Brian Cobb, Chief Innovation Officer at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), speaks with Robert Daniel, Chief Revenue Officer of Data Society Group, in a video interview about CVG’s transformational journey, driving change, the airport becoming a center for innovation, and using innovation to transform the security experience.

Driving innovation amid change: CVG’s transformational journey

Reflecting on his 15-year tenure at the airport, Cobb shares how industry shifts and economic challenges prompted a strategic pivot toward innovation. The need for change was catalyzed by a dramatic shift in the airport’s market position, he adds. As Cobb mentions how once a dominant hub for a major U.S. carrier, CVG faced a new reality in the 2000s.

“We had to dynamically pivot our business model,” he says. This shift sparked the creation of new revenue strategies, especially in light of vulnerabilities in traditional income streams.

Cobb notes that while most airports relied heavily on non-aeronautical revenues like parking, the pandemic exposed the fragility of that dependency.

To navigate these challenges, he emphasizes the importance of collaboration. Through strategic partnerships and a forward-thinking approach, Cobb and the innovation team at CVG have created scalable solutions with impact beyond their own terminal walls.

CVG’s role in driving change and elevating experience

Cobb emphasizes the airport’s critical role in influencing outcomes. While CVG does not control entities like the FAA, he underscores the importance of collaboration with key regulatory agencies:

“We don’t have direct control over air traffic control, for example, with the FAA, but certainly we can work with them dynamically to recognize what it is that the airport can be doing to coordinate and collaborate with regulatory agencies such as the FAA, TSA, Customs and Border Protection.”

The ultimate goal, Cobb notes, is to enhance the overall travel experience, not just for passengers but for employees as well. “A happy worker makes for a good customer experience,” he says.

Further, Cobb links this vision to leveraging both human capital and emerging technologies: “What is it that we’re using as far as talent and technology to accelerate the overall experience?”

When reflecting on the broader concept of innovation, Cobb shares that innovation means different things to different people. “I  prefer not to use innovation as much as possible. It’s more about change management,” he adds.

Thereafter, he stresses that airports operate like “a city within a city” and emphasizes the importance of engaging all stakeholders across the campus: “It’s working with those collaborative organizations across our campus to support and facilitate that change management approach.”

At the core of this strategy is continuous improvement and creating a distinct competitive edge. The desired result, Cobb explains, is to become the airport of choice for both travelers and carriers.

Reframing the airport: A city within a city and a launchpad for innovation

Moving forward, Cobb reflects on CVG’s approach to working with startups as an example, acknowledging early challenges. He recalls that initially, while speaking with them, there was hesitation in disclosing their identity as an airport, as it often led to immediate dismissal from startup founders.

To work around that perception, Cobb explains, “We would wait until the 11th hour to share that we were an airport.” This new approach has sparked more open conversations and opportunities for mutual discovery. “Of course, that conversation would ensue, ‘I’m not sure if I have a product that fits your need, but it worked both ways.’”

To shift perceptions, Cobb and his team have encouraged startups to think differently about what an airport is. He has reframed the airport as a city within a city. This broader framing invited startups to reconsider the applicability of their products and leverage the airport as an accelerator for their products.

Highlighting the real-world scaling aspect, Cobb mentions telling a startup that CVG can be offered as a testing ground with over 9 million people viewing it annually and 16-17,000 employees using the product. Reframing CVG as a microcosm of a city helped startups see wider possibilities for scaling, says Cobb. He also notes how innovations tested at CVG could translate to other industries.

The goal is to use CVG’s infrastructure and workforce to drive innovation that can scale well beyond the airport itself.

How CVG used innovation to transform the security experience

Thereafter, Cobb points out that many organizations may not realize the immense value embedded in their data until they take a closer look. “You’re sitting on a treasure trove of valuable data.”

With CVG’s unique “municipality-type of ecosystem,” he mentions the sheer volume and diversity of data available. One of CVG’s earliest data-driven efforts focused on the security checkpoint. Recognizing the anxiety that long lines can cause, the team explored how data could help reduce that pain point.

The airport worked closely with TSA and airline partners to share real-time insights. The goal was to continuously improve the traveler experience. Cobb adds that reducing wait times at security not only eases passenger stress but also enhances their behavior once inside the terminal: “Once they’re comfortable at their gate, typically if they’ve had a great, easy experience, suddenly that will start improving concession revenues. It’ll improve their overall experience and use in and around the airport to find their way.”

To make this vision real, CVG turned to early Bluetooth-based tracking technologies. The system was privacy-conscious from the start, Cobb says. “We can’t  identify who individuals are, but if you have Bluetooth activated on your cell phone or other mobile equipment, it just drops a pin on a map for us.”

Through triangulation and data aggregation, they have been able to estimate and publicly share real-time average wait times. This made CVG a national leader in passenger transparency, he shares. “We were the first airport in the U.S. way back in 2014 to  illustrate to our customers what the actual wait time was and share that with our TSA colleagues again, first in the airport or first in the U.S.”

How CVG used data to transform the security checkpoint experience

Wrapping up, Cobb shares that CVG has taken a proactive and data-driven approach to improve the passenger experience at security checkpoints. Especially at the time, long wait times were generally viewed as the responsibility of TSA or the airlines, not the airport, he says. Rather than getting caught in debates over accountability, CVG focused on the customer’s perspective, treating all operational challenges as shared ones.

By measuring and publicly sharing security wait times, the airport gained valuable insights and drove internal accountability across stakeholders. This transparency alone led to noticeable improvements, with wait times dropping steadily from 45 minutes to as low as 15, states Cobb.

Over time, broader enhancements such as TSA PreCheck and the introduction of canine units further supported the effort, he affirms. Concluding, Cobb says that CVG also used technology to provide real-time wait time comparisons between PreCheck and general screening, helping travelers make informed decisions and improving overall flow and satisfaction.

CDO Magazine appreciates Brian Cobb for sharing his insights with our global community.