Architecture–Operational Efficiency Interactions in Smart Airport Transformation: Insights from Airport Practice

Smart-airport transformation depends on interactions between the built environment, airport operations and enabling digital systems rather than on the adoption of isolated technologies. This study examines how participants describe the interaction between architecture and operational efficiency during smart-airport transformation, with technology treated as an enabling layer and new and transitioning airports considered as different development contexts. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 20 participants. The interview framework was developed from 267 architecture and operational efficiency sub-indicators identified through a preceding systematic literature review. Participant responses were coded, reviewed and scored using a five-point scoring system, followed by participant–sub-indicator, cross-participant and direct cross-domain analyses. Of the 267 literature-derived sub-indicators, 162 were identified in the interview dataset and grouped according to mean score and domain participant support. In total, 24 were classified as broadly supported, 17 as moderately supported and 111 as context-specific. A further 10 fell below the inclusion threshold and were excluded from the final analytical set, leaving 152 sub-indicators for interpretation. Direct cross-domain analysis identified 23 participant-level connection occurrences representing 19 unique architecture–operational efficiency connections, comprising 11 architecture-to-operational efficiency and eight operational efficiency-to-architecture connections. Technology enabled these interactions through sensing, data collection, real-time processing, analytics, AI-supported applications and digital infrastructure. The findings also showed that new airports provide greater opportunity to integrate spatial, infrastructural and digital requirements during initial planning, whereas transitioning airports must accommodate comparable capabilities within existing buildings, legacy systems and continuing operations. Sustainability emerged through the combined effects of architectural, operational, asset-management and technology-related conditions. For airport planners, architects, operators, asset and facilities managers and digital teams, the findings provide a structured basis for identifying supported conditions, recognising dependencies between physical and operational systems and anticipating the infrastructure and operational requirements associated with smart-airport transformation.