What are Jeppesen Smart Airport Maps—and why should you care?
Alright, we’ve all been there. You’re taxiing out at a massive airport, visibility isn’t great, and suddenly, you’re surrounded by a maze of hold-short lines, service vehicles and intersecting taxiways. Staying on track can feel like threading a needle—while flying through turbulence. That’s where Smart Airport Maps come in. Think of them as Airport Moving Maps (AMM) on steroids. They’re the navigation companion you didn’t know you needed, and once your pilots use them, they won’t want to go back.
Today, we’re going to give you the lowdown on what Jeppesen Smart Airport Maps are, why they’re different (and better) than traditional Airport Moving Maps, and how they’ll make your ground movements smoother, shorter and a whole lot safer.
What are Smart Airport Maps?
You know those static terminal charts we’ve been using since EFBs became a thing? They’re great for showing the basic layout of an airport—runways, taxiways, parking stands—but that’s about it. They’re essentially paper charts on a screen. Handy? Sure. But when the ramp gets busy or weather rolls in, their usefulness drops off fast.
Airport Moving Maps helped evolve that experience with dynamic, data-driven visuals of major airports. But even AMMs have their limits—they’re often a one-size-fits-all solution, with little consideration for your specific aircraft or the real-time situation.
Smart Airport Maps take it to the next level. They blend live, contextual information tailored to your aircraft type, the current traffic picture and weather conditions. Think of it like having a co-pilot who’s monitoring everything—your aircraft, others around you, taxi restrictions, low-vis conditions—then layering all that info into one seamless, pilot-friendly map.
Need to know if a certain taxiway is closed to your 787-8? It’s on the map. Wondering if you’ll be stuck behind that pack of 737s? That’s on there too. Contextual data, dynamic updates—this isn’t just a map. It’s a full-service ground ops assistant.
Smart Airport Map of LEBL showing contextual data for a pilot in a 787-9 during low visibility conditions. Unidirectional taxiways, restricted taxiways and ground traffic are visible.
How Smart Airport Maps work
Behind the scenes, Smart Airport Maps pull from multiple data sources—ADS-B, NOTAMs, and of course, Jeppesen’s aeronautical database. All that info is packaged into a clean, intuitive display on your EFB (FliteDeck Pro), giving you a real-time snapshot of where you are and what’s happening around you.
Are Smart Airport Maps different from Airport Moving Maps?
You might be thinking, “Okay, but how much better are these than my current AMM?” Good question. Here’s our take:
Live information, not just static maps
Say you’re assigned a departure runway at Charles de Gaulle—but it’s all the way across the airport. Traditional Airport Moving Maps (AMM) will show you a basic route, but they won’t tell you how long it may take, where the bottlenecks are or what traffic you’ll encounter on the way. Smart Airport Maps will.
They show you real-time buildup ahead, current taxi times and aircraft-specific restrictions—so no surprises, no unnecessary stops.
Dynamic traffic overlays
One of the coolest features with Smart Airport Maps? Live traffic visualization. You can see aircraft and ground vehicle movement as it’s happening. That line of A320s holding at Kilo? You’ll spot them before you ever roll into view. It’s a big boost to your pilots’ situational awareness.
Tailored restrictions and insights
Flying a widebody? The map highlights which taxiways and gates you can’t access due to wingspan restrictions. In a regional jet? The view adapts to your aircraft’s footprint. AMMs don’t do that—they treat every aircraft the same.
Proactive insights for ground efficiency
Blanketed in fog? Smart Airport Maps display low-visibility operations info automatically. Safer, smarter taxiing even when the ramp’s a ghost town.
The biggest benefits for pilots
Now that you’ve got the gist, here’s why we think every flight crew should be using Smart Airport Maps:
Enhanced situational awareness: This is the bread and butter. Whether you’re navigating a foggy ramp at O’Hare or taxiing at an unfamiliar overseas hub in a widebody, having live ground data at your fingertips means your pilots always know what’s going on. No more guessing what that follow-me truck is doing or how close that 777 is.
Improved safety: We’ve all gotten that “Hold short of taxiway Delta” call that makes you double-check where the line is. Smart Airport Maps give you crisp visuals of aircraft-specific taxi restrictions, hotspots, hold-short points and weather-related information. Fewer guesswork moments = safer taxi operations.
Reduced delays: Ever sat through a never-ending taxi out of JFK during the morning rush? Smart Airport Maps help you anticipate current taxi delays using real-time data. You may not skip the wait entirely, but at least now you’ll know why—and maybe even adjust fuel-saving reduced engine taxi procedures accordingly to save your airline money. You might even avoid compounding delays with missed turns or late instructions.
Better workflow integration: Since Smart Airport Maps are integrated right into Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro, you’re not toggling between apps. Everything’s in one place: maps, NOTAMs, traffic, taxi times and airport-specific insights. It’s clean, seamless and just makes life easier—especially in the high-pressure moments.
Ground traffic, restricted taxiways and parking stands for a 787-9 at LEBL.
Example: how Smart Airport Maps adapt in real-time
Let’s walk through a scenario. Say you’re number six in line for departure, and ATC starts rerouting traffic from the north taxiway as congestion builds. With Smart Airport Maps, you can:
See traffic build-up instantly: Congested areas are visible live on the map.
Anticipate delays: The map helps you estimate your taxi-out time based on real-time ground movement.
Select alternate routes: If ATC reassigns you to a secondary taxiway, you’ll have visual support immediately.
Execute effortlessly: Everything is visual, intuitive, and clear—so you stay ahead of the chaos while others scramble to keep up.
Your map to flawless flight
Smart Airport Maps are a big leap forward in airport surface navigation. They’re not about replacing your judgment—they’re about supporting it with smarter, faster more informed decisions. Whether it’s cutting down taxi time, avoiding risk or simply boosting your awareness, these maps aren’t just “nice to have.” They’re a game-changer in your airline’s journey toward flawless flight.
If you haven’t flown with them yet, give them a try the next time you’re headed into a complex or unfamiliar airport. Once you experience maps that adapt to your aircraft and situation in real time, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without them.
And hey—you might even start looking forward to those long taxi times. (Okay, maybe not. But close.) Stay safe, and happy flying!
