Exeter Airport

Transport Virtual Tour

As part of the prestigious Future of Air Mobility Accelerator cohort, delivered by Connected Places Catapult, we created Exeter Airport’s new virtual tour, which sets a global benchmark for accessibility and unlocks new opportunities for passenger engagement and revenue growth.

We partnered with Exeter Airport in the South West of England to create a highly accessible, immersive, and commercially beneficial virtual tour. We were tasked with developing new innovations in the aviation sector.

As part of our contribution, we set out to:

Increase airport accessibility: offering first-time flyers, neurodivergent passengers, and travellers with reduced mobility pre-travel familiarisation and key information for airport processes.
Increase revenue opportunities: by embedding calls to action for parking, lounge access, and duty-free shopping, we encourage travellers to pre-book airport add-ons.
Enhance wayfinding: guiding passengers step-by-step through their journey based on their travel details.
Increase independence: reducing the need for assisted travel by enabling more confident self-navigation and helping passengers prepare for their journey

Once developed, we enhanced the tour with feedback from Exeter Airport’s PRM Consultative Group (Persons with Reduced Mobility) to ensure we meet the needs of passengers requiring additional support.

For travellers with additional needs, including neurodivergent persons and those unable to attend in-person familiarisation visits, the tour offers clarity, reassurance, and preparation before even setting foot inside the airport.

We recently surveyed over 450 users across our transport virtual tours and 97% rated the tours as an easy way to navigate and 95% felt it would increase confidence when travelling.

What We Achieved

Using our proven features as the foundation, we developed the most advanced aviation virtual tour of its kind worldwide. Blending our standard toolkit with custom features designed specifically for transport hubs, we implemented the following:

1. Smart Wayfinding

Our standout Plan Route Tool prompts passengers to choose their airline, start point and endpoint before creating a personalised, step-by-step digital route from the entrance to their departure gate, with step-free routing options. This reduces uncertainty and creates an effortless, confidence-boosting travel experience.

2. Explainer Videos

Clear, professional explainer videos guide passengers through key processes such as check-in, security, and the assistance desk. Designed for flexibility, these videos can also be repurposed across the airport’s website, social media, and customer communications.

3. Security Protection

We use advanced post-production techniques to ensure all sensitive operational details and identifiable individuals are removed from the tour. This not only safeguards the airport’s security but also creates a distraction-free passenger experience.

4. BSL Accessibility

The tour is the first of its kind globally to integrate British Sign Language into an airport walkthrough, reinforcing inclusivity for the Deaf community.

5. Sensory Controls

Day/night lighting modes and optional ambient audio give travellers the chance to prepare for different scenarios, helping those with sensory sensitivities plan and avoid overstimulation.

6. Commercial Call-to-Actions

Strategically placed prompts encourage users to pre-book parking, secure lounge access, and browse duty-free shopping, turning the virtual tour into a revenue-generating sales channel.

“This project underlines our commitment to making Exeter one of the UK’s most accessible and welcoming regional airports, and is designed to make travel easier and more enjoyable for everyone. We’re proud to provide passengers with tools that not only ease anxiety but also make planning their journey simple, enjoyable and inclusive.” - Stephen Witshire, Managing Director of Exeter Airport

Additional Innovations

Virtual Tour Editor: Our user-friendly virtual tour editor allows the team at Exeter Airport to update signage, layouts, and content as needed.
Interactive Map: Our clickable 2D map gives users the ability to explore key areas, from check-in desks and security to retail, lounges, and boarding gates. This helps travellers visualise their journey and familiarise themselves with the layout.
Remote familiarisation: The virtual tour doubles as a perfect solution for passengers who cannot attend on-site familiarisation visits and can be used in training scenarios.
Passenger independence: By building familiarity before arrival, the tour helps reduce demand for staff assistance, improving efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Unique Benefits for Transport Hubs

Virtual tours offer transport providers powerful, measurable benefits that extend well beyond accessibility:

Boost passenger confidence: Reducing anxiety before travel, particularly for first-time, anxious, or neurodivergent travellers.
Increase commercial revenue: Integrated CTAs increase parking, lounge, and retail pre-bookings.
Reduce operational strain: Fewer on-site queries about navigation, wayfinding, and airport processes.
Promote inclusivity: Inclusive features such as BSL, sensory controls, and quiet walk-throughs cater to diverse passenger needs and set new industry standards.
Future-proof investment: Editable frameworks allow ongoing updates as layouts, signage, and offers change.
Perfect marketing asset: Tours double as promotional content for social campaigns, websites, and sales presentations.

Exeter Airport’s virtual tour is more than a digital map; it’s a model of inclusive, revenue-generating passenger engagement. By blending accessibility with commercial strategy, it demonstrates how transport hubs can transform their passenger journey while unlocking new streams of value.

Date: August 21, 2025

Skills: Aerial Photography, Architectural, best virtual tours, Drone Photography, Homepage, Transport, Virtual Tours, VR Tours

Project URL: Launch Project