Airport infrastructure digital twins

Best for: Airports seeking continuity from design and construction into operations and maintenance.

Airport solutions ·iTwin Platform

2. Esri — ArcGIS for Airports

(Best for GIS and asset management)

ArcGIS provides a location-based operational view of airport infrastructure, facilities, assets, inspections, maintenance activities, work orders, utilities, and construction projects. It can integrate BIM and CAD data with real-time operational information.www.esri.com+2

Best for: Airport authorities wanting a shared, map-centric system of record across airside and landside departments.

Esri airport solutions

3. dRofus — dTwin

(Best for terminal lifecycle management)

dRofus focuses on connecting BIM, asset information, facilities management, IoT, and operational data. Its airport offering emphasizes continuity from planning and design through handover and ongoing operations. Its published airport references include Auckland Airport and Vienna Airport.www.drofus.com+5

Best for: Terminal buildings, room and space data, equipment inventories, asset handover, and facilities management.

Airport planning and operations

4. Desapex — Airport Operations Digital Twin

This is a specialist implementation offering that combines an as-built BIM model with airport-specific operational data, asset lifecycle information, maintenance schedules, tenant and space information, and energy monitoring.www.desapex.com+5

Best for: An airport that needs a tailored operational twin built around its existing buildings, equipment, and workflows.

Airport digital twin offering

5. Aeropulse — Airport Digital Twin

An airport-focused digital twin offering that links an interactive 3D airport model with infrastructure assets, stands, flights, and operational context.aeropulseais.com+5

Best for: Teams looking for an airport-specific operational visualization rather than a general-purpose infrastructure platform alone.

Airport digital twin

How they compare

This is a qualitative assessment of published capabilities, not an independent performance benchmark. Confirm the precise modules, integrations, and licensing in vendor demonstrations.www.bentley.com+5

My recommendation

• Start with Bentley if the primary challenge is managing the airport's physical infrastructure across engineering, construction, and ongoing operations.
• Start with Esri if the priority is a common airport-wide view of assets, locations, maintenance, utilities, and work orders.
• Evaluate dRofus dTwin alongside them if terminal buildings, equipment inventories, BIM handover, and facilities operations are the main focus.

If you want an airport-specific solution rather than a configurable enterprise platform, also consider Kaiinos, which describes an airport twin covering airside assets, terminals, and buried utilities.www.kaiinos.com

One question to narrow this down

What is the main infrastructure management problem you want the digital twin to solve?

1. Infrastructure scope

Entire airport: terminals, runways, utilities, roads, and facilities

Terminal buildings and building systems

Runways, taxiways, aprons, pavement, and airfield lighting

Underground utilities and network infrastructure

2. Primary objective

Asset management, inspections, and preventive maintenance

Real-time monitoring, IoT, and predictive analytics

3D BIM, engineering, construction, and handover

Unified operational view across airport departments

3. Deployment preference

Ready-made commercial platform

Configurable platform with integrations

Open to either approach

[Find the best-fit platforms]