In a nutshell

Reliable parking guidance in unstructured environments

Zurich Airport, one of Europe's major air traffic hubs, has equipped its P65 outdoor parking lot with a smart camera-based parking guidance system in collaboration with Parquery, Triple-M Systems, and Spetec.

The project presented interesting challenges. At airports, drivers are often under considerable time pressure, so finding a parking space quickly and relying on a precise guidance system is crucial for passenger satisfaction, and sets the tone for the rest of their journey.

Gravel lots

The gravel surface of the parking lot added further complexity: minimal markings—short lines along the aisles—are easily overlooked. As a result, vehicles often park inaccurately, across multiple spaces or at an angle. This makes it difficult for most automated systems to reliably detect whether a space is occupied.

Parquery's solution overcomes these challenges with its AI-based approach, which adapts to the conditions of each location after deployment. Thanks to machine learning the software reliably adapts to individual parking behavior and the exact conditions on site.

Thus, over 1,500 parking spots are monitored in real-time with just 31 cameras—an average of 50 spots per camera. This approach keeps infrastructure requirements low while delivering reliable results.

Accurate detection with inaccurate parking

Integration

The availability data is integrated into the airport-wide parking guidance system through Triple-M. 36 digital displays efficiently direct passengers and employees to vacant parking spaces, ensuring improved orientation, more efficient utilization of the parking lot, a relaxed arrival at the terminal and overall traveler satisfaction.

The project was challenging in several respects: the gravel surface, the short markings, the traffic routing, and the irregular parking behavior placed high demands on the system's intelligence.
The fact that we were nevertheless able to implement a reliable, scalable solution is the result of good cooperation between all partners and a flexible, adaptive system.
Marco Kühne, Zurich Airport

Digital signs for sectors and lanes guide drivers and make it easy to find parking spots.

The Impact

Optimized search times and utilization

For drivers, the project optimizes search for parking and improves customer experience.

On the operational side, it improves parking space utilization, and simultaneously provides accurate parking data that is integrated into Zurich Airport's parking management system.

This leads to a better customer experience and optimized resource management for the airport.

Reliable parking guidance in big gravel lots

Short search times: Drivers quickly find a free parking space, which leads to noticeable relief, especially in the stressful environment of an airport.
Smooth process and high user satisfaction: Passengers arrive at their flights on time, and employees start their shifts without delays caused by lengthy searches for parking spaces.
Reliable single-space detection: Adaptive AI reliably detects the occupancy of each parking space, even with unstructured parking, by adapting to the individual conditions of each location.
Optimized utilization: Better use of available capacity even with unsystematic parking behavior.
Seamless integration: The system is fully integrated into the airport's existing parking infrastructure.
Real-time data for management: Airport management receives up-to-date occupancy data for efficient monitoring and control of parking operations.
Scalable architecture: The system is future-proof and can be easily adapted to planned expansions.

Travelers benefit twice over

Thanks to improved orientation provided by the camera-based parking guidance system, users can find a free parking space more quickly. Positive user experiences on Google Maps, among other places, confirm its success.

In addition, parking spaces can also be conveniently booked online in advance: www.flughafen-zuerich.ch

The Need

A reliable, scalable, and user-friendly parking guidance system.

Functions accurately under difficult conditions,
simplifies the search for parking spaces at the airport, and
improves space utilization.

The P65 parking lot, with approx. 1,500 parking spots, serves long-term parkers and airport employees. The airport was looking for a reliable parking guidance system that would quickly direct drivers to available parking spaces while optimizing space utilization.

