Why aviation needs product people.
Last week I attended a fascinating webinar hosted by International Airport Review with Nick Woods, CIO of MAG (Airports Group) and Veovo's 'Go Brilliantly' James Williamson on how the airport is leveraging passenger flow data and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology to increase operational efficiency and improve passenger experiences across the end-to-end passenger journey.
💡 Key takeaways💡
1) Nick set out the benefits of taking a product approach to the passenger journey over the past 2-3 years, moving away from siloed, fragmented processes to an environment of co-creation and data-sharing.
From a Product perspective, he asks:
a) What is the resulting NPS?
b) Did we succeed in delivering what we set out to?
c) What did it cost us to deliver the experience?
2) Aviation suffers from variability perhaps more than any other sector so creating seamless experiences is a challenge. Data is taken from every touchpoint across the end-to-end journey creating a continuous experience rather than many separate experiences.
3) MAG are utilising AI to work out 'best actions' based on real-time data allowing for better decision-making on resources and the overall business case.
4) MAG are moving towards hyper-personalisation of experiences having developed a set of eight customer segments to understand the needs, emotions and frustrations of different passenger types.
5) Finally, when it comes to choosing a tech stack for an airline or airport, there is no 'one size fits all'. Every space is different; from the age of the building to capacity and connectivity.
All of the above highlights why aviation needs more product people.
A product-led approach fosters collaboration and breaks down the silos that continue to hold the industry back. By focusing on the entire passenger journey as a cohesive product, rather than a series of disjointed processes, aviation can transform how passengers experience their time in airports and as well as during flights.
Product professionals bring a customer-first mindset, driving innovations like AI, data-driven decision-making, and hyper-personalisation.
Product people ask critical questions that form the foundation for continuous improvement, allowing airports and airlines to create more seamless, efficient, and personalised passenger journeys.
By leveraging real-time data, AI, and advanced technologies like LiDAR, product teams can create not just isolated solutions, but connected, end-to-end experiences that adapt to the unique needs of different passenger segments. Whether it’s optimising resource allocation or fine-tuning passenger flow, product professionals play a crucial role in aligning technology with customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Ultimately, the challenges aviation faces—such as variability in passenger flow and the complexity of managing different spaces—can be met with a product mindset that thrives on flexibility, data insights, and a relentless focus on improving the passenger journey. This is why the industry’s future will rely heavily on skilled product people who can drive these transformations forward.
If this is a skillset you need within your organisation, contact me.
