Enhancing the Passenger Experience With Smart Glass

Why Smart Glass Is Coming to an Airport Near You

Why Happy Customers Pay Lighting Up: Why Light Levels are So Important

Smart Glass: Evolution and Revolution

Making the Case for Smart Glass

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Tom Cropper

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We live in the age of smart technology. Everything, from our phones to our cars and even our homes is becoming more connected, but glass has remained much as it ever has been. Now, though, that is changing, thanks to the arrival of smart or ‘dynamic’ glass.

Our opening article comes from SageGlass whose revolutionary technology offers a giant leap forward in smart glass solutions for business. Their products can be perfectly tailored to multiple areas of airports from departure lounges to biometrics machines. They explain more about how their new technology works and how it can be put to use.

We’ll explore more about this later in the Report. Until now, most of the solutions have addressed a single problem in an airport, such as an area having too much glare. In truth, the potential is much wider. Those companies considering using smart glass will have to think about what the technology can do, where it can be used and what return on investment it can deliver.

Elsewhere, the Report focuses on how smart glass can help airports by improving customer satisfaction. Airport operators have woken up to the fact that happy passengers are more profitable. While most will focus on efficiency improvements to reduce waiting

times, the environment can be even more important. By adjusting light and heat levels within the building, airports can improve comfort and increase revenue.

James Butler will examine the issue of light. We’re surrounded by it every day and it has a surprising impact on our psychology and mood. As animals, we crave natural light, but air travel often takes us out of this environment. Artificial lighting and long journeys can disrupt our natural rhythms which is why forwardthinking companies are adjusting light levels in a more natural way to make the journey more comfortable.

Then Jo Roth looks at the past, present and future of smart glass. The technology has been around for some time, but only now is it really finding a commercial foothold. The latest designs are light, thin durable and energy-efficient making them perfect for everyday use in an airport setting.

In a world which is getting smarter, it is perhaps high time that glass caught up and joined the high-tech revolution. This Report will show some of the ways in which it can make a real difference to the passenger experience and how that can translate to improved bottom line performance.

Tom Cropper Editor

Tom Cropper has produced articles and reports on various aspects of global business over the past 15 years. He has also worked as a copywriter for some of the largest corporations in the world, including ING, KPMG and the World Wildlife Fund.

Why Smart Glass Is Coming to an Airport Near You

SageGlass

SMART GLASS, glass which tints automatically in response to the sun, is seeing rapid adoption in the airport community. Major airports including including MSP, DCA, BNA, DFW, SFO, Haneda and others have incorporated smart glass into recently completed or ongoing terminal renovation projects. This rapid uptake is the result of two macrotrends impacting the airport landscape:

1. A focus on passenger experience

2. New technology adoption

Passenger Experience

According to ACI’s Airport Service Quality research, an increase of one percent in global passenger satisfaction generates an average growth of 1.5 percent in non-aeronautical revenue. In other words, comfortable travelers are happier travelers, and happier travelers spend more money.

To prioritize comfort, airports are turning to dynamic glass, as research shows travelers prefer more natural light and unobstructed outdoor views, even under conditions when it is estimated to be sufficient. But letting in natural light can result in glare and excessive heat, aggravating already tense and rushed travelers and creating a frustrating experience for travelers, staff and airport businesses hoping to gain travelers’ attention.

Dynamic glass improves the airport experience for travelers by controlling glare and managing excessive heat, blocking up to 91 percent of solar heat, exceeding the performance of almost any conventional glass product. The use of dynamic glass to promote visual and thermal comfort can also help airport staff perform at their best at security checkpoints where being focused and avoiding distraction caused by lack of comfort are mission critical.

Additionally, thermal comfort provided by blocking unwanted heat gain and glare also benefits the restaurants and businesses inside the airport, as comfortable travelers are more likely to linger in airport bars and restaurants. In a recent study at Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) Airport, dynamic

glass was used to reduce solar heat gain and improve comfort at an airport bar. Evaluating one month of data, the bar’s sales of alcohol increased by 80 percent year over year, as passengers felt more comfortable and spent more time and money there.

This data demonstrates that passenger comfort can directly impact non-aeronautical revenue. As more airports recognize this connection, the uptake of technologies that enhance passenger comfort, such as smart glass, is set to increase.

New Technology Adoption

New technologies are reshaping airports, and the air travel experience, at an incredibly fast pace. This is being done both to improve efficiencies for airports and airlines and to improve the passenger experience. However, sometimes new innovations and technologies have unforeseen impacts.

