Incorporating Technologies into Airport In-Terminal Concessions Programs: A Primer (2025)
Chapter: Front Matter
Incorporating
Technologies into Airport
In-Terminal Concessions
Programs
A PRIMER
Stephen Freibrun
Tod Yankee
Christopher Harloe
ICF
Reston, VA
Enrique Melendez
The JW Group
Ponte Vedra, FL
Joanne Paternoster
Butterfly Consulting
Freehold, NJ
Conduct of Research Report for ACRP Project 03-70
Submitted November 2024
ACRP Web-Only Document 66
Incorporating Technologies into Airport In-Terminal Concessions Programs
A PRIMER
© 2025 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the graphical logo are trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Digital Object Identifier: 10.17226/29146
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work was sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It was conducted through the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP), which is administered by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein.
Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, APTA, FAA, FHWA, FTA, GHSA, or NHTSA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP.
DISCLAIMER
The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research. They are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; or the program sponsors.
The Transportation Research Board does not develop, issue, or publish standards or specifications. The Transportation Research Board manages applied research projects which provide the scientific foundation that may be used by Transportation Research Board sponsors, industry associations, or other organizations as the basis for revised practices, procedures, or specifications.
The Transportation Research Board, the National Academies, and the sponsors of the Airport Cooperative Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.
The information contained in this document was taken directly from the submission of the author(s). This material has not been edited by TRB.
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COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS
CRP STAFF FOR ACRP WEB-ONLY DOCUMENT 66
Monique R. Evans, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Marci A. Greenberger, Manager, Airport Cooperative Research Program
Joseph D. Navarrete, Senior Program Officer
Stephanie L. Campbell-Chamberlain, Senior Program Assistant
Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications
Heather DiAngelis, Associate Director of Publications
Jennifer Correro, Assistant Editor
ACRP PROJECT 03-70 PANEL
Field of Policy and Planning
Jeff Taylor, Jacksonville Aviation Authority, Jacksonville, FL (Chair)
Jenna Buckner, Ricondo and Associates, Mount Pleasant, SC
Daniel Shimelis. Kebede, Abstract Group, Inc., Columbia, MD
Rohini Kumarage, ABIA, City of Austin, TX
Larry Leung, Transformidy, Toronto, ON
Aneil Patel, Airports Council International–North America Liaison
Table of Contents
1.3 Research Approach and Methodology
1.4 Limitations of the Research
2. GUIDE TO THE TRAVELER’S AIRPORT JOURNEY
2.3 Passenger Check-in/Bag Check
2.4 Passenger Security Checkpoint
2.7 Airport Technology Environment
3. THE EVOLVING LANDSCAPE OF AIRPORT CONCESSIONS
3.1 Overall Trends in the Airport Concessions Landscape and Consumer Behavior
3.2 Pandemic-Driven Technological Shifts in Airport Concessions and Consumer Behavior
3.3 The Role of E-Commerce and Omnichannel Platforms in Modern Airport Retail.
3.4 The Need for Comprehensive Understanding of Technology in Airport Concessions
4. SETTING THE SCENE: TECHNOLOGIES IN AIRPORT CONCESSIONS
4.1 Defining Current and Emerging Technologies Since 2019
4.2 Documenting the Role of Technology in Enhancing the Airport Concessions Experience
5. VISUALIZING THE PASSENGER JOURNEY IN AIRPORT CONCESSIONS
5.1 Visualizing the Passenger Journey
5.2 Passenger Views and Preferences Regarding Technology in Airport Concessions
5.3 Summary of the Findings from the Airport Passenger Survey
5.5 The Relationship Between the Passenger Experience and Technological Advancements
6.1 Airport Consumer Insights and Technological Trends
6.2 Assessing Changes in Consumer Buying Habits and the Effect on Airport Concessions
7. STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVES AND INTERVIEWS
7.1 Overview of the Interview Process and Stakeholder Selection
7.2 Key Insights from Airport Stakeholders
7.3 Stakeholder Feedback and Recommendations for Technology Integration
8. BUSINESS MODELS, LOCAL CONCESSIONS, AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
8.1 The Impact of Concessions Contracting Models on the Adoption of Technology
8.2 Challenges and Opportunities for Local and Small Business Concessions
9. THE WORKFORCE IMPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS 56
9.1 Assessing the Impact on Staffing and Skill Sets
10. CASE STUDIES AND BEST PRACTICES
10.1 Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
10.2 Miami International Airport (MIA)
10.3 Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
10.4 OTG Concessions Management, LLC
11. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF IN-TERMINAL AND NON-AIRPORT CONCESSIONS
14. APPENDIX – INTERVIEW LISTS
ACRP Web-Only Document 66 contains the conduct of research report for ACRP Project 03-70 and accompanies ACRP Research Report 279: Framework and Tools for Incorporating Technologies into Airport In-Terminal Concessions Programs. Readers can read or purchase ACRP Research Report 279 on the National Academies Press website (nap.nationalacademies.org).
