A lot of time and money are dedicated to outfitting the interior spaces of airport concourses with state-of-the-art digital display technologies. Millions of travelers make their way through airport terminals each year, and the logistical challenges of engaging these passengers with relevant and actionable information are immense. The locations of amenities, the statuses of flights, and detailed wayfinding resources are pieces of information that travelers are always going to need. However, it is important to remember that the travelers passing through an airport are not the only group that needs constant communication. Though it’s obviously vital to the economic and aesthetic success of an airport to keep travelers informed and entertained, it is perhaps even more important to the functional operations of an airport to keep airline personnel informed.
The outdoor display solutions that airports use to communicate vital information with flight and ground crews are called Ramp Information Display Systems, or RIDS. These displays differ in need and purpose from indoor displays in several highly relevant ways. A large percentage of indoor airport displays are Flight Information Display Systems, or FIDS, and these are used to communicate flight data primarily to passengers. The display solutions employed as FIDS can also be used for wayfinding purposes or to display advertising content. Due to the nature of the content they display, as well as the physical context of their use, indoor airport displays rely on narrow pixel pitches, sleek lightweight design, and sharp grayscale uniformity to meet the demands of their audience. RIDS solutions on the other hand are subject to an entirely different set of requirements.
Most obviously, RIDS are outdoors. Barring extreme weather conditions, an airport is expected to operate rain or shine, and therefore, so are RIDS. These display technologies need to be durable enough to withstand intense heat and bitter cold. They need to be sturdy enough to hold up against heavy precipitation, and secure enough to keep out dust, dirt, or any other debris the wind might whip up. On top of this, RIDS need to be bright enough to compete with the sun. The only display technology that can meet these kind of performance standards is LED. NanoLumens LED display solutions are used as FIDS solutions in high profile airports across the globe, but our technologies are frequently optimized for usage as RIDS, too. Our LED display solutions are capable of shining brighter than the sun, boast unmatched off-axis viewability, and are protected by an industry-leading six-year warranty. Fully customizable and available in any size, shape, or curvature, NanoLumens RIDS solutions will ensure that airport flight and ground crews receive every bit of relevant information they need to get their planes from point A to point B. The passengers paying for flights help keep an airport profitable, but the flight and ground crews who put the planes in the air are who keep an airport running. Today’s most successful airports are proving that LED display features by NanoLumens are the best RIDS solution the market has to offer. To learn more about how NanoLumens displays are transforming airports, check out our recently published white paper here.