As airports race to adopt transformative technologies, Miami International Airport (MIA) is charting a bold path by blending automation, mixed reality, and human-centered design. Speaking ahead of his appearance at World Aviation Festival 2025 in Lisbon, Maurice Jenkins, Chief Innovation Officer IAP C.M. at MIA, revealed the airport’s key tech investment for 2025: an omni-channel chatbot integrated with interactive holograms.
“You’ll be able to speak to a hologram and get real-time airport information without needing an app,” said Jenkins. “Whether it’s WhatsApp, Messenger or something else, we’re removing friction and making it natural. That’s what great tech should do.”
Jenkins will join global aviation leaders at the World Aviation Festival 2025, to be held from October 7th to 9th at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL). This event will bring together 6,000 attendees, 600 speakers, and 400 exhibitors, focusing on AI, smart airports, digital transformation, and autonomous technology.
Beyond tech – creating emotional touchpoints through sensory innovation
While AI dominates headlines, Jenkins emphasizes that true innovation is as much emotional as it is technological. MIA is exploring sensory branding, including a signature scent and “Miami drink,” designed to build a sense of place and extend passenger experience beyond arrival gates. “When you get off the plane, why rush to baggage claim? Why not stay immersed in the journey?” he questioned.
This approach is part of Jenkins’ broader mission to establish a culture of innovation that reimagines customer experience and repositions the airport as a dynamic, adaptive ecosystem. “Innovation isn’t just about tech; it’s process improvement. It’s cultural shift,” he added.
Human-centered automation – robotics, autonomy, and trust
Jenkins’ embrace of automation includes cleaning robots and autonomous lawnmowers, asserting, “We’re not substituting humans; we’re repositioning talent to add more value.” Miami Airport is also collaborating with vendors on aircraft turnaround analytics and autonomous vehicle testing, drawing inspiration from airfield innovations in Hong Kong and Europe.
With respect to AI, Jenkins remains pragmatic, stating, “Everyone’s chasing the panacea. But we’ve seen real promise in AI for revenue optimization and customer experience. At the same time, we’re evaluating where it can deliver tangible operational benefits… not every airport is the same.”
MIA’s tech roadmap includes various experiments with parallel reality and ongoing partnerships with startups. Jenkins notes that some of these innovations are “still under wraps.”
Above all, the mindset is what matters: “We’re building a culture of innovation. Our executives are backing it. That’s what will change our airport… and the industry.” Maurice Jenkins will be live on stage in Lisbon as part of the Smart Airports & Innovation track at World Aviation Festival 2025.