FOUR EMERGING INNOVATIONS

in airports that can be impacted by an airport’s choice of glass.

BIOMETRIC SCANNERS

Facial recognition is clearly going to be the “single token” security measure of the future. It will be used from everything from booking travel all the way through boarding and baggage claim. However, there is a challenge: too much light can prevent biometric scanning machines from working properly. During Passenger Terminal Expo in March of this year, SageGlass had a visit from an airport director who told us his new biometric scanners wouldn’t work at his eastfacing checkpoint in the mornings due to all the glare coming in. He felt SageGlass tintable, smart glass could be a solution.

VIDEO ANALYTICS FOR WAITING LINE OPTIMIZATION

Expediting the screening process is a crucial component of the passenger experience. In fact, according to IATA’s 2018 Global Passenger Experience Survey, wanting data on wait times

It is critical that airport designs try to consider the long-term implications of all decisions

was #3 on the travel information “wants list” from passengers. Airports are starting to employ video analytics to monitor and report on wait times. Short term this provides valuable passenger data, but, with machine learning, airports can begin dynamically shifting both passengers and security staff to optimize wait times. One problem…the cameras used to do this can also be disrupted by excess light!

FOOD DELIVERY TO WAITING AREAS

New apps are emerging which provide passengers the opportunity to order food and have it delivered to them, right at their gate area. With time always of the essence for travelers, this is a smart innovation. The problem is, seating is often at a premium and people typically don’t want to stand and eat. Unfortunately, lots of seating can be left unoccupied when it is subject to glare or intense heat coming in through the glass. When seating is limited, the uptake of new customer service innovations like food delivery will be limited too.

HOLDING AREA OPTIMIZATION

Airports have been investing to improve holding areas, specifically near gates. New seats, often equipped with outlets or charging stations, are among the most common improvements. Related to that is increasing speed, and decreasing cost, of WiFi access. Both of these are done to feed our collective appetite for mobile device usage. Unfortunately, glare on our tablets and smartphones can render them useless. Traveling through airports you often see evidence of this, with passengers contorting their bodies to block the glare to see their device.

Future Proof Airport Designs

We are currently in the midst of a period with significant airport renovation, as the industry recognizes the need to re-invest to compete. However, most airports don’t undergo significant renovations or expansions very often. For this reason, it is critical that airport designs try to consider the long-term implications of all decisions. This is not about envisioning every outcome the future may hold but designing with the unknown in mind. Airports need technologies that are adaptable, able to respond to changing needs. Incorporating technologies like Smart Glass support this design mentality, helping ensure airports are able to compete today and well into the future.

Comfortable travelers are happier travelers, and happier travelers spend more money

Dynamic glass improves the airport experience for travelers by controlling glare and managing excessive heat, blocking up to 91 percent of solar heat, exceeding the performance of almost any conventional glass product

Why Happy Customers Pay

Tom Cropper, Editor

Once upon a time customer satisfaction wasn’t such a big deal for airports, but things are changing. Now it’s crucial to their survival.

AIRLINES HAVEN’T always been too concerned about the comfort of their customers. You paid your money to get where you needed to be as cheaply as possible. How you got there didn’t exactly matter. Now, though, things are changing. Customer happiness is a top priority for airlines for a very simple reason – it pays - and in a world in which profits are harder to come by, satisfied customers are vital for business.

Non-Aeronautical Revenue

The rise of affordable air travel might have been a boom for passenger numbers, but it hasn’t been as good for-profit margins. If airlines and airports are to grow revenue, they need to increase nonaeronautical revenue.

A recent report from Airports Council International (ACI) highlights the increasing importance of non-aeronautical revenue1 Although the sector has experienced consistent growth since 2010, airports have struggled to maintain profitability through aviation activities alone. The report finds that the total cost per passenger for airports (US$13.69) exceeded global aeronautical revenues per passenger (US$9.95).

Without this revenue, airports struggle to remain commercially viable. Data suggests most airports around the world are losing money, with only larger hubs, which can harness the benefits of retail outlets, making significant profits2

Non-aeronautical revenues, therefore, are crucial and, as evidence suggests, one of the most important metrics for increasing them is customer service. Indeed, in many cases, it can be more important than expanding retail offerings.

