Nashville International Airport Installed Custom FIDS

Large FIDS Displays Inform Travelers at Ticket Counters

The Challenge

Providing excellent customer service and a first-class travel experience are the goals of Nashville International Airport. A big part of achieving those goals is guiding and informing patrons with Flight Information Display Systems (FIDS). The airport’s vision for its 3-Phase Terminal Renovation Package was to mount two large, LED displays in the main area of its terminal to provide highly visible information; information they were unable to easily relay to travelers before the signs were installed.

It was important to the airport that the displays were of high quality and looked attractive.

To add to the challenge, the project integrator, International Display Systems (IDS), had to carefully attach the signs above a multi-million dollar ticket counter infrastructure. Daktronics, IDS, and the airport coordinated to succeed according to schedule.

The Daktronics Solution

Daktronics provided IDS the two PS-6 full matrix, tri-color displays. "Daktronics is the IDS preferred vendor due to their quality control and service," says Robert Keelor Jr., Vice-President of IDS.

Daktronics engineered side and bottom panels for an aesthetically appealing solution to cover the back mounting structure. The panels were specific to the airport's displays, which was "fairly challenging because we didn’t want to risk damage to the product by not allowing for enough ventilation," says Daktronics project manager Trevor Slaight.

"There was quite a bit of design because the signs were so large,” says Slaight. “But we can do quite a bit to be accommodating to our customers.” Daktronics and IDS helped Nashville customize its sign while still adhering to their project schedule. “Nashville was pleased with the final product,” says Keelor. “The signs met their contract specification requirements."

The Integrator

Dayton, Ohio-based International Display Systems, Inc. has installed and maintained 184 major information display systems during the last 26 years. The company coordinates resources, maintains quality standards, and manages construction processes. Its work on the Daktronics displays at Nashville was featured in INC Magazine’s February 2008 issue.

What They're Saying

DeWayne Anderson, Daktronics Market Manager, said, "IDS has a long history of adding value as an integrator deploying Daktronics LED displays with their FIDS. The integration needed to get the final result for the Nashville Airport was a complicated process. IDS's technical personnel worked with Daktronics and met the challenge to optimize the format, appearance, and timely updates of departure information."

"The displays are helping to define the new airport's image along with beautiful new skylight rotundas, improvements in shopping and food services, and easier airport way finding," said Keelor.

Equipment Description

• PS-6 LED Displays
• Red, Green, and Amber Electronic Messaging Displays
• Matrix size: 640 x 960
• Center-to-center pixel spacing: 6mm
• Dimensions: 12’ 11” H x 19’2” x 8” D
• Description: Flight Information Display Systems
• Control Software: Venus 7000