Transforming the digital experience of Athens International Airport

Since March 2001, Athens International Airport (AIA) has been consistently delivering high-level services, earning the trust of airlines, passengers, partners, and stakeholders. Over this period, the airport has welcomed more than 400 million passengers and handled over 4 million flights, continuously creating significant value for the national and local economy, committed to enhancing Athens' connectivity as a sustainable year-round destination. In 2024, Athens Airport welcomed 31.85 million passengers, marking a 13.1% increase compared to 2023. The airport network offered connections to 157 destinations across 55 countries, served by more than 68 airlines.

Recognizing the need to enhance its competitive edge, optimize operational efficiency, and elevate the traveler experience, AIA embarked on a critical digital transformation initiative. To provide seamless access to information and services across all digital touchpoints, AIA partnered with Significa and Unisystems as part of a strategic alliance. 

Together, we undertook the redesign and rebuild of AIA’s website, focusing on user-centric design, robust integrations, and a future-proof platform.  This transformation aimed not only to improve customer satisfaction but also to unlock new revenue streams through online services, positioning AIA as a digital leader in the aviation sector.  

The UX strategy began by focusing on understanding the users’ needs and behaviors. We conducted extensive stakeholder workshops and user research to identify pain points and expectations. We conducted in-depth stakeholder workshops and employed sophisticated user research methodologies, including live, on-site interviews with travelers within Athens International Airport. This contextual, field-based approach provided invaluable, authentic insights into user pain points and expectations. The findings enabled us to rethink the information architecture, simplifying and restructuring the navigation to provide easy access to essential travel information.

We focused on a mobile-first, traveler-centric design, prioritizing core tasks like booking, flight tracking, and navigating airport services. The result? A platform that supports users in motion, meeting their needs with speed and clarity.

On the UI side, the goal was to create a visually engaging, responsive interface that enhanced the seamless user experience. We emphasized design consistency, clarity, and visual appeal to support user navigation.

The interface was optimized for a mobile-first experience, ensuring it functioned flawlessly across all devices. Typography and color choices were carefully selected to align with the AIA brand, improve readability, and provide a smooth flow throughout the site.

Incorporating micro-interactions and animations helped guide users through key actions, elevating the digital experience and providing a dynamic and engaging feel that reflects AIA's commitment to innovation.

To truly capture the essence of AIA and elevate the user experience, we went beyond digital design. We produced a tailored collection of high-quality photo and video content that authentically represents the airport’s services, atmosphere, and commitment to a seamless travel experience. This custom content was seamlessly integrated into the new website, enhancing visual appeal and brand identity.

The new platform, built on the robust Kentico 13 and Microsoft .NET Core frameworks, necessitated intricate and secure integrations with AIA's mission-critical legacy back-office systems, including real-time flight information databases and the parking management system.

Significa led the front-end design and user experience strategy, while Unisystems played a crucial role in implementing the secure APIs and handling the complex integrations with AIA’s back-end systems. These integrations ensured real-time data synchronization and maintained data integrity across various platforms. 

The solution was designed to handle high transaction volumes and provide a scalable architecture to accommodate future integrations and growth — a critical requirement for an enterprise-level operation like AIA.

Real-time flight information was integrated, allowing users to track arrivals, departures, and flight changes. The parking booking system was seamlessly embedded, enabling real-time reservations and price comparisons.   

Recognizing the mission-critical nature of AIA's digital presence, we prioritized security and scalability, ensuring the platform can handle cyberattacks, traffic spikes, and future growth.

The digital transformation delivered significant results for AIA:

• User experience was dramatically improved with a simplified, intuitive interface that reduces frustration and increases engagement.
   
• The new mobile-friendly car parking system has made the booking process seamless, enhancing the user experience and reducing drop-off rates for online reservations.

• The successful integration of real-time systems, such as flight data and parking reservations, has streamlined operational workflows and significantly improved overall user satisfaction by providing timely and accurate information.

• The redesign has positioned AIA as a leader in digital innovation within the aviation industry, boosting its global visibility and accessibility.