Louisville flies with Metropolis

SDF goes ticketless, adding millions of