| Any frequent flyer knows it’s the little things that make all the difference when trying to get from A to B. Having to fly out of London Heathrow quite often, I usually set my expectations pretty low. I’m certainly not alone in this case, and considering the regularity of systems failing, especially at T5, those in charge should take a page out of what the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) is doing.
MWAA’s IT team looks after foot, vehicle, and gate traffic at DC’s two major airports, Reagan National and Dulles International, which, combined, see more than 50 million passengers a year. And to make sure things run smoothly with all that entails, the team developed Queue Hub, a real-time intelligence platform that crunches analytics, AI, IoT, and cloud so operations are more efficient and profitable. Today’s lead story is a case study in how to achieve a win-win for customers and operations, since, as the former, you’re able to slip through security, customs, and immigration quickly, leaving the latter to welcome you into any number of shops, restaurants, and cafes.
It’s also a platform that earned MWAA a 2025 CIO 100 Award for IT leadership and innovation, and Goutam Kundu, MWAA EVP and CDIO, says it was built as a living system that had to be nimble. “It’s a very strategic project for enhancing predictability and efficiency at the airports, and is a key differentiator in this market,” he says. Unfortunately, once you’re out of the airport, either on the road or in the air, you’re on your own.
| | Carl Friedmann, Executive Regional Editor, CIO |
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