Modernization of Digital Technologies at Regional Airports and its Potential Impact on the Cost Reduction

Airports are no longer places used only for taking off and landing. We consider them to be institutions of great economic and social importance. They are economic generators and have an impact on the development of tourism and business in the regions. The constant level of gradually rising costs, competition and new trends have made airports more focused on the use of new technologies. Nowadays, these have become a trend. Airports are constantly adapting to digitization standards. They create various concepts and processes with a focus on more efficient, safer, and faster operation, technological innovation, and overall passenger’s satisfaction. However, security and safety remain a top priority for airports. Airports are open to technological innovation, but digitization is different for regional airports. For them, modern technologies represent an opportunity, but also an investment challenge. Most of them do not have enough funds for digital transformation, therefore they remain with the traditional airport concept. The performance and reliability of each deployed system needs to be tested, and this takes time. Nevertheless, the digital transformation can significantly help with this type of airport. The paper is focused on finding out how much the regional airport can save on costs if it opts for digitization technology.