Happy Customers Pay More

The aviation sector goes to great lengths to increase their share of non-aeronautical revenues. As soon as we pass through the doors of an airport terminal, we’re presented with opportunities to spend money. Both in the main terminal and in the departure lounge, retail and food outlets are everywhere.

There’s no letup once we get on board, with food trolleys, retail brochures and even lotteries vying for our attention.

Aviation companies understand that passengers make tempting targets. If we’re travelling by air, we are more likely to be in a buying mood. Indeed, research from Loveholidays reveals that passengers spend an average of £52 before, during and after their flights3. In many cases people are spending significantly more on sundries than on their actual ticket. Unsurprisingly, then, the aviation sector is investing heavily in not only giving people more things to buy, but also finding ways in which they can increase the amount of money they spend.

All of which brings us back to the issue of customer satisfaction. Research suggests satisfied passengers will spend 45% more than people who are unhappy. A report by ACI finds that, for every 1% increase in customer satisfaction, non-aeronautical revenues increase by 1.5%. This, says the report, makes customer satisfaction the strongest driver of non-aeronautical revenue, even more so than increasing retail space4

Nevertheless, aviation still lags behind other travel industries in terms of customer service. Travelling by air is seen as stressful, so much so that in 2007 one leading neuropsychologist likened the stress of passing through Heathrow to moving through a riot5. Time and time again passengers’ basic expectations are not met. They spend time waiting in line, are forced to eat substandard food and often find themselves too hot, too cold or basically uncomfortable. Airports have turned to a number of measures to try and improve things.

Automation services such as self-check-ins reduce bottlenecks, biometric gates are intended to make queues faster and facial recognition cameras are being used to move people more quickly through terminals. Design and aesthetics are becoming more important. Madrid’s Bajaras Airport, for example, won the RIBA Stirling Prize6 Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam uses plants and wood paneling to create a more relaxed

Non-aeronautical revenues, therefore, are crucial and, as evidence suggests, one of the most important metrics for increasing them is customer service

environment for passengers as they pass through baggage check.

The modern airport, therefore, aims to look good, feel good and to move people through the terminal more efficiently. Happier and more comfortable passengers lead to higher revenues and, as both of these airports have discovered in different ways, one of the most important factors is light.

Why Glass Could Be the Answer

Natural light has a beneficial effect on everyone, whether in their day-to-day lives or while they are at work. According to a study by Alan Hedge, a professor in the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis at Cornell, natural light can be enormously positive for office workers. His study shows that employees in daylit office environments reported an 84% drop in symptoms of eyestrain, headaches and blurred vision7. However, the study did acknowledge that using natural light in an uncontrolled way created challenges such as problems with glare and additional heat.

The solution is to moderate the amount of light coming into a building, which is where dynamic glass comes into play. It has the ability to vary its tint depending on conditions, to modulate the amount of light in an area. When the sun is out, it darkens to reduce problems of heat and glare; when it’s darker, it clears to allow as much light and solar energy into the building as possible. Light levels have also been shown to affect how long passengers linger in certain areas and how much they spend. If an area is cooler and more comfortable, people will stay there to shop. Restaurants and bars, on the other hand, often like to reduce light levels to encourage customers to drink more.

Glass, then, is an under-rated, yet vital ingredient in the drive to improve customer satisfaction and increase revenue. It helps to improve the comfort levels of passengers, to persuade them to linger in revenue-generating areas and increases the effectiveness of technologies which are designed to improve the passenger experience. That’s why the next big revolution in aviation could prove to be founded on glass.

In many cases people are spending significantly more on sundries than on their actual ticket. Unsurprisingly, then, the aviation sector is investing heavily in not only giving people more things to buy, but also finding ways in which they can increase the amount of money they spend

The modern airport, therefore, aims to look good, feel good and to move people through the terminal more efficiently. Happier and more comfortable passengers lead to higher revenues and, as both of these airports have discovered in different ways, one of the most important factors is light

Lighting Up: Why Light Levels are So Important

James Butler, Staff Writer

Light is all around us, but we seldom pay it much thought. However, controlling passengers’ exposure to light can make great business sense.

WE RARELY think about it, but our exposure to light can have a profound effect on our comfort, wellbeing and even health. Too much artificial light or the wrong lighting levels at the wrong time of the day can leave us feeling stressed or fatigued. That’s not good news for aviation companies who, for all sorts of reasons, want to make life as comfortable as possible for their passengers. By understanding the way humans react to light, they can go a long way towards achieving that goal.

