A German airport has become the first to install a new system to help travellers with hearing loss – by sending information directly to their hearing devices.
Frankfurt Airport has installed Bluetooth technology to help plane passengers.
The new devices send announcements directly to passengers’ in-ear devices, earbuds, and smartphones.
They have been put into place at two of the hub’s departure gates.
Auracast, a broadcast audio, uses Bluetooth to send all gate announcements directly to passengers who require it.
It turns public sound into a direct audio stream that people can tune into with their own devices.
Instead of struggling to hear announcements over background noise, travellers can simply connect and listen as if they were taking a phone call or listening to music on their personal device.
Almost one in five – or more than 1.5 billion – people globally live with hearing loss.
Frankfurt Airport has installed the new technology at two gates to help plane passengers
The new solution has been installed at the gates A16 and A17 in Terminal 1.
Over the next two months, the project partners will gather feedback from travellers and staff to evaluate how the technology affects accessibility, comfort, and the overall passenger experience.
With Auracast broadcast audio, passengers with Auracast compatible hearing aids, earbuds, headphones, as well as users of assistive listening devices, can receive gate announcements via their supported smartphones.
Auracast also supports ‘silent airport’ concepts, where frequent loudspeaker announcements are replaced by direct personal updates.
Compatible smartphones include models from Pixel and Samsung.
The project is led by Sittig Technologies together with Fraport and the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences.
Alexander Laukenmann, senior executive vice president aviation at Fraport AG, said: ‘As the airport operator, we want our passengers to have a comfortable and relaxing stay at our terminals.
‘By bringing clear, personalised announcements directly into passengers’ own hearing devices, we are offering another attractive service to our customers while at the same time taking an important step towards a more inclusive airport.’
The new system sends all gate announcements directly to passengers who need it
Johannes Sittig, the US CEO of Sittig Technologies, added: ‘Auracast fundamentally changes how announcements work in airports.
‘We are proud to collaborate with Frankfurt Airport as a first mover, guided by a clear vision for a more inclusive, passenger-centric travel experience.
‘Together, we’re transforming automated and manual gate announcements into a direct, personal audio service delivered straight to passengers’ own devices.
‘By integrating Auracast into our PAXGuide announcement platform, we’re redefining airport communication without requiring airports to replace their existing infrastructure.’
