Large international airports like Schiphol can be stressful environments for passengers. Travelers often face challenges such as confusing layouts, long walking distances, and time pressure to reach their gates. Research shows that wayfinding difficulties in airports increase stress, reduce satisfaction, and may even cause passengers to miss flights (Young et al., 2014). Improving navigation is therefore not only a matter of convenience but also of efficiency and customer experience.
One promising solution is augmented reality (AR) wayfinding. With AR, digital arrows and instructions are projected onto the real-world environment through a smartphone, helping passengers navigate more intuitively. Gatwick Airport became the first airport in the world to deploy such a system by installing 2,000 navigation beacons to enable AR wayfinding (Airport Suppliers, 2017). Schiphol, despite its leading role as a global hub, has not yet introduced this technology.
Passengers could benefit in multiple ways from AR wayfinding. Research shows that AR can improve spatial orientation and reduce navigation errors in complex environments (Azuma, 2017). For airports, this translates into less stress, fewer missed flights, and a smoother journey. AR can also increase passenger engagement by turning navigation into an interactive service (Pantano & Servidio, 2012). At Schiphol, this could mean guiding travelers not only to their gate but also to shops, lounges, or restaurants along the way—helping the airport both improve customer satisfaction and unlock new commercial opportunities.
At the same time, challenges cannot be ignored. Privacy concerns are often raised when location-based technologies are used (Javornik, 2016). Passengers need to trust that their data will be collected and handled responsibly. There is also the issue of reliability: AR wayfinding depends on accurate indoor positioning, which can be difficult to maintain consistently in large terminals.
In my view, Schiphol should embrace AR wayfinding as part of its long-term digital strategy. By doing so, the airport could reduce stress, improve passenger flow, and set a new standard in aviation innovation. The question is whether Schiphol will act now, or wait until competitors redefine the passenger experience first.
References
Airport Suppliers. (2017, May 25). Gatwick installs 2000 indoor navigation beacons enabling augmented reality wayfinding – a world first for an airport.
Azuma, R. T. (2017). Making augmented reality a reality. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 37(4), 6–9.
Javornik, A. (2016). ‘It’s an illusion, but it looks real!’ Consumer affective, cognitive and behavioural responses to augmented reality applications. Journal of Marketing Management, 32(9–10), 987–1011.
Pantano, E., & Servidio, R. (2012). Modeling innovative points of sales through virtual and immersive technologies. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 19(3), 279–286.
Young, M. S., Brookhuis, K. A., Wickens, C. D., & Hancock, P. A. (2014). State of science: Mental workload in ergonomics. Ergonomics, 58(1), 1–17.
