accolade in the Civil Aviation Authority’s Annual Accessibility Report.

Over two days, a selection of pioneering companies will work alongside the airport’s accessibility team, user research experts from Connected Places Catapult, and the inclusive research firm Open Inclusion. They will conduct real-time trials within the airport, focusing on how participants interact with the new technologies and collecting their feedback. The goal is to gather insights that will not only refine these technologies but also ensure the success of the businesses involved.

The companies participating in these trials include:

• Gazooky Studios, with their ChapARone service, which leverages AI and Augmented Reality through a messaging app. It enables transportation hubs to disseminate information via a network of QR-coded points that are accessible to all.
• Hello Lamp Post, introducing AI-powered digital assistants that are accessible through location-specific QR codes. This innovation facilitates round-the-clock communication and assistance, simplifying airport navigation and enhancing the overall passenger experience.
• Signapse, which offers automated sign language announcements utilizing cutting-edge AI technology. Catering to both British and American Sign Language, this service aims to make public announcements accessible to Deaf passengers.
• Signly, delivering pre-recorded sign language translations in various languages including British, American, Irish, and German. By using QR codes, their technology makes airport information more accessible on smartphones, particularly benefiting passengers who communicate through sign language.

Paul Wilson, Chief Business Officer at Connected Places Catapult, said: “As technology develops, we have the opportunity to make journeys easier for all passengers, including those with accessibility requirements.

“But developing inclusive technologies in highly-regulated transport settings, such as airports, can be hard – especially for small businesses. By working alongside Glasgow Airport through the Connected Airport Living Lab, we are able to reduce the burden on individual businesses and provide them with the opportunity to test and learn in a live environment.”

Ronald Leitch, Interim Chief Operating Officer at AGS Airports, which owns Glasgow Airport, said: “We are incredibly proud of the service we provide to the tens of thousands of special assistance passengers who travel through our terminals each year.

“The technological advancements we’re seeing today in areas such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality could play a key role in how we improve these vital services and further enhance the customer experience.  

“Air travel should rightly be for everyone and thankfully more and more people who need additional support are choosing to fly. The technologies being demonstrated during these trials will hopefully enable and embolden even more special assistance passengers to travel.”

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