Airports need to "Smarten Up: The Need for Smart Airports as Examples for Smart Cities

This paper looks at considering airports as in and of themselves “Smart Cities”. Airports, especially large megahubs like Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth and Kennedy should be a much more seamless and pleasurable experience instead of a stressful one. One should not have to arrive hours ahead of time for a flight that many times takes less time in the air than on the ground. The airports role should be one of facilitator along with the airline as the choreographer of the smooth actions for maximum efficiency for the traveler. With the technology available today this paper will investigate what a stress free and seamless travel experience should entail. Tomorrow's airports are expanding and even today we have new megahubs. The key to all this is to integrate this process with all stakeholders involved. Those for example would be the airlines, retailers, restaurants, parking facilities and the airport itself. A model like this can help the airports cross-sell passengers and all benefit. However, not only the airports and stakeholders, but also the travelers themselves need to accept change.