The Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) is transitioning to what it calls “airport 4.0” through developing a smart airport ecosystem that will include advanced analytics and AI-enabled airside and landside platforms integration by 2031.
ACSA recently reported a record net profit of R1.1 billion, more than double the R472 million achieved in 2023/24, alongside revenue growth of 13% to R7.9 billion. The state-owned company has a R21.7 billion capital investment pipeline focused on digitisation, innovation and infrastructure modernisation over the next five years.
In its annual report, released yesterday, the airport operator said it “aims to become among the leading airport operators in smart airport technology through the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IOT), blockchain solutions, and robotics for optimisation of airport operations and improvement of the passenger experience” by 2031.
The airports company is also developing what it describes as a flagship innovation initiative, the ACSA-Verse, a metaverse platform, which it says will change how passengers, airport operations and other stakeholders interact with its airports. The first year of the project will focus on developing a proof of concept for the first phase.
ACSA says the platform will use immersive technology to model airport operations, while providing real-time operational information and new ways for passengers and other stakeholders to interact with airports.
“The ACSA-Verse is just the beginning of our innovation journey. As we move forward, the lessons learned and the foundations built in this process will drive us toward new opportunities and breakthroughs,” ACSA notes.
Predicting you
AI will increasingly be used across key functions and processes to improve efficiency and decision-making, including at passenger touchpoints such as check-in, security, baggage handling and parking, says ACSA.
“This technology will play a key role in helping the company predict passenger behaviour, identify bottlenecks, and optimise the overall airport experience and operation,” ACSA says.
The Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques (SITA’s) Air Transport IT Insights 2025 states that 73% of airports plan to invest in AI for prediction and automation by 2027, compared with 90% of airlines.
Adoption is on the rise in key operational areas, particularly cyber security, passenger flow and turnaround, although it’s still limited in cross-system coordination use cases, SITA says.
As part of ACSA’s drive towards airport 4.0, it will use IOT-enabled devices to provide real-time insights into its airport operations, from monitoring air quality and energy use, to optimising space use within terminals. This, it says, will make it possible to “operate more efficiently while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction”.
Robots on patrol
ACSA plans to use blockchain technology across its airport operations, including baggage tracking, financial transactions, smart contracts and other operational processes. “This will help ACSA reduce administrative overhead costs and enhance transparency, ultimately improving stakeholder trust,” it adds.
The airports management company also plans to integrate robotics into airport operations to provide passengers with entertainment, information and assistance. “Additionally, these robotic systems will support security by patrolling terminals, detecting and reporting any suspicious or malicious behaviour,” says ACSA.
Under ‘risks’ in its annual report, ACSA lists unauthorised landing of aircraft, baggage pilferage, insider threats and cyber attacks as risks its technology investments are intended to help address. It also identifies the lack of an integrated crime prevention plan, insufficient information security and vetting, and a lack of coordinated security operations as areas requiring attention.
In implementing these technological enhancements, ACSA says it continues to adopt data analytics across key areas of the business to enable more informed decisions on performance, passenger trends, airport infrastructure and the allocation of resources.
Data does the talking
Its focus areas include analysing passenger trends to better tailor services and facilities, improve the passenger experience and operational efficiency, and identify additional revenue opportunities.
ACSA also plans to use real-time data on infrastructure, including asset performance, gate allocation and terminal capacity, to improve resource management, use of space and aircraft turnaround times.
Predictive maintenance will combine data analytics, IOT sensors and machine learning to anticipate equipment failures, reduce unplanned downtime and costs, and extend the lifespan of assets, while limiting disruption to passenger services.
Some 48% of airports plan to implement cross-silo data streaming, sharing or synchronisation by 2028, SITA adds. This will allow airports to bring together data on flight schedules, stand and gate allocation, aircraft turnaround, passenger flows and airside activity, says the International Society of Aeronautical Telecommunications.
SITA says the same pattern emerges across airports’ technology priorities: performance improves when operational data is shared across the airport ecosystem. While infrastructure investment remains important, “performance increasingly depends on how effectively that infrastructure is run through connected, reliable data,” it says.
“ACSA’s innovation efforts are deeply intertwined with its vision for sustainable growth, ensuring every step it takes today contributes to a brighter, more connected future,” the airports company says.
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