Implementing automation at airport bottlenecks could expedite drop-off, check-in, security, and boarding for flyers and employees.

Why it matters: Between 2016 and 2019, the number of passengers using U.S. airlines has increased by 10.9%. Last year, 1 in 7 travelers in the U.S. missed a flight due to long security lines.

Transportation authorities, airlines, tech companies, and others are experimenting with ways to automate and streamline airport pain points.

Curbside pick-up and drop-off: Ride-hailing services account for 62% of airport transportation for business travel, leading to increased congestion.

In response, airports are contemplating using AVs to reduce low-occupancy vehicle traffic, including a shuttle-type AV pilot at Denver International Airport.

Check in: Many airports have self-serve “bag-drop” systems, where passengers interact with airport staff to confirm passenger identity. Delta Airlines is experimenting with automated biometric check-in screens that use facial recognition.

Security: The TSA allocated $71.5 million for adding more than 145 machine learning–based CT scanners into security checkpoints to expedite carry-on baggage inspections.

The further expansion of this technology could automate the detection of firearms, knives, explosives, lithium ion batteries and other prohibited items.

Metro21: Smart Cities Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and the Pittsburgh International Airport developed a model for estimating security wait times and distributing passengers across checkpoints.

Boarding: Since the 1970s, boarding times have more than doubled.

IT provider Amadeus developed a biometric boarding procedure that uses facial recognition to reduce boarding processing time by 75%.

The Design Doing Collaboration developed a mobile app that automates flight delay and gate reassignment updates.

The impact: Automation of these processes could lead to job losses, but could also reduce TSA employee turnover.

The Department of Homeland Security has found that overwork and staffing shortages at security checkpoints were a major cause of TSA employee attrition.

Automation could expedite processes and fill gaps in staffing, potentially improving employee morale and retention.

The bottom line: Most major airports are projected to experience “Thanksgiving-peak traffic volume” at least once each week this year, and these technologies could potentially help alleviate the worst bottlenecks.

Karen Lightman is executive director of Metro21: Smart Cities Institute at Carnegie Mellon University.