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Building the Airport of the Future with ATL's CIO Chris Crist
In this episode…
When most people think of an airport, they picture terminals and gates. Chris Crist sees a city with its own infrastructure, challenges, and tempo—one that runs 24/7 and can’t afford downtime. In this conversation, he walks us through the airport’s ambitious new fiber loop project, a $110M initiative designed to create redundancy across systems that power everything from Wi-Fi and CCTV to badge access and parking.
But infrastructure is only one part of the equation. Chris discusses how biometric boarding is gaining traction beyond Delta, soon expanding across all international gates. He explains how facial recognition, backed by Customs and Border Protection, not only accelerates boarding but enhances security—allowing for a smoother, more intelligent travel experience.
On the cybersecurity side, Chris is refreshingly candid about the pressure. From real-time threats to massive surface exposure, the airport’s IT systems are a prime target. His response? Run penetration tests, invite third-party audits, and even shut down critical concourses overnight to validate failovers. It’s an aggressive approach, but one he believes is necessary to build true resilience.
Chris also opens up about the real-life challenge of staying ahead in a space evolving at breakneck speed. With AI, autonomous vehicles, computer vision, and smarter surveillance systems all on the horizon, he talks about what it means to lead a tech strategy that can scale with the future of aviation.
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By Matthew ConnorIn this episode…
When most people think of an airport, they picture terminals and gates. Chris Crist sees a city with its own infrastructure, challenges, and tempo—one that runs 24/7 and can’t afford downtime. In this conversation, he walks us through the airport’s ambitious new fiber loop project, a $110M initiative designed to create redundancy across systems that power everything from Wi-Fi and CCTV to badge access and parking.
But infrastructure is only one part of the equation. Chris discusses how biometric boarding is gaining traction beyond Delta, soon expanding across all international gates. He explains how facial recognition, backed by Customs and Border Protection, not only accelerates boarding but enhances security—allowing for a smoother, more intelligent travel experience.
On the cybersecurity side, Chris is refreshingly candid about the pressure. From real-time threats to massive surface exposure, the airport’s IT systems are a prime target. His response? Run penetration tests, invite third-party audits, and even shut down critical concourses overnight to validate failovers. It’s an aggressive approach, but one he believes is necessary to build true resilience.
Chris also opens up about the real-life challenge of staying ahead in a space evolving at breakneck speed. With AI, autonomous vehicles, computer vision, and smarter surveillance systems all on the horizon, he talks about what it means to lead a tech strategy that can scale with the future of aviation.