ACRP OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE*

CHAIR

Marianne Csaky

LanzaJet

VICE CHAIR

Cathryn Stephens

Eugene Airport

MEMBERS

Clara Bennett

Boca Raton Airport Authority

Melissa Cooper

Kansas City Aviation Department

Darryl Daniels

Jacobsen Daniels Associates

Wayne Heibeck

Federal Aviation Administration

Kimberly A. Kenville

University of North Dakota

Lance Lyttle

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Chad Makovsky

City of Phoenix (AZ)

Ramon Ricondo

Ricondo and Associates, Inc.

Atif Saeed

Philadelphia International Airport

Jesus H. Saenz, Jr.

San Antonio Airport System

EX OFFICIO MEMBERS

Justin Barkowski

American Association of Airport Executives

[Vacant]

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Laura Rinaldi McKee

Airlines for America

Christopher J. Oswald

Airports Council International–North America

Gregory Pecoraro

National Association of State Aviation Officials

T.J. Schulz

Airport Consultants Council

Victoria Sheehan

Transportation Research Board

SECRETARY

Monique R. Evans

Transportation Research Board

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2025 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*

OFFICERS

CHAIR: Leslie S. Richards, Professor of Practice, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

VICE CHAIR: Joel M. Jundt, Secretary of Transportation, South Dakota Department of Transportation, Pierre

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Victoria Sheehan, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC

MEMBERS

James F. Albaugh, President and CEO, The Boeing Company (retired), Scottsdale, AZ

Carlos M. Braceras, Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation, Salt Lake City

Douglas C. Ceva, Vice President, Customer Lead Solutions, Prologis, Inc., Jupiter, FL

Nancy Daubenberger, Commissioner of Transportation, Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Paul

Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, New York State Department of Transportation, Albany

Garrett Eucalitto, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Newington

Andrew Fremier, Executive Director, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, San Francisco, CA

Martha Grabowski, Professor Emerita, Information Systems, Le Moyne College, Madden College of Business & Economics, Cazenovia, NY

Randell Iwasaki, President and CEO, Iwasaki Consulting Services, Walnut Creek, CA

Carol A. Lewis, Professor, Transportation Studies, Texas Southern University, Houston

Hani S. Mahmassani, W.A. Patterson Distinguished Chair in Transportation; Director, Transportation Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Scott C. Marler, Director, Iowa Department of Transportation, Ames

Ricardo Martinez, Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Decatur, GA

Russell McMurry, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Transportation, Atlanta

Craig E. Philip, Research Professor and Director, VECTOR, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Steward T.A. Pickett, Distinguished Senior Scientist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY

Susan A. Shaheen, Professor and Co-Director, Transportation Sustainability Research Center, University of California, Berkeley

Marc Williams, Executive Director, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin

EX OFFICIO MEMBERS

Michael R. Berube, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC

Steven G. Bradbury, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC

Steven Cliff, Executive Officer, California Air Resources Board, Sacramento

LeRoy Gishi, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Germantown, MD

Firas Ibrahim, Director, Office of Research, Development, and Technology, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R), Washington, DC

Jason Kelly, Deputy Commanding General for Civil Works and Emergency Operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC

Sandra Knight, President, WaterWonks, LLC, Washington, DC

Ben Kochman, Acting Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Washington, DC

Zahra “Niloo” Parvinashtiani, Engineer, Mobility Consultant Solutions, Iteris Inc., Fairfax, VA, and Chair, TRB Young Members Coordinating Council

Chris Rocheleau, Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC

Gloria Shepherd, Acting Deputy Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC

Karl Simon, Director, Transportation and Climate Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC

Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC

Jim Tymon, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC

AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM

Framework and Tools for Incorporating Technologies into Airport In-Terminal Concessions Programs

Stephen Freibrun
Tod Yankee
Christopher Harloe
ICF
Reston, VA

Enrique Melendez
THE JW GROUP
Ponte Vedra, FL

Joanne Paternoster
BUTTERFLY CONSULTING
Freehold, NJ

Subscriber Categories
Aviation • Administration and Management • Terminals and Facilities

Research sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration

AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM

Airports are vital national resources. They serve a key role in transportation of people and goods and in regional, national, and international commerce. They are where the nation’s aviation system connects with other modes of transportation and where federal responsibility for managing and regulating air traffic operations intersects with the role of state and local governments that own and operate most airports. Research is necessary to solve common operating problems, to adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to introduce innovations into the airport industry. The Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the airport industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it.

