Tech Takes Off at CVG

Since Candace McGraw landed as Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport’s chief executive officer in 2011, the airport has made strides in shedding its high-cost and flight-lacking reputation.

"We had a good bit of success between 2011-2015. We were bringing costs down and getting the right players to the table to discuss what the next iteration of the airport would be," says McGraw.

Thinking about its future, CVG started Launching Point in 2016. The new, strategic five-year plan focuses on five key areas including technology, innovation and passenger service.

The airport, however, was already looking forward and thinking outside the box. It had implemented BlipTrack, passenger management technology that tracks and displays security wait times, in 2014.

In 2010, there was only one carrier in Terminal 3 and the wait times were 40 minutes or more going through security. CVG’s only way to track wait times and customer experience was by relying on TSA handing a green card to the passenger so that a time difference could be occasionally calculated after the passenger returned the card upon exiting security.

"We knew there had to be better ways of tracking on a real-time basis," says McGraw.

"It ends up being a key driver going through the airport. Poor experience through security equals unhappiness," says Brian Cobb, CVG’s vice president of customer experience.

Displayed at the security checkpoint and on CVGairport.com, CVG was the first airport in the United States to install BlipTrack. The average wait time now is nine minutes.

"That project whet the appetite for forward-thinking innovation," says Cobb.

Next up for CVG: TaskWatch, a pilot test that is still underway.

TaskWatch, which uses Samsung Gear smartwatches, communicates to the housekeeping staff as to whether a restroom needs cleaned, determines high-volume usage times, and helps with workload allocation. Cincinnati-based development company Hipaax has a relationship with Samsung and brought the idea to CVG.

To further improve the customer experience, CVG partnered with local startup Astronomer through Cintrifuse to manage data collection and interpret the results.

"The whole goal is to drive a better customer experience, use our resources better," McGraw says. "I want it to be welcoming for folks – use technology in a smart, thoughtful way."

CVG also considered its social responsibility that comes with providing a public service.

Using a drone indoors, CVG filmed "way-finding" videos mapping the airport – with closed-captioned and text-to-voice options – so passengers could pre-plan their airport trip and feel comfortable with its layout.

"We’re seeing customers that have never traveled," says Cobb. "We don’t want them to feel overwhelmed."

CVG also tested WHILL, another pilot program that uses an autonomous electric wheelchair that can be controlled by smartphone, and connects to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

"The airport’s travelers are 90 percent local, and quite a few passengers use wheelchair devices or have mobility challenges," says Cobb.

"A consumer could hop into the chair and not wait for anyone, enjoy concessions and get to their gate," he says. Accompanying travelers can carry their own luggage or push a stroller without having to push the wheelchair.

CVG worked with its ambassador group to test the chairs: the average ambassador age was 70. At first, they were reluctant to use the chairs, but the results were positive.

"It was hard to get them out," Cobb says.

This was another first for CVG in the country.

"We’re ready to embrace different modes to help the passenger experience. We want to make travel through CVG an unforgettably positive experience," says McGraw.

Something is working as CVG continues to fly high in 2017. In August, a much-needed, low-cost international carrier – Icelandic Wow Air – will send passengers overseas with one-way ticket prices of $99 in May of 2018. Southwest joined the fleet of low-cost airlines Allegiant and Frontier in June. In February, CVG was named the world’s best airport in the 5 million to 10-million-passenger category in the 2017 Skytrax World Airport Awards, and it was chosen as the best regional airport in North America.

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is located at 3087 Terminal Drive, Hebron, KY 41048. For more information, call 859.767.3230 or visit www.cvgairport.com.