Sydney Airport Enhances Passenger Experience With Google Maps Indoor Live View

Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) has made history by becoming the first airport in Australia to implement Google Maps Indoor Live View. This digital tool utilizes a new augmented reality feature on the Google Maps mobile application, which customers will be able to use as a navigation assistant in all of the airport’s terminals.

An Australian first

The timing of this announcement could hardly be better for the first Australian airport to have access to Google Maps Indoor Live View, with the Christmas travel rush on the horizon. This time of year often sees less frequent flyers take to the skies, for whom the new augmented reality feature could prove to be a welcome tool. Sydney Airport’s Senior Manager of Business Systems, Belinda Scanlon, stated:

“Whether travelers are looking for their gate, a bathroom, or even a place to grab a bite to eat, they now have the directions they need at their fingertips. This is an especially great tool for travelers facing language barriers and accessibility needs, as it will help them navigate the airport more independently.”

Photo: Sydney Airport

As pictured above, Google Maps users simply have to open the app’s augmented reality feature, at which point their smartphone’s camera view will have “arrows, directions, and distance markers superimposed” onto it. There is also the option to generate wheelchair-accessible routes, which also help passengers with prams.

A long-term project

Given that Google needed to photograph more or less the entire terminal interior at Sydney Airport to bring the tool, which is available for both Android and iOS users, to life, the project has been in the works for a while. According to the airport, Google began documenting the facility in early 2022 during curfew hours, when it will have been empty. Google Maps’ Anthony Bertuca explained that:

“This is a game-changer for people visiting Sydney Airport, as AR directions can help people have an enjoyable and smooth travel experience. It’s powered by a technology called global localization, which uses AI to scan tens of billions of indoor Street View images to understand your orientation and provide assistance in real-time.”

Photo: Sydney Airport

Sydney Airport’s Terminals 1 (international), 2, and 3 (both domestic) cover an area of more than 445,000 square meters, so, understandably, the required photography was far from an overnight affair. The airport notes that “close to 130 retail stores, over 70 food and beverage outlets, 62 gates, and 55 bathrooms” were photographed as part of what was indeed a “mammoth task.”

Adelaide Airport also has Google Maps coverage

Elsewhere in Australia, Google Maps has also left its mark on Adelaide International Airport (ADL). While this facility doesn’t have the Indoor Live View tool that is now available to passengers at Sydney Airport, it does still have Street View imagery for the inside of its passenger terminal. As Simple Flying explored in January, it was the first Australian airport to be documented in this way.

What do you make of Sydney Airport’s new navigation tool? Have you ever used augmented reality to assist your travels? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!