VodafoneThree has switched on 5G and 4G coverage at Aberdeen International Airport.
Vodafone 5G Standalone (5G SA) is scheduled to be delivered in the next few months.
With its fast speeds, the arrival of Vodafone 5G will ensure Vodafone customers with compatible devices and price plans will be able to download box sets for their trip, change holiday bookings at the last minute and check the status of their flight quicker than before, as well as to have better-quality voice calls. Businesses based across the airport will also be able to use 5G to improve existing operations, such as systems like electronic point of sale tills.
The future deployment of Vodafone 5G SA will further enhance productivity for airport-based businesses by supporting various applications from automated passport control to stock control. In recent modelling, VodafoneThree found that the 5G SA network it will build by 2035 – as part of its UK-wide £11 billion infrastructure programme – could help improve Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire regional economic output (GVA) by up to £909 million, with the transportation and storage industry in the area delivering up to £33 million in GVA alone.
Opened in July 1934, Aberdeen International Airport now serves more than three million passengers every year and supports more than 3,400 jobs locally.
Gavin Revell, chief information technology officer at AGS Airports, which owns and operates Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Southampton airports, said, “At AGS we are embarking on a digital transformation journey centered around the provision of a seamless customer experience. In the connected world, accessibility to super-fast, reliable data networks is simply a customer expectation. This initiative ensures our airports are ready to meet the connectivity needs of both our customers and operational teams.”
The improvements follow the installation of an in-building system by specialists Exchange Communications.
Tom Sime, CEO at Exchange Communications, said, “We have delivered a system to handle the current and future passenger requirements for this unique airport. Aberdeen International Airport is not only the gateway for the North-East of Scotland to Europe and beyond, but the main artery to Scotland’s oil and gas network in the North Sea, which is why ensuring it is amongst the most connected travel hubs in the country is incredibly important. The work we have done at the airport means that we have laid the foundations for the airport to easily keep up with technology, it can adapt as it grows and as its need for connectivity and capacity changes.”
In June 2025, VodafoneThree announced a nationwide £11 billion investment programme, which has already:
- Enabled multi-operator network technology on thousands of masts across the UK, so that Vodafone and Three customers are now benefiting from improved mobile connectivity and capacity, as their devices connect to the best available coverage at no extra cost;
- Resulted in Three customers receiving fast, reliable 4G coverage following the activation of extra spectrum on almost 15,000 Three UK masts across the UK.
VodafoneThree has also committed to a 5G SA network that will reach more than 99.96 per cent of the UK’s population by 2034.
Andrea Donà, chief network officer at VodafoneThree, said, “Our investment doesn’t stop at cities, towns and villages. We’re also ensuring our customers have the coverage they expect when visiting busy locations such as airports, stadiums, train stations and shopping centres. Aberdeen International is a great example of the work we are undertaking to improve our coverage for our customers and another clear signal of our ability to move at pace in our wider commitment of building the UK’s best network.”
