LaGuardia's Terminal B introduced an interactive AI holographic ambassador to help passengers
LaGuardia's Terminal B in New York has introduced an interactive AI holographic ambassador to help passengers, named Bridget, who is intended to make it easier to navigate the terminal, find boarding gates, shops, lounges and other passenger amenities. According to the announcement by LaGuardia Gateway Partners, the manager and developer of Terminal B, this is a technology that combines a life-size holographic display, artificial intelligence and a real-time spatial navigation application. The system was presented on May 13, 2026, and the first hologram was placed near the Food Hall, one of the busier parts of the terminal. LGP states that additional units will be deployed in both terminal concourses, that is, in the two airside halls connected to the departures and arrivals building. The project fits into a broader trend in airports, in which digital tools are no longer just information screens but are trying to actively guide passengers through the space.
According to information published by Metropolitan Airport News, Terminal B is being presented as the first airport terminal to introduce a fully interactive AI hologram specifically intended for customer support and navigation, and not only for entertainment, promotional messages or static greeting of passengers. Bridget is conceived as a supplement to the existing Guest Experience Ambassador team, that is, employees who help passengers in person as they move through the terminal. Such an approach is important because airports are increasingly trying to combine automation with human assistance, especially during periods of increased traffic, when queues and disorientation are among the most common causes of stress. The system allows passengers to ask questions in a more natural way than with classic kiosks, while the answers are connected to terminal maps and service locations. According to LGP, the goal is not to replace staff, but to expand the availability of information at moments when employees are busy with other passengers.
Bridget answers questions and guides passengers through the terminal
The holographic ambassador uses the hardware platform of the company Proto and the Holomedia AI Concierge Wayfinder application, which is intended for interactive guidance through space. According to LGP's announcement, passengers can ask Bridget how to get to a boarding gate, where shops, lounges, baggage claim or other facilities in Terminal B are located. The system is designed to provide step-by-step directions, not just general directional information. This is especially important in large terminals where passengers often move between security screening, restaurants, shops, lounges and boarding gates, with limited time before a flight. According to the project description, the emphasis is on a conversational interface that should be more intuitive than passive screens, static signage and classic information kiosks.
Terminal B currently states that Bridget communicates in English and Spanish, while an expansion of language support is announced for the future. The announcement also highlights accessibility: the hologram has high-contrast screens, closed captions and a physical interface positioned so that it can also be used by people in wheelchairs. Such elements are particularly important in airports because information must be available to passengers of different linguistic, age and physical abilities. If the system proves reliable in everyday operation, it could become a model for other terminals looking for a way to reduce pressure on information desks. Still, the real value of this kind of solution will depend on the accuracy of the data, the stability of the system and the ability to adapt promptly to flight changes, crowds and operational disruptions.
Technology as a supplement to staff, not a replacement for human contact
LaGuardia Gateway Partners CEO Suzette Noble stated, according to the company's announcement, that Terminal B's main goal is to provide an exceptional passenger experience through a combination of innovation and top-level service. In the same context, she stated that the interactive AI hologram enables an additional level of intelligent and multilingual support and that it should provide passengers with simpler and less stressful movement through the terminal. This statement shows how LGP positions the new technology primarily as a service tool, and not as an attraction. In practice, this means that the hologram makes sense only if it quickly and clearly answers a passenger's specific question, for example where the nearest gate is, how far away baggage claim is or which route to take to a particular shop. Precisely for that reason, the reliability of integration with terminal maps and operational information will be key to acceptance among passengers.
Proto Hologram founder David Nussbaum stated, according to the same source, that communication with people will continue to be the best way to help passengers, but that AI holographic avatars can extend the reach of existing terminal ambassadors. This emphasizes the difference between fully automating the service and a model in which a digital assistant is used for routine and repetitive questions. In airports, such questions can make up a large part of daily communication: where the nearest toilet is, which way to go to the gate, where the restaurant is, where baggage is collected or on which floor transportation is located. If the AI system takes over part of these queries, staff can devote more time to more complex situations, passengers with special needs or problems related to delays, transfers and documents. However, such systems must clearly recognize when a question exceeds their capabilities and when the passenger should be directed to a human employee.
Terminal B is already part of LaGuardia's broader transformation
The introduction of Bridget is not happening in isolation, but in a terminal that in recent years has been a central part of the major renovation of LaGuardia Airport. According to data from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the new Terminal B opened as part of a major redevelopment of the airport, with about 1.3 million square feet of space, 35 aircraft gates, 16 security lanes and nine large baggage claim carousels. The Port Authority states that the terminal includes a large arrivals and departures hall, spaces for restaurants and shops, public art, a water installation and road and parking infrastructure. LaGuardia Gateway Partners states on its website that construction of the new Terminal B began in June 2016 and was completed in 2022, and describes the project as one of the largest public-private partnership projects in American aviation. In that context, the holographic assistant represents a continuation of efforts to distinguish the terminal by customer experience, not only by architecture and infrastructure.