The Importance of Lighting

Businesses of all kinds are ditching old fashioned, inefficient lighting systems to make way for more advanced replacements. They are driven partly by a desire to reduce their energy costs and boost their sustainability rating but also by a greater understanding of the link between our health and how much light we are exposed to. Studies suggest that the right lighting levels can improve concentration8, keep us awake9, reduce stress10 and even relieve pain11

The search for the perfect lighting solution can lead to some surprising choices. Back in 2007, Virgin Atlantic replaced the usual yellow fluorescent lights with blue mood lighting which gave their planes something of a nightclub feel. The aim was to make passengers feel more relaxed, but also to rebrand flying as cool. Blue lighting can also suppress the body’s melatonin production which makes people feel more awake and alert. That’s why doctors often advise against using computers or screens shortly before going to bed12

How People React to Light

Humans react to light in ways which we are only just beginning to understand. Indeed, as a study by Gilles Vandewalle and his colleagues at the University of Montreal showed, it can affect brain functions in ways which are unrelated to sight. Although other studies have also shown that photoreceptor cells located in the eye could detect

light even with blind people, it had been thought that blind people required at least 30 minutes of exposure to feel an impact. Vanderwalle’s study, however, showed that they only needed a few seconds13

The problem is that air travel puts people in a highly artificial situation. They are shut away from natural lighting for long periods of time and, if they are on a long-haul flight, that can severely interrupt their internal body chemistry, leading to problems of fatigue.

To improve life for passengers, therefore, the aviation sector is working to make their exposure to light as natural as possible. Bombardier’s Global 7500s are equipped with a system which adjusts cabin lighting to help passengers moving towards time zones14. The Soleil Lighting system uses what the company calls ‘dynamic lighting simulation’ to mimic the way natural light changes during the course of a day. The technology uses complex algorithms to develop bespoke lighting simulations for individual flights to help passengers stay awake or fall asleep to combat jet lag when they land the other side.

Smart lighting systems are all very well, but they can involve a certain amount of technology, can be expensive and may not work for everyone. A more affordable and flexible way, therefore, can be to control the flow of light at the windows.

If you’re sitting in your seat, for example, you can either look out through the small window or pull the shutter across. There is no middle ground and if one person wants to look out of a window while the other would prefer shade there is the potential for conflict.

Smart glass could vary the tint, cutting out glare from the sun and giving one passenger the shade they want while the other can still enjoy the view through the window.

Making Terminals Great Again

In terminals, natural light is used both to reduce energy bills and to improve passenger experience. For example, diffuse daylighting in Guangzhou’s Terminal 1 building allows facilities to work during

To improve comfort, the airport turned to dynamic glass to modulate the light coming into the terminal, reduce problems with heat and to refresh the look of the terminal’s interior design

daylight hours without artificial light. Not only does this reduce energy consumption, helping the airport control costs and meet sustainability goals, but it also creates a more pleasant environment for passengers.

At Minneapolis Airport, they had a very specific problem. Their north security terminal, Charles Lindbergh, faces East and suffered from heat and glare. It made life uncomfortable for passengers as they waited to pass through security and also created problems for Travel Security Administration (TSA) Staff who were facing the windows.

To improve comfort, the airport turned to dynamic glass to modulate the light coming into the terminal, reduce problems with heat and to refresh the look of the terminal’s interior design. The glass has the capacity to vary tint depending on conditions or to be controlled manually.

“Passengers benefit from daylight and views, but direct solar penetration can be controlled,” Said Greg Maxam, Director of Sustainable Design at Alliance. “This means better working conditions for security personnel, which in turn leads to a better travel experience15.”

The pleasant natural light and views allowed by the dynamic glass helped to refresh an aging terminal, while the ability to sustainably control light and heat makes life more comfortable for staff and customers. It reduces stress and improves the wellbeing of everyone.

Projects such as this represent the new way of thinking for airports. Where customer satisfaction might once have been based on how quickly you could pass through security, now it relies also on the environment inside the terminal. Lowering stress levels will become a key performance metric and, given the impact of light on stress, smart glass will have an increasingly important role to play.

As humans we thrive in natural conditions, but traditional airport design has been a world away from what people are looking for. Nature is replaced by cold hard lines. Natural light is replaced by harsh fluorescent lighting. By optimizing the amount of light passengers are exposed to, airports and airlines can make the entire flying experience much more pleasant and fulfilling.

