Digital Upgrade for Spokane International Airport
Spokane International Airport (GEG) serves more than four million passengers annually. It recently upgraded two ticketing area displays as part of a terminal expansion and renovation. The airport’s IT team, led by IT Manager Scott Wilson, sought a more durable and visually impactful solution to replace aging LCD screens. Their search led them to Daktronics LED technology, which has since transformed the airport’s approach to passenger communication.
3/25/2026
Categories: Transportation
The Challenge
The airport’s existing LCD displays, installed in 2018 and 2019, were showing signs of wear and damage, particularly from the rough handling of airline equipment. “Several of the TVs had been damaged by the big plastic bins that they put car seats and larger items in before they go down the bag belt,” said Wilson. “The large wall that we just replaced had 19 screens, and I think we recovered five good ones out of that when we took them all down.”
Beyond durability, the visual limitations of LCD technology were becoming more apparent. “Even the thin bezel LCDs had those black lines between each monitor that just stood out like a sore thumb,” Wilson explained. “I wanted to go to a single display – just a newer technology that looked more modern.”
The Solution
During the renovation of two ticket counters and the construction of a new one in the C Concourse, Wilson saw an opportunity to upgrade to LED. After evaluating options, Spokane chose Daktronics for their product quality, resolution, and existing relationship with the airport.
“We decided that Daktronics had the product that we wanted and showed me some of the other airports that had installed Daktronics,” Wilson said. “We talked to them about what the right size screen and right resolution would be for us, and we’re extremely pleased with it.”
GEG purchased the display through a local AV integrator, and the airport’s IT team installed it using Daktronics’ speed frame system, supported by the integrator and Daktronics representatives. “My IT team did 100% of the install,” Wilson noted. “It was actually kind of fun putting it up. We enjoyed it and learned a lot.”
The two displays are located behind airline ticket counters and feature a 1.2mm pixel pitch, delivering near-4K resolution. “We needed a fairly high resolution because we’re running basically a 4K video on it,” Wilson said. “I think it has actually a better picture on it than the LCDs had.”
Content is managed by Synect, the airport’s content provider, whose media players integrate seamlessly with Daktronics head-end units. “The interface between the media players and the Daktronics head-end units was very easy to achieve,” Wilson said.
The Results
The new LED displays are used to show airline branding and scenic video content, such as footage of the Spokane River and waterfalls. The visual impact has been immediate and positive.
“Everybody who’s seen them has praised them. They’re excellent technology,” Wilson said. “They really look good. We’ve had nothing but good comments about it.”
The upgrade has also highlighted the difference between LED and LCD technology. “I went over and looked at the LCDs, and I never really noticed the bezels before until I looked at the Daktronics product and then looked at the LCDs. Wow, what a difference.”
The product just looks great. It’s clean, it’s versatile, and it’s something we can manage ourselves. The whole technology is just excellent. The service is also excellent. I look forward to a long partnership with Daktronics. -Scott Wilson, IT Manager