Gatwick installs 2,000 Bluetooth beacons to assist travellers
Gatwick Airport has installed 2,000 Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons in both its terminals that will connect to passengers' phones. Pointr Labs' "indoor blue dot" system will let the airport, airlines and shops communicate with passengers using proximity data. The airport is now working with app developers to incorporate the beacon data into systems in order to offer passengers help with directions around the airport, flight information and to serve promotions via their phones.
London's Gatwick Airport has installed 2,000 Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons across its two terminals to help passengers navigate their way to flights, as well as receive push notifications. The beacon system, known as the "indoor blue dot," was provided by Pointr Labs. The solution is live now, but it is likely to be a few months before any apps deploy functionality that employees and passengers can use. The goal is for numerous apps to be built to use the proximity-based data, including by the airport, airlines and stores.

Gatwick Airport is one of four major international airports serving the London area. In 2016, 43.2 million passengers traveled through the facility—a number up by 7.1 percent compared to the year prior. In late 2015, the airport launched its Community App to help employees communicate with each other and to view flight details. However, neither this app nor any customer-facing airline apps had used technology for proximity detection.

Gatwick Airport is now working with app developers to incorporate the beacon data into the airports apps, as well as those of other companies at the airport, says Abhi Chacko, Gatwick's head of IT for commercial and innovation. App developers use Pointr Labs' software development kit (SDK) to build the beacon functionality into their own apps.

What functionality gets delivered to end users will depend on those developing the apps, Chacko says. For instance, he adds, in the case of an airline, "They could show the route to departure gate, if the boarding pass information is already available in the app." Vendors, in the meantime, could provide offers or coupons to passenger as they pass stores.

First and foremost, the technology could provide wayfinding capability. Airports, in general, can be complex places to navigate, Chacko points out, so Gatwick opted to launch the BLE-based system to help passengers access indoor navigation maps—which, in the long run, can be used, along with airport, airline and other third-party apps, to enhance the experience of being at the airport, he says.

Wayfinding could not only direct passengers quickly to their departing flight gate or to the proper security line, but could also assist them in finding the nearest bathroom or ATM machine. "Easier navigation has the the potential to reduce the number of missed or delayed flights," Chacko states, "because airlines can deliver proximity-based flight information to passengers."