Smart lighting systems are all very well, but they can involve a certain amount of technology, can be expensive and may not work for everyone. A more affordable and flexible way, therefore, can be to control the flow of light at the windows

The pleasant natural light and views allowed by the dynamic glass helped to refresh an aging terminal, while the ability to sustainably control light and heat makes life more comfortable for staff and customers. It reduces stress and improves the wellbeing of everyone

Smart Glass: Evolution and Revolution

Jo Roth, Staff Writer

In a world which is smart and connected, windows and glass have been slow to catch up. Now, that is changing, and it could be an enormous boost for the aviation industry.

THE last few years, smart glass has gone mainstream. A ready market, together with rapidly evolving technology is seeing it being used in homes, offices and in the aviation sector. A growing body of evidence shows that it can help with comfort and wellbeing and drive additional revenue.

The global smart glass market is in a phase of rapid growth and development. Between 2019 and 2025, it is expected to grow at around 16% year on year to reach a total volume of USD 20.1 million16. Government initiatives supporting energy efficient glass and the arrival of more effective and cost-efficient technology create an extremely promising environment for those companies at the cutting edge of development.

How The Technology Has Evolved

Smart glass is not entirely new. It has been around for some time in one form or another. However, it is only now that it is being widely adopted.

Thermochronic glass uses heat to tell the glass when to dim. When temperatures rise, the glass will automatically dim. This system automatically modulates brightness within a building theoretically maintaining a positive internal environment. The downside is that it cannot be controlled manually. Liquid crystal windows use technology which would be familiar to anyone who owns a digital watch. A thin layer of liquid crystals is placed between two transparent electrical conductors on plastic films which are sandwiched between layers of glass. It is known as polymer dispersed liquid (PDL) crystal and uses an electrical current to control the transparency of the glass. This allows users to adjust the tint as they desire, but it needs to be hooked up to an electricity supply constantly.

Electrochromic glass addresses many of these issues. It changes tint only when an electrical current is applied. It is more durable, provides complete manual control and only uses electricity when the tint is being changed. It allows buildings

to control glare and temperature and reduce energy use, as well as giving people privacy as and when they need it. Promoters often refer to it as being able to do away with the need for curtains.

How Glass Is Becoming More Flexible

Until recently, smart glass was useful but was difficult to work in all situations. It was either manual or automatically operated and could be expensive to run. Businesses might acknowledge that it made life more comfortable for their staff but would struggle to see the benefits of a technology which still had a high purchase cost and lacked flexibility.

The latest technology is more flexible and affordable, offering glass which can change tint automatically and can also be manually controlled when required. One of the most effective products comes from SageGlass, which makes use of advanced technology to produce a finish which eliminates, glare, is completely natural looking and allows perfect automatic and manual modulation of tint levels.

Panels are coated with five layers of ceramic materials with a total thickness of 1/50th of a human hair. When voltage is applied, ions travel from one layer to another creating a reversible solid-state (SS) change which causes the coating to tint and absorb the light making the glass darker. Reversing the voltage polarity migrates ions back to their original layer untinting the window. The transparent conductor (TC) layers form a sandwich around the electrochromic (EC) layer, the ion conductor (IC) and the counter electrode (CE).

This technology allows the creation of products which provide enhanced levels of controls over tinting levels. SageGlass Lightzone, for example, allows varying levels of tint within the same pane, ensuring that just the right amount of light gets into a building at any one time. It blocks 99% of glareproducing light and can help buildings achieve

Until recently, smart glass was useful but was difficult to work in all situations. It was either manual or automatically operated and could be expensive to run

green certificates. Their SageGlass Harmony product allows for gradual in-pane tint transition, enabling intelligent daylight management. SageGlass produce smart glass solutions for many different clients in a range of markets, with clear benefits for the aviation industry. Airports and airlines are under pressure to improve customer comfort, make life easier for employees and to reduce energy usage and their carbon footprints. Many buildings in the terminals have large plate glass windows which can leave them particularly vulnerable to glare and a build-up of temperature. An east facing window, for example, can create glare and heat problems for those inside.

Impacting Passenger Mood

However, this is only part of what smart glass can do. As the number of potential uses increase world-wide, evidence is mounting which shows it can affect passenger psychology and directly

increase revenue. By reducing glare, it can also improve the performance of biometric gates, while variable tinted privacy glass can make for effective rest areas or meditation rooms.

