Airports around the world are embracing robotics and automation. From robotic floor scrubbing machines to robot baggage carriers to AI-driven queue management systems, technology upgradations are piloted on daily basis. There are several areas in airports where automation/robotics are currently delivering or is under development. 

1. Cleaning and facility care – Robots that handle routine floor and restroom cleaning free staff and deliver more consistent results. The gains show up in efficiency, hygiene and staff wellbeing.
2. Ground handling and apron logistics – Automated tugs, loaders and sensing systems help speed up turnarounds, reduce ground damage and improve safety.
3. Passenger-facing services – Self-service touchpoints, autonomous wayfinding assistants and smart baggage systems which reduce queues.
4. Security, surveillance and analytics – AI-enabled monitoring and robotic patrols that provide better situational awareness and early detection of issues. 

While there are success stories, there are several others that do not take off. We looked at the reasons behind the ones that were stalled.
•    One of the top reasons for these projects to be unsuccessful is because technology is often ahead of organizational readiness (culture, skills, roles) or process readiness. Staff may feel their job is threatened or that the machine will replace them, leading to resistance or workaround.
•    There are instances when the technology being introduced does not have an end-to-end integration with operations and hence falls short on the impact it intended to make.
•    The passenger or user acceptance is also vital. In some cases, the travellers don’t trust or feel safe around a robotic intervention which makes its success unpredictable.  
•    The cost benefit analysis does not work as envisioned because of the unexpected downtimes or idle time of the machinery owning to either maintenance requirements or staff inacceptance. 

These findings indicate that the core issue to tackle is the cultural aspect of humans and machines working in harmony. If the staff see the robot as part of their team rather than as a replacement, you avoid resistance, friction, unintended consequences. For example, A study conducted in 2024 selected Amsterdam Airport Schiphol as a case study, and examined the challenges faced by practitioners responsible for integrating automation projects in its airside ecosystem. The results revealed challenges with gaining consensus among affected stakeholders, the need to adapt the technology to the context, and the undefined procedures needed to sustain automation once it is implemented. These findings reveal the need to create organizational mechanisms and guidelines to support stakeholders, technology integration, and automation procedures. [1]

Culture: The quiet force

Technology may be the visible part of automation, but culture is the part that determines whether it sticks. Airports are complex systems that are built and operated on teamwork and trust between people. When robots enter that environment, they disrupt not just workflows but emotions, identity, job security, hierarchy and ownership. That’s why cultural readiness has to be intentional and not an afterthought.

One of the best examples of thoughtful integration comes from Changi Airport, Singapore. When they introduced autonomous cleaning robots, they didn’t position them as replacements but as part of the cleaning team. The airport even dressed the robots in the same uniforms as the staff. It’s a small gesture, but it sends a powerful message. That shift in symbolism helps staff feel respected and included, and it makes the technology feel less foreign. It also sets the tone for how teams should interact with automation.