A solution was needed that could cover large areas at once while being able to learn irregular parking behavior on-site—to deliver reliable results and minimize the sensor infrastructure. Several special requirements had to be taken into account:

Gravel surface and irregular parking behavior
The parking area is covered with gravel, and short lines on the driving lane mark parking spots. These can easily be overlooked in a hurry. As a result, many cars are parked at an angle or occupy several spaces. This makes reliable detection difficult and rules out classic single-space sensors such as ground sensors.
Time pressure on users
At airports, travelers are often anxious. Long searches for a parking space add to the stress. Fast, precise navigation to available spaces is therefore crucial.
Infrastructure restrictions
The car park is beneath the flight path. Only existing light poles of varying heights are available for installation, which limits the individual range of each camera.
Technical requirements
The solution has to provide reliable comprehensive occupancy data despite difficult environmental conditions. At the same time, it should use as little additional infrastructure as possible and be fully integrated into the airport's existing parking guidance system.

Irregular parking behaviour due to minimal spot markings easily overlooked in a hurry.

The Solution

Cameras, AI, digital guidance panels, and full integration

Triple M, Spetec, and Parquery have jointly delivered a camera-based system for displaying available parking spaces. The system uses artificial intelligence to detect which parking spaces are occupied or vacant and displays the available spaces on digital displays at junctions. This helps drivers find a vacant space more quickly.

Only cameras with artificial intelligence that monitor large areas and continuously learn and adjust are capable of detecting irregular parking behavior, and do so in a cost-effective manner. This solution offers reliable monitoring without the need for complex infrastructure and associated costs.

Easy driver orientation

Key components

31 cameras
mounted on existing light poles at varying heights, each monitoring an average of 50 spots.
36 digital signs
display real-time availability per sector and aisle and direct drivers step by step to vacant spaces.
Cloud-based processing
ensures scalability and reliable performance.
AI-Software
that learns the on-site conditions and, thus, meets the unique challenges.
Full system integration
into the airport-wide parking management infrastructure via Triple-M.
Expandable, scalable, and future-ready
for additional camera deployments.

The seamless integration of Parquery data into our existing airport-wide parking guidance system was a key factor for the success of this project. The excellent cooperation with Parquery and Spetec has enabled us to efficiently integrate another important data supplier and further optimize our solution.
Peter Ineichen, Triple-M Systems AG

Accurate occupancy detection of 60 parking spaces with just one camera in about 4.5 m height. The parking spaces are paved with gravel and marked by short markings on the driving lane. The color-code indicates the dwell time of each vehicle.

Project Partners

Zurich Airport

Owner and operator of Switzerland's largest airport and other airports abroad

Zurich Airport operates one of Switzerland's most important transport and meeting hubs, along with nine other airports abroad. Its core activities span three business areas: transport hubs, commercial centers and real estate.
Zurich Airport is a high-quality airport that enjoys an excellent reputation and regularly wins awards for its outstanding services, short transfer distances, friendly staff, the cleanliness of its infrastructure and the reliability of its processes.

Triple-M

System integrator and consultants for building automation and security control technology

Triple-M Systems AG, based in Wetzikon, is a Swiss system integrator focusing on software solutions for technical facility management, such as control centers and automation systems. Triple-M combines proven standard solutions with custom-developed software to implement projects quickly, flexibly, and precisely.

Spetec AG

Building automation and security from a single source

Spetec AG, based in Kloten, is an experienced Swiss provider of building security and building automation. Spetec develops and operates solutions for industrial, commercial, and private customers – from planning to operation. The range of services includes automated systems for energy and comfort control as well as tailor-made solutions for security and access control.

Summary

The P65 project at Zurich Airport highlights how advanced, camera-based parking guidance can meet complex infrastructure demands—even in unstructured environments like gravel lots. By combining AI-driven analytics, seamless integration, and user-focused design, the joint solution by Parquery, Triple-M Systems AG, and Spetec AG ensures a smooth parking experience for both travelers and staff. As Zurich Airport continues to grow, this scalable system is well-positioned to support future expansion and evolving mobility needs.

Get in touch

Would you like to use, resell our solution in your market or integrate it into your traffic or smart city platform? Call or email us and let's discuss the details. We work directly with end customers and via resellers.