After the renovation, Terminal B received a series of recognitions, which is also important for understanding why the new technology is being introduced precisely there. According to the Port Authority, Terminal B received Skytrax's five-star rating in 2023 and 2025, and in 2023 it was also named the best new airport terminal in the world by Skytrax. The official Port Authority announcement from February 2025 states that LaGuardia's Terminal B and Newark Liberty's Terminal A were among the few airport facilities in North America with such a rating. The terminal also received recognitions for sustainability, accessibility and design, including LEED Gold certification and the Rick Hansen Foundation's gold accessibility rating. Such a background explains why LGP, in presenting Bridget, refers to the continuation of a policy of innovation and customer service.
Why airports are introducing conversational digital assistants
Airports are among the most demanding public spaces for orientation because they simultaneously bring together passengers with different languages, levels of experience and needs, often under time pressure. Classic signage and maps remain necessary, but in complex terminals they are not always sufficient, especially when a passenger is looking for specific content or when moving through the space for the first time. According to the description of the Holomedia AI solution in announcements related to Terminal B, the holographic avatar combines spatial navigation, multilingual support and passenger-experience tools. Such solutions try to offer a more personalized answer than a standard screen with a map, because the user can ask a question in the form that feels natural to him or her. If the system understands the intent of the question and accurately connects the answer with the location, the passenger can make a decision more quickly and reduce unnecessary movement around the terminal.
At the same time, the introduction of AI interfaces into public spaces also raises questions of transparency, privacy and responsibility for incorrect information. The available announcements about Bridget do not provide details about data processing, conversation retention or technical security protocols, so such information is currently not clearly publicly confirmed. For passengers, it is therefore important that the AI assistant be used as a supplementary source of information, while for sensitive and operationally important decisions, such as flight changes, security procedures, documents or special assistance, they should still rely on official announcements from the airport, the airline and terminal staff. Such caution does not diminish the usefulness of the technology, but it sets realistic expectations. The most successful digital assistants in transport infrastructure will be those that quickly resolve simple queries, but do not create the impression that they can take over all types of passenger support.
The first location is the Food Hall, followed by expansion to the concourses
According to the available information, the first Bridget hologram was placed near the Terminal B Food Hall, which is a logical choice because a large number of passengers move there before heading toward boarding gates. The Food Hall is a space where passengers often make decisions about time, direction of movement and distance to the gate, so timely information can influence the entire travel experience. LGP announces that additional units will be placed in both Terminal B concourses, which would make the technology more accessible to passengers even after they pass security screening and head toward the boarding zone. Such expansion could be especially useful during crowded periods, when passengers do not want to return toward central information points. Success will depend on how visible, easily accessible and fast enough the system will be for passengers to accept it in the short time before a flight.
Glenn E. Smith, presented in the announcements as a Spatial Computing XP Architect, stated that airports are increasingly looking for technologies that improve operational efficiency, but also create simpler, more personalized and less fragmented passenger experiences. His statement points to the broader direction of development of airport services: physical infrastructure is no longer the only criterion of quality, but increasing value is placed on the way passengers receive information, pass through security points, find amenities and arrive at the gate. In such an environment, the hologram is not only a visually striking addition, but potentially a new form of interface between passengers and the terminal. If it proves effective, Bridget could encourage other airports to test similar systems in places where queries and uncertainty most often arise. For now, according to the announcements by LGP and specialized aviation media, this is an initial phase in which the first device is being used in a public space, with an announcement of further deployment within Terminal B.
Broader significance for the passenger experience
The introduction of an AI holographic ambassador in Terminal B shows how airports are competing in the field of customer experience just as much as in infrastructure, number of routes or commercial facilities. Passengers in large terminals expect fast and accurate information, but they do not always want to search apps, read maps or wait in line at an information desk. The interactive hologram therefore tries to combine the visibility of a physical presence with the flexibility of a digital tool. That combination can be useful for basic orientation, but its long-term value will depend on actual results: whether passengers will really find destinations faster, whether the number of routine queries to staff will decrease and whether the system will remain reliable on days with traffic disruptions. In a transport system in which delays, gate changes and crowds can happen very quickly, a digital assistant is worth as much as the up-to-date and precise data on which it operates.
For LaGuardia, an airport that in recent years has tried to change its earlier image of outdated and overburdened infrastructure, this kind of project also has a reputational dimension. According to the Port Authority and LGP, Terminal B has already been presented as an example of a major renovation of public transport infrastructure in the United States, and Bridget now fits into the narrative of a terminal that wants to be recognizable for innovation, accessibility and service. This does not mean that holographic assistants will become standard in all airports, but it shows the direction in which user interfaces in passenger transport are developing. Instead of offering information only through static boards and apps that the passenger has to find on his or her own, the terminal is trying to create a point of assistance that is visible, conversational and available in the space. In the first phase, the most important thing will be how successfully Bridget answers the simplest question of every passenger in an unfamiliar terminal: where should I go now.
Sources:
- Metropolitan Airport News – report on the presentation of the interactive AI holographic ambassador Bridget in LaGuardia's Terminal B (link)
- The Moodie Davitt Report – additional information on the location of the hologram, functions and statements by representatives of the companies involved (link)
- Port Authority of New York and New Jersey – official overview of the redevelopment, capacity, recognitions and key data about Terminal B (link)
- Port Authority of New York and New Jersey – announcement on Skytrax's five-star rating for LaGuardia's Terminal B in 2025 (link)
- LaGuardia Terminal B – official information on the development and completion of the Terminal B project (link)