Airports are investing heavily in new technology: automation, biometrics, AI-driven systems, advanced airside equipment, predictive analytics, the list keeps growing.
However, while technology strategies move quickly, people strategies often lag behind.
New systems are introduced, processes are updated, and expectations change yet, job roles, skills frameworks, and workforce plans remain largely unchanged. Over time, this creates a quiet but growing risk: airports end up operating tomorrow’s infrastructure with yesterday’s workforce model.
Technology changes roles before organizations realize it
In many airports, the impact of technology on roles is gradual rather than dramatic. Tasks are redistributed, responsibilities shift, decision-making moves closer to the frontline. All of these mean that new competencies become essential, even when job titles stay the same.
For example:
- Automation reduces manual tasks but increases the need for system oversight and exception handling
- Digital reporting tools require stronger data literacy among operational teams
- Advanced airside equipment demands higher technical proficiency and ongoing re-skilling
According to ACI World, airports globally are accelerating digital transformation to improve efficiency, safety, and passenger experience yet, workforce capability remains one of the most cited constraints to successful adoption (ACI World, Airport Digital Transformation).
Technology doesn’t replace roles overnight, instead, it reshapes them. Often without formal recognition.
The risk of planning around roles instead of capabilities
Traditional workforce planning tends to focus on job titles and headcount but, as technology evolves, this approach becomes increasingly fragile.
Two people with the same job title may now be performing very different work and two airports with the same operational profile may require very different skill mixes, depending on the technology they deploy.
The World Economic Forum highlights this shift clearly, noting that skills disruption is accelerating and that many roles are being transformed faster than organizations can redefine them (WEF, Future of Jobs Report).
For airports, this means:
- Job descriptions quickly become outdated
- Training plans are misaligned with real operational needs
- Capability gaps emerge without being formally visible
- Employees feel unprepared for expectations that were never clearly defined
Over time, this disconnect increases operational risk and erodes employee confidence.
Why future roles require future-facing workforce strategies
Planning for future roles isn’t about predicting every job that will exist in five or ten years. It’s about recognizing patterns of change and preparing the workforce to adapt.
McKinsey research shows that organizations that proactively redesign roles and invest in re-skilling are far more resilient during periods of technological and operational disruption (McKinsey, The Skill Shift).
In airport environments, this requires a shift in thinking:
- From static job descriptions to evolving role expectations
- From one-off training to continuous capability development
- From replacement thinking to progression and role evolution
When people strategies keep pace with technology strategies, airports gain flexibility. When they don’t, technology investments struggle to deliver their full value.
Preparing employees for evolution, not redundancy
One of the most common fears associated with automation is job loss. In practice, the greater risk for airports is role mismatch where employees remain in position but lack the skills needed to perform effectively.
ICAO has consistently emphasized that human performance and competence are central to safety outcomes, particularly as systems become more complex (ICAO, Human Factors).
Supporting employees through role evolution means:
- Clearly articulating how roles are changing
- Identifying new skills requirements early
- Aligning training with real operational tasks
- Providing visible pathways for development and progression
When employees understand how their role fits into the future airport, engagement increases and resistance to change decreases.
What leading airports are doing differently
Airports that are successfully navigating technological change share a few common traits:
- They regularly review and update role expectations as systems evolve
- They plan workforce capability alongside infrastructure investment
- They treat skills data as operational intelligence, not just HR information
- They invest in upskilling before gaps become critical
Crucially, they recognize that future readiness is not just about systems: it’s about people being able to operate, adapt, and improve those systems over time.
Turning insight into action
For airport leaders, preparing for future roles starts with asking better questions:
- Which roles are most impacted by upcoming technology investments?
- What skills will matter more in the next 12–24 months?
- Where are expectations changing without being formally documented?
- How confident are employees in their ability to grow with the role?
Because technology will continue to evolve. The real differentiator will be whether airport workforce strategies evolve with it.
How is your airport dealing with the increasing pace of technological change? Is your workforce aligned to your evolving needs? Talk to us if you want to find out.