Technology has evolved rapidly, but as the number of customers increase, development is accelerating. The latest technology is lighter, more flexible and more durable than ever, and the future will see cutting edge advances, such as nano technology, move us forward even further. Indeed, we could move into a world in which windows do much more than just adjust lighting levels but could be combined with augmented reality to convey video messaging or information.

The airport of the future will be sleek, spacious and attractive. The journey towards smart glass will help airports create an environment which makes use of nature to create a much more pleasant travelling experience.

The latest technology is more flexible and affordable, offering glass which can change tint automatically and can also be manually controlled when required

The airport of the future will be sleek, spacious and attractive. The journey towards smart glass will help airports create an environment which makes use of nature to create a much more pleasant travelling experience

Making the Case for Smart Glass

Tom Cropper, Editor

Smart glass has attracted an enormous amount of attention, but airports may not fully understand its full potential.

AS WE’VE read in this Report, the scene is set for rapid growth in smart glass adoption across the aviation sector. However, it remains niche with only a relatively small number of adoptions so far, and technology is still developing. Where it has been used to date, results have been promising but there are still signs that the industry hasn’t quite woken up to its full potential. As we move to the future, smart glass will be found everywhere from aircraft windows to departure lounges, privacy screens and in technologies such as bio scanners. At every point, it will be delivering crucial benefits.

Cost Versus Return

All innovations will need to prove a clear return on investment. Early iterations of smart glass may have been relatively expensive, but the latest technology is becoming much more affordable. Electrochromic designs use thin layers on top of the glass to add the tinting capacity with minimal addition of width or weight.

Smart glass will require electricity to power it. However, the latest EC designs only require power when the tint is changing. The power they use is extremely small. A study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the US found that powering 100 windows with smart glass would only use as much energy as

75-Watt lightbulb17

That pales into insignificance compared to the energy savings delivered. During summer, smart glass can prevent light and heat getting into the building, while in winter it can let in as much solar energy as possible to provide heat. As such, it can reduce the need for heating and cooling systems. Tests have shown that smart windows are, in terms of their energy performance, 70% more energy efficient during the summer and 45% more efficient during the winter18

Sustainable Solutions

The ability to retain heat during winter and keep it out in summer has obvious cost advantages, but

it can also help airports meet ambitious carbon reduction targets. The Paris Climate Accords aim to restrict global warming to 1.5% of 1990 levels but achieving that target will require a monumental effort. In 2018 a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) found that, to hit that target, the world will need to cut emissions by 45% against 2010 levels by 2030 and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 205019

This is a transformative figure with every industry having to slash emissions dramatically while also fueling growth. The global aviation industry has pledged to stop increasing overall emissions by 2020 and to halve its total emissions by 203020

This would be an ambitious target at the best of times, but the aviation industry must also manage dramatic growth. IATA’s long-range forecast suggests passenger numbers will double over the next 22 years to 8.2 billion in 203721

It is an enormous challenge and will need efficiency savings at every point. Estimates from Project Drawdown, a research organization that identifies potential solutions to climate change, suggest that smart glass can offer energy savings of 23% from cooling and 35% from lighting. If it achieved widespread adoption by 2050, the organization argues it could result in 2.2 gigatons of emissions reductions thanks to lower energy use22

Revenue Return

Smart glass can save money and help airports towards their climate change goals, but the calculation should also include the revenue increases. Smart glass has the potential to boost revenue both directly and indirectly.

By improving comfort levels, smart glass firstly puts passengers in a buying frame of mind and secondly encourages them to linger in revenue generating areas. If customers find themselves in places which are too hot, they will be much more likely to hurry on through. Stress levels will rise and their overall opinion of the airport will take a hit. It can also facilitate other technologies

Other areas of an airport can also directly increase revenues by modulating light. People in colder and darker climates have been found to drink more alcohol

such as biometric gates or face ID technology. Both have been shown to improve passenger satisfaction levels and revenue by reducing delays and increasing processing times. Passengers are more content and spend less time waiting in line, which increases their stay in the retail areas of the airport.

Other areas of an airport can also directly increase revenues by modulating light. People in colder and darker climates have been found to drink more alcohol23, and the same is true of pubs. This is why the light is often kept low to encourage people to drink more.

Designing a Smart Glass Strategy

The sector is on a learning curve with smart glass. Although there is a lot of interest, adoption remains relatively low and most projects have addressed a certain need, such as complaints about an area being too hot or too cold. As this Report has shown, the potential is much larger. Smart glass can save money, make money and improve the performance of other technologies. When considering an installation, therefore, airports should conduct a detailed assessment of their needs and where smart glass can add value.

