PASSME · Project

AI-Powered Passenger Flow Systems That Cut Airport Travel Time by 60 Minutes

transportPilotedTRL 6

Imagine arriving at the airport and everything just works — no guessing which security line is fastest, no waiting endlessly for luggage, no stress about whether you'll make your gate. PASSME built smart systems that track passenger movement in real time and predict bottlenecks 20-30 minutes before they happen, so airports can reroute people and resources on the fly. They also redesigned check-in and boarding processes and created a phone app that reads your stress levels and feeds you exactly the information you need, when you need it. The whole thing was tested at Amsterdam Schiphol and Hamburg airports with real passengers.

By the numbers

60 minutes

targeted reduction in total passenger travel time

30 minutes

targeted reduction in luggage processing time at arrival/departure

20-30 minutes

ahead-of-time predictive passenger flow analytics

TRL6

target technology readiness level

450

airports in ACI Europe network for dissemination reach

consortium partners across 7 countries

airports where system was implemented (Hamburg, Schiphol)

The business problem

What needed solving

Airports across Europe face a growing crisis: passenger volumes keep rising, but terminals, gates, and baggage systems weren't designed for this load. The result is long queues, missed connections, stressed passengers, and airlines burning money on delays. Current airport management systems react to problems after they happen instead of preventing them.

The solution

What was built

The project built a real-time passenger flow management system with predictive analytics (forecasting congestion 20-30 minutes ahead), a passenger-independent luggage flow system, redesigned check-in and boarding processes, and a personalised smartphone app that monitors passenger stress and delivers timely information. These were implemented and tested at Hamburg and Schiphol airports.

Audience

Who needs this

Airport operators managing growing passenger volumes and terminal congestionAirlines looking to speed up boarding and reduce turnaround delaysAirport IT and operations technology vendorsTravel experience and passenger service platform companiesAirport interior design and renovation firms

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Airport Operations

enterprise

Target: Airport operators and management companies

If you are an airport operator dealing with growing passenger volumes and congestion at check-in, security, and boarding gates — this project developed a real-time passenger flow management system with predictive analytics that forecasts crowding 20-30 minutes ahead of time. It was implemented and tested at Hamburg and Schiphol airports. The system aims to reduce total passenger travel time by at least 60 minutes per journey.

Aviation & Airlines

enterprise

Target: Airlines seeking to improve boarding efficiency and passenger satisfaction

If you are an airline struggling with slow boarding processes and passenger complaints about delays — this project redesigned passenger-centric boarding procedures and aircraft interior layouts to make the experience faster and less stressful. The solutions were co-developed with KLM airlines and tested up to TRL6. The luggage flow system alone targets reducing arrival and departure time by at least 30 minutes.

Travel Technology

any

Target: Travel tech companies and airport IT solution providers

If you are a technology company building passenger experience platforms — this project created a personalised smartphone application that measures physiological and psychological passenger state and connects with airport and airline services. It delivers timely, relevant information for decision-making. The system architecture was validated at two major European airports with 12 consortium partners across 7 countries.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this system at our airport?

The project data does not include specific pricing or implementation costs. The system was developed as a research project up to TRL6 (system demonstrated in relevant environment) at Hamburg and Schiphol airports. Licensing or deployment costs would need to be negotiated with the consortium led by TU Delft.

Can this scale to airports of different sizes?

The system was tested at two major European hub airports — Amsterdam Schiphol and Hamburg. The project linked with Airport Council International Europe, which represents a selection of 450 airports across the continent. Based on available project data, the architecture was designed for scalability across different airport configurations.

What is the IP situation and how can we license this technology?

The project was funded as a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) with 12 partners across 7 countries. IP ownership would be distributed among consortium members according to their EU grant agreement. Contact TU Delft as the coordinating institution to discuss licensing arrangements.

How proven is the passenger flow prediction technology?

The predictive analytics system was designed to forecast passenger flows 20-30 minutes ahead of time. It reached up to TRL6 according to the project objectives, meaning it was demonstrated in a relevant operational environment. Implementation was completed at Hamburg and Schiphol airports with support from airport service providers.

Does this integrate with existing airport management systems?

The system was specifically designed to integrate information between passengers, airports, and airlines. It was implemented at Hamburg and Schiphol with tightly supervised coordination with the airports and their subcontracted service providers. Based on available project data, integration with existing infrastructure was a core design requirement.

What measurable improvements can we expect?

The project targeted reducing total passenger travel time by at least 60 minutes per journey. The luggage flow system specifically aimed to reduce time in arrival and departure airports by at least 30 minutes. These are design targets validated through airport demonstrations, not guaranteed commercial outcomes.

Consortium

Who built it

The PASSME consortium brings together 12 partners from 7 countries with a strong industry presence — 5 industrial partners (42% of the consortium) including 3 SMEs. The project was coordinated by TU Delft in the Netherlands and included major aviation players: Amsterdam Schiphol and Hamburg airport clusters plus KLM airlines as end-user partners. Research was handled by 3 universities and 3 research organisations, while interior design firms (Alma, Optimares) and communication experts (CARR) provided specialised commercial capabilities. The link to Airport Council International Europe and its network of 450 airports was built in from the start to maximise the commercial reach of results.

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFTCoordinator · NL
ALMADESIGN CONCEITO E DESENVOLVIMENTO DE DESIGN LDAparticipant · PT
STICHTING KONINKLIJK NEDERLANDS LUCHT - EN RUIMTEVAARTCENTRUMparticipant · NL
C.C.I.C.C. LIMITEDparticipant · IE
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT HAMBURGparticipant · DE
DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUR LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EVparticipant · DE
KONINKLIJKE LUCHTVAART MAATSCHAPPIJNVparticipant · NL
THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAMparticipant · UK
EREVNITIKO PANEPISTIMIAKO INSTITOUTO SYSTIMATON EPIKOINONION KAI YPOLOGISTONparticipant · EL
SCHIPHOL NEDERLAND BVparticipant · NL

How to reach the team

TU Delft (Netherlands) coordinated this project. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the research team.

Order a report on this consortium See TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFT profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how PASSME's passenger flow technology could work at your airport? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the development team and provide a detailed technology brief.

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