Delta to show individualized flight information tech at CES

In the opening keynote of CES 2020, which kicked off at multiple Southern Nevada venues Tuesday, Albert Ng, CEO of Delta’s partner Misapplied Sciences, explained that passengers glancing at airport signs will see details only of their flight at the same time other passengers see information about their own flights, thanks to codes embedded on boarding passes.

“It really sounds like science fiction, doesn’t it?” Ng said when brought onstage. “Imagine walking up to a giant flight board and instead of a list of 100 flights you see only your own flight information. And in big letters so you can see it from 50 feet away. All of the signs are in your preferred language. Arrows light a path toward your gate, and signs for your gate are flashing so you can spot them easier.”

A demonstration of the technology is occurring at Delta’s CES booth. Delta CEO Ed Bastian said the first airport to get the technology next summer will be Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, a Delta hub.

Bastian offered another demonstration of a tech product expected to improve the health of the company’s baggage handlers. Through a partnership with Sarcos Robotics, the airline demonstrated the use of the Sarcos “exosuit,” a robotic suit worn by workers that enables them to lift heavy objects with ease.

The Atlanta-based airline, the No. 3 commercial air carrier by passenger volume at McCarran International Airport last year, also struck a partnership with ride-hailing service Lyft that will enable Delta passengers the ability to pay for their airport rides with Delta Skymiles.

Bastian, the first airline CEO to address CES, said Delta also is increasing the capabilities of its app to provide more information on flight delays or other details leading up to flight time.

Weather information and turbulence alerts gathered by pilots through an app are designed to reduce passenger anxiety on flights.

The app will let passengers tie into Delta’s in-flight entertainment system before a flight so that they can enjoy a feature film during gate waits and slow periods.

Bastian chatted with writer and filmmaker Lulu Wang onstage about Delta’s commitment to its entertainment product. Wang wrote the screenplay for “The Farewell,” which won a best actress award for actress Awkwafina in this week’s Golden Globe awards.

Through partnerships with the Transportation Security Administration and Clear, Delta also is providing better information to travelers about the status of security lines.

Bastian said Delta is demonstrating its concern for the environment with upgrades to its fleet. Bastian said Delta has replaced one-third of its fleet with more fuel-efficient planes in the past five years and will take delivery of 80 new aircraft, including wide-bodied Airbus A330 and A350 jets and the new midrange A220.

Delta provided a giveaway to all who attended the Bastian keynote — eco-friendly blankets recycled from plastic bottles were left on every seat in the hall and two of them included two tickets to any destination Delta serves.

Consumer Technology Association CEO Gary Shapiro and vice president Karen Chupka preceded Bastian’s presentation with a preview of the four-day show that is expected to attract more than 170,000 people.

Shapiro said he expects artificial intelligence products to be the star of CES 2020 and he announced the association’s tech scoreboard of 15 U.S. states that are “innovation champions” for providing policies that encourage technology development.

Shapiro said the 15 states have done the most to foster innovation, including educating their populations in critical scientific and engineering fields, maintaining friendly tax policies and giving innovators freedom from burdensome rules. This year, the association included the development of 5G communication in its rankings.

Nevada ranked 37th among the 50 states on CTA’s list.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.