New York is the city that never sleeps, but their airports have historically lagged far behind international competition. Travelers who frequent New York rave about their experiences within the city itself but bemoan the time they spend in transit to and from what is the nation’s largest metropolis. The smooth operation of airports necessitates that flight details, weather updates, and the location of amenities are communicated to travelers swiftly and effectively, but that was one area where John F. Kennedy In-ternational Airport was falling short. Airport management understood they needed to remedy that deficiency in order to shed their lackluster reputation, reinvigorate weary airport-goers, and remind them how special New York truly is.

The Challenge:

With nearly 1 million annual visitors picking up passengers outside of JFK’s Terminal 4 in addition to the roughly 6 million travelers that fly in and out each year, the terminal is one of the busiest in the world. In order to handle this many people, it was absolutely necessary for JFK to be able to keep these crowds informed and engaged with relevant, useful information about where they are and where they need to go. Because flight and weather information changes so frequently though, the eye-catching installation needed to be something that airport staff could update on the fly in real-time, and it also needed to come with a management system that allowed them to do so seamlessly. Additionally, the shape of the space necessitated a feature that could be seen from a wide range of viewing angles, with no corruption of image quality or brightness. Finally, because of the airport’s interest in minimizing environmental impact, whatever feature was installed needed to be cost and energy efficient.  

The Solution:

To develop the feature that would revolutionize the terminal, JFK partnered with integration expert ConeXus World and the global leader in LED visualization solutions, NanoLumens. Together, the team first came to a conclusion about what kind of installation the space demanded; a massive digital display. Once the team reached this decision, the choice to opt for LED technology was simple. LED displays are considerably more powerful than other kinds of light sources, and consume far less energy as well. With NanoLumens innovative know-how and proprietary technology, LED displays can also be built to suit any size, shape, or curvature to allow customers unlimited versatility. Because travelers and visitors to Terminal 4 would be constantly moving throughout the terminal, the team also resolved to make the installation double-sided so that no matter where an individual was standing he or she would be able to see the vital information shown on the display.

The Results:

Joining Toronto Pearson Airport and Singapore’s Changi Airport as prominent global airports that house a NanoLumens display, JFK International installed a stunning two-sided 30-foot by 10-foot Nixel Series™ LED video board, featuring NanoLumens’ revolutionary AWARE™ display management platform. The dual-sided display feature hangs from the ceiling in Arrivals Hall, where its brilliant seamlessly curved surface is visible to audiences viewing it from anywhere within the room. Using the AWARE system, airport personnel push content to the display in the form of flight information for arriving flights, the current time of day, updates about the weather, and the latest news from around the world. Airport-goers need to be informed in order for an airport to operate safely and efficiently, and thanks to the newly installed NanoLumens display, that mission is more easily accomplished than ever before.

The Technology:

Utilizing the NanoLumens patented Nixel SeriesTM technology, John F. Kennedy International Airport unveiled the dualsided 30-foot by 10-foot NanoLumens display right in the center of Arrivals Hall in Terminal 4. The display is integrated with NanoLumens revolutionary AWARE management system, giving airport personnel the power to promote any and all content they need.