We report on the award winning success of Dallas Love Field Airport’s new 3D LED holographic signage fan displays.
Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL) is on cloud nine after its new passenger pick-up signage, a cutting-edge 3D holographic LED fan display, won a ‘Best Innovation in Airport Passenger Related Processes’ award.
The signs, a game changer in 3D holographic technology, feature a bright and colourful display of ride-hailing apps, including Uber and Lyft.
They work by rapidly spinning LED-embedded blades, which emit light in a precise, programmed manner to create the illusion of a three-dimensional image floating in mid-air.
The technology is strategically placed in key areas on overhead walls and above baggage carousels to guide passengers to the newly relocated Transportation Network Company (TNC) pick-up location.
DAL’s director of aviation, Patrick Carreno, says: “This innovation came to fruition during a challenging time for DAL as after relocating the TNC pick-up area last year many passengers experienced confusion and frustration with this change.
“To address this, we introduced strategically placed overhead 3D LED holographic fan signs in the terminal. These signs display recognisable icons, including Uber and Lyft logos, taxis and directional arrows in a bright coloured and highly visible fashion that draw immediate attention and provide clear and intuitive guidance.
“It is our hope that these displays can be further personalised to potentially offer messages in multiple languages on flight statuses, weather alerts and more for a more responsive experience in the future.
“As a landlocked airport with space constraints, innovation like this help us operate more efficiently and continue to deliver the quality service that out passengers deserve.”
As Carreno indicated, the innovation followed complaints from travellers that the passenger pick-up area was too far from the baggage claim area.
Others voiced concerns that there was inadequate or poorly visible signage providing directions. Dallas Love Field addressed both concerns by relocating the pick-up area and adding new directional signs.
DAL notes that implementing the 3D holographic fan signs has yielded significant positive results.
“Passenger confusion regarding the new TNC pick-up location has decreased by 75%, as indicated by reduced complaints received via website submissions and Google reviews,” states the airport.
“Terminal staff report spending 50% less time assisting passengers with directions. The technology has improved the passenger experience and increased operational efficiency.”
The displays, created by the communications and marketing team, signal Dallas Love Field’s willingness to listen to its customers and embrace the technological advancements in visual signage.
“This approach ensured that the project remained cost-effective and allowed for direct oversight of all aspects of the design process,” adds DAL.
As holography gains popularity in the advertising and marketing space, the technology is touted as the future. It is an advanced form of photography that records the light emitted by an object and projects it as a 3D object.
The biggest appeal of 3D holograms is arguably their ability to make seemingly real objects or animations appear to hover in mid-air or stand on nearby surfaces.
ACI World and Amadeus presented DAL with its ‘Best Innovation in Airport Passenger Related Processes’ award at the 2024 Technology Innovation Awards at Airports Innovate in Rome, Italy, late last year.
The signage also secured a ‘Customer Experience Technology Innovation’ award at ACI-NA’s 2024 Marketing, Communications, and Customer Experience Conference in San Francisco.