This will include expected energy savings, specific areas which need to modulate light, alongside projections about potential returns. They will need to develop an understanding about the latest technologies. Smart glass is developing rapidly, with a move towards lighter, more flexible and durable designs.

That’s important because airports will need glass which can withstand the wear and tear of daily operations.

The choice of provider will also be important. Currently, there are only a few leading manufacturers of dynamic glazing solutions around the world and the choice becomes even narrower when you search for those with experience in the aviation sector. While some may attempt to sell generic solutions, it is vital to choose a partner who understands the requirements and can work closely with you throughout the project.

Smart glass, therefore, can play a much wider role for airports than many might imagine. It can control the environment within terminals, improve wellbeing, encourage passengers to linger in certain areas, and reduce energy use. The more it is used around the world the more data will emerge showing airports how they can get greater benefits from it.

All innovations will need to prove a clear return on investment. Early iterations of smart glass may have been relatively expensive, but the latest technology is becoming much more affordable

By improving comfort levels, smart glass firstly puts passengers in a buying frame of mind and secondly encourages them to linger in revenue generating areas

References:

1 ACI Economics Report Highlights Importance of Non Aeronautical Revenue: https://aci.aero/news/2019/03/28/aci-economics-report-affirms-the-importance-of-non-aeronautical-revenues-for-airports-financial-sustainability/

2 Airport Profits Ready to Depart: https://www.economist.com/business/2017/08/12/airport-profits-ready-to-depart

3 Shocking New Survey Reveals How Much Passengers are Spending Before and During their Flights: https://www.columbusdirect.com/content/shocking-new-survey-reveals-how-much-passengers-are-spending-before-and-during-their-flights/

4 ACI White Paper Customer Service is Airport’s Strongest Driver of Non Aeronautical Revenue: https://prn.to/2Z7jKZg

5 Heathrow Stress Equals Riot: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/737982/Heathrow-stress-equal-to-facing-riots.html

6 Bajaras Airport Wins Stirling Prize: https://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/article/1499662/barajas-airport-wins-stirling-prize

7 Natural Light is the Best Medicine for the Office:

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/study-natural-light-is-the-best-medicine-for-the-office-300590905.html

8 Lighting Affects Students’ Concentration Positively:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258169434_Lighting_affects_students’_concentration_positively_Findings_from_three_Dutch_studies

9 Blue LEDs Light up your Brain: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/blue-leds-light-up-your-brain/

10 The Effects of Natural Light in the Workplace:

https://journals.lww.com/jbisrir/Fulltext/2010/08161/The_effects_of_exposure_to_natural_light_in_the.5.aspx?WT.mc_id=HPxADx20100319xMP

11 Effect of Light Therapy on Chronic Pain: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03677206

12 Why do Airplanes Look Like Nightclubs Now? https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/4/19/18485015/airplane-blue-lighting-delta-jetblue-united

13 How Blind People Detect Light: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-blind-people-detect-light/

14 Bombardier Combats Jet Lag with Dynamic Lighting: https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/bombardier-combats-jetlag-with-dynamic-lighting-fo-457707/

15 Minneapolis St Pauls International Case Study: https://www.sageglass.com/eu/case-studies/minneapolis-st-paul-international-airport-usa

16 Global Smart Glass Market to Witness CAGR OF 16.2% by 2025: http://bit.ly/2MgotSt

17 Why Smart Windows Have a Bright Future: https://www.nrel.gov/news/features/2010/1555.html

18 Smart Windows, the Intelligent Window which Keeps you Warm During Winter and Cool in the Summer: http://biblus.accasoftware.com/en/smart-windows-the-intelligent-windows-that-keep-you-warm-during-winter-and-cool-during-summer/

19 Summary for Policy Makers of IPCC: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/summary-for-policymakers/

20 Aviation Industry Outlines Ambitious Climate Goals: http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6149

21 IATA Predicts 8.2bn Air Travellers by 2037: https://www.iata.org/pressroom/pr/Pages/2018-10-24-02.aspx

22 Buildings and Cities Smart Glass: https://www.drawdown.org/solutions/buildings-and-cities/smart-glass

23 Colder, Darker Climates Increase Alcohol Consumption and Liver Disease: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181114080917.htm