The need for ACRP was identified in TRB Special Report 272: Airport Research Needs: Cooperative Solutions in 2003, based on a study sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). ACRP carries out applied research on problems that are shared by airport operating agencies and not being adequately addressed by existing federal research programs. ACRP is modeled after the successful National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) and Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP). ACRP undertakes research and other technical activities in various airport subject areas, including design, construction, legal, maintenance, operations, safety, policy, planning, human resources, and administration. ACRP provides a forum where airport operators can cooperatively address common operational problems.

ACRP was authorized in December 2003 as part of the Vision 100—Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act. The primary participants in the ACRP are (1) an independent governing board, the ACRP Oversight Committee (AOC), appointed by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation with representation from airport operating agencies, other stakeholders, and relevant industry organizations such as the Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO), Airlines for America (A4A), and the Airport Consultants Council (ACC) as vital links to the airport community; (2) TRB as program manager and secretariat for the governing board; and (3) the FAA as program sponsor. In October 2005, the FAA executed a contract with the National Academy of Sciences formally initiating the program.

ACRP benefits from the cooperation and participation of airport professionals, air carriers, shippers, state and local government officials, equipment and service suppliers, other airport users, and research organizations. Each of these participants has different interests and responsibilities, and each is an integral part of this cooperative research effort.

Research problem statements for ACRP are solicited periodically but may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility of the AOC to formulate the research program by identifying the highest priority projects and defining funding levels and expected products.

Once selected, each ACRP project is assigned to an expert panel appointed by TRB. Panels include experienced practitioners and research specialists; heavy emphasis is placed on including airport professionals, the intended users of the research products. The panels prepare project statements (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process for developing research problem statements and selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooperative research programs since 1962. As in other TRB activities, ACRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation.

Primary emphasis is placed on disseminating ACRP results to the intended users of the research: airport operating agencies, service providers, and academic institutions. ACRP produces a series of research reports for use by airport operators, local agencies, the FAA, and other interested parties; industry associations may arrange for workshops, training aids, field visits, webinars, and other activities to ensure that results are implemented by airport industry practitioners.

ACRP RESEARCH REPORT 279

Project 03-70
ISSN 2572-3731 (Print)
ISSN 2572-374X (Online)
ISBN 978-0-309-99344-9
Library of Congress Control Number 2025941427
Digital Object Identifier: 10.17226/29145

© 2025 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the graphical logo are trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

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The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) grants permission to reproduce written material in this publication for classroom and non-commercial purposes subject to the rights of any third parties and appropriate attribution. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply NAS, TRB, AASHTO, APTA, FAA, FHWA, FTA, GHSA, or NHTSA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. For other uses of the written material, users must request permission from the National Academies Press.

NOTICE

The research report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed or implied in this document are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; or the program sponsors.

The Transportation Research Board does not develop, issue, or publish standards or specifications. The Transportation Research Board manages applied research projects which provide the scientific foundation that may be used by Transportation Research Board sponsors, industry associations, or other organizations as the basis for revised practices, procedures, or specifications.

The Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and the sponsors of the Airport Cooperative Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names or logos appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.

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AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM

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The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. Tsu-Jae Liu is president.

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Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.

The Transportation Research Board is one of seven major program divisions of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to mobilize expertise, experience, and knowledge to anticipate and solve complex transportation-related challenges. The Board’s varied activities annually engage about 8,500 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state departments of transportation, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation.

Learn more about the Transportation Research Board at www.TRB.org.

COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS

CRP STAFF FOR ACRP RESEARCH REPORT 279

Monique R. Evans, Director, Cooperative Research Programs

Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs

Marci A. Greenberger, Manager, Airport Cooperative Research Program

Joseph D. Navarrete, Senior Program Officer

Stephanie L. Campbell-Chamberlain, Senior Program Assistant

Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications

Heather DiAngelis, Associate Director of Publications

Janet M. McNaughton, Senior Editor

ACRP PROJECT 03-70 PANEL
Field of Policy and Planning

Jeff Taylor, Jacksonville Aviation Authority, Jacksonville, FL (Chair)

Jenna Buckner, Ricondo and Associates, Mount Pleasant, SC

Daniel Shimelis Kebede, Abstract Group, Inc., Columbia, MD

Rohini Kumarage, ABIA, City of Austin, TX

Larry Leung, Transformidy, Toronto, ON

Aneil Patel, Airports Council International–North America Liaison

FOREWORD

By Joseph D. Navarrete
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board

ACRP Research Report 279 presents a practical guide for evaluating, selecting, and implementing technology to enhance customer experience, operational efficiency, and revenue generation in airport terminal concessions programs. The report is supported by an accompanying primer and self-assessment tool that are both practical and scalable. The research products will be of interest to a wide array of industry practitioners desiring to use technology to enhance airport terminal concessions programs.

Airport operators are seeing greater use of technology in their terminal concessions programs. This increased use reflects both concessionaires using technology to improve efficiency, a growing customer preference for e-commerce, and airports leveraging their own technologies to better manage their commercial operations. Some airports have started to implement omnichannel e-commerce platforms to deliver an advanced retail experience for passengers. The success of airport terminal concessions programs will rely on much more than simply rolling out new technologies. Airport operators need to understand the challenges and opportunities these technologies might offer, how they would meet customer needs, and their impact on airport and concessions operations. Yet information that would help practitioners to make informed decisions has been limited, and research was needed to develop resources to help operators incorporate technologies into their terminal concessions programming in a strategic manner.

ICF conducted the research under ACRP Project 03-70, “Incorporating Technologies into Airport In-Terminal Concession Programs.” The research began with a literature and environmental scan. Next, a significant data collection effort was undertaken through surveys of passengers and airport operators; interviews with airport operators, concessionaires, and technology providers; and case studies. Following synthesis and analysis of the results, the research team prepared a primer (ACRP Web-Only Document 66: Incorporating Technologies into Airport In-Terminal Concessions Programs: A Primer), framework (the present report), self-assessment tool, and technical report on the research effort and results.

The information and guidelines in this report are presented as a framework for decision-making, beginning with an overview of technologies that are commonly applicable to airport concessions programs. The report then provides a process for identifying and evaluating emerging technologies for concessions based on risk management and financial considerations. Suggested implementation strategies are also described.

ACRP Web-Only Document 66 supplements this framework with more information on current and emerging technologies and trends in how these technologies are being used in airport terminal concessions programs. Airport operators can use the Self-Assessment Tool to better understand their organization’s readiness for incorporating greater use of

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Introduction to the Framework

1.1 Goal of the Research

1.2 Overview

1.3 Research Approach and Methodology

1.4 Limitations of the Research

Chapter 2 Business Drivers of Concessions Programs

Chapter 3 Customer Journey: Application of Technology

Chapter 4 Domain Areas to Consider for Successful Program Implementation

4.1 Organizational Culture and Alignment with the Mission/Vision/Values

4.2 Considerations for Concessions Contracting Models

4.3 Stakeholder Collaboration

4.4 Passenger Buying Habits/Personas

4.5 System Architecture Considerations

4.6 Infrastructure Considerations

4.7 Data Governance Considerations

4.8 Budget and Financial Analysis

4.9 Business Value Proposition/Return on Investment

4.10 Performance and Success Measurements

Chapter 5 Implementation Strategies

5.1 Developing a Practical and Scalable Framework

5.2 Implementation Best Practices

5.3 Airport Size Considerations

5.4 Continuous Improvement Strategies

Chapter 6 Technologies, Interoperability, and Risk Management

6.1 Identifying and Evaluating Emerging Technologies for Concessions

6.2 Ensuring Interoperability with Existing and Future Technology Infrastructure

6.3 Risk Management

Chapter 7 Self-Assessment Tool

7.1 Overview

7.2 Introduction Page

7.3 Self-Assessment Page

7.4 Assessment Summary

7.5 Dashboard Page

References

Acronyms

Appendix A Airport Codes Used in This Report

Appendix B Summary of Results of Air Passenger Survey