Bordeaux Airport in France is using AI developed by Outsight to plot passenger movements so it can adjust resources to meet demand.

The pilot phase of the Physical AI deployment in Hall A is part of the airport’s aim to enhance passenger flow and operational performance.

Welcoming nearly six million passengers annually to 92 destinations, Bordeaux Airport is an environment where infrastructure is inherently constrained, so optimising existing spaces, dynamic queue management and anticipating congestion points are key to maintaining smooth operations.

To refine its understanding of passenger flows and make its operational decisions more objective, the airport has chosen to experiment with AI capable of modelling movements within the terminal in real time.

Developed by Outsight, this technology relies on the creation of a dynamic digital twin of the terminal that provides a continuous, three-dimensional view of passenger movements in targeted areas, including security checkpoints and other critical spaces.

The flows are digitised in a strictly anonymous manner within a shared spatial repository system, allowing for the analysis of queue formation, density changes and the actual use of different areas. The system operates without image capture or personal identification, guaranteeing confidentiality by design while offering an accurate operational representation of the reality on the ground.

Already deployed in several international airports, Outsight’s technology can manage complex infrastructures. At Bordeaux Airport, it is being deployed in specific areas of Hall A to evaluate its impact under real-world operating conditions. This pilot phase will allow teams to have a shared and objective view of passenger flows, adjust resources more precisely according to demand, and improve operational coordination between the different companies and governmental services involved in welcoming passengers. The objective is to concretely assess the contribution of Physical AI to the continuous optimisation of processes and the overall fluidity of passenger journeys.

“The use of Physical AI has become a standard in how modern airports operate, regardless of their size,” said Raul Bravo, president of Outsight (www.outsight.ai). “Today, what matters is not size, but relevance. Airports like Bordeaux are adopting proven technologies that integrate seamlessly into their operations and deliver immediate and tangible added value.”

Talel Jaouad from Bordeaux Airport added: “We are experimenting with this technology to improve our understanding and control of passenger flow, allowing us to optimise our resources. The ultimate goal, of course, is passenger satisfaction. For our staff, as well as our partners operating in the terminals – airlines, service providers and retailers – this pilot represents an undeniable advantage for fine-tuning their actions in real time and within a framework of continuous improvements.”

Outsight’s Physical AI continuously digitises the movements, behaviour and interactions of people and vehicles at scale, producing a real-time digital twin of movement based on 3D lidar data and enriched with other available data sources. The firm has offices in Paris, San Francisco and Hong Kong.

Bordeaux Airport (bordeaux.aeroport.fr) in Mérignac is 12km from the city centre of Bordeaux.