Improving airport passengers’ customer experience by utilizing the concept of Smart Airports - Case study of IKAC International airport

In recent years, the aviation industry has experienced significant growth in the number of airports and air travel routes. As a result, it is crucial to update and expand airport capacity to cater to the resulting increased number of passengers. To achieve this, airport processes must be designed to handle a large number of passengers smoothly and ensure their satisfaction. Smart digital technology can significantly enhance airport processes speed and safety, but it is essential to prioritize which processes to upgrade to improve the overall airport passenger experience. To identify areas that require improvement, a customer journey map can be a helpful tool. This map can look at customer touchpoints in order to help pinpoint bottlenecks, pain points, and areas where passengers feel most satisfied or dissatisfied. The aim of this research, conducted at Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKAC) is to create a customer journey for two groups of passengers and analyze their journey through IKAC s processes to identify pain points and recommend innovative and modern technology-based solutions to improve current airport processes. By utilizing this approach, we can optimize airport processes to provide an efficient, safe, and satisfying experience for all passengers.