Installing the World’s First Mobility Cart Tracking System at JFK Terminal 4 Without Missing a Beat

Michael Bettua Square
August 13, 2025//Airports/JFK Airport, JFKIAT, airports, mobility cart

Volan Technology partnered with JFKIAT and Beonic to launch the world’s first mobility cart tracking system at JFK Terminal 4. The project solved two key challenges: installing a terminal-wide network without disrupting operations and giving passengers real-time information on cart locations and wait times. In a single overnight session, we deployed our wireless beacon network across both concourses and the Retail Hall overnight, eliminating the need for construction or downtime. The system now improves passenger confidence, streamlines mobility services, and provides JFKIAT with valuable operational insights.

JFKIAT, which operates Terminal 4 at JFK International Airport, had a problem.

Passengers with mobility challenges had no way of knowing how long it would take for a mobility cart to reach them. Without real-time information, they were left to guess whether they should wait, walk, or look for help elsewhere, adding stress to what could already be a demanding travel day. They needed a real-time location positioning system to track and communicate to these passengers where the carts were.

Installing the World’s First Mobility Cart Tracking System at JFK Terminal 4 Without Missing a Beat

Terminal 4 is one of the busiest airport terminals in the United States, with an annual passenger volume of more than 27 million travelers in 2024. Shutting down areas for construction, stringing cables, or setting up heavy infrastructure was not an option. The mobility cart service needs to keep running. Passengers needed to keep moving. And the terminal’s operations could not skip a beat.

JFKIAT invited us to bring the world’s first mobility cart tracking system to Terminal 4 at JFK International Airport to install a solution that would not impact their operations.

At Volan, we have always believed that the best technology is invisible. It works seamlessly in the background, without slowing down the people who depend on it. We designed our deployment to solve both problems. In a single overnight session, our team installed a complete wireless beacon network across the terminal, including both concourses and the central Retail Hall. No drilling. No construction zones. No delays. By the time the morning flights rolled out, the system was live.

From that moment, passengers could see precisely where carts were and how long they would wait, displayed in real time on large, easy-to-read digital boards at pick-up points. Behind the scenes, JFKIAT gained new insight into demand patterns, helping them make smarter staffing and routing decisions without guessing.

I am proud of this project for two reasons:

  1. It proves again that large-scale airport technology can be deployed without disruption.
  2. It shows how real-time location data can make an immediate difference in the passenger experience.

This location solution with JFKIAT and our partners at Beonic is just the beginning for our work at JFK T4. The same Volan network can track other assets inside and outside of the terminal, from wheelchairs to service equipment, with the same precision and speed. At Volan, we are here to help airports innovate without compromise. The passengers keep moving. The operations keep humming. And the technology just works.

If you are interested in how we can deliver the same kind of impact for your organization with minimal disruption to your infrastructure, please get in touch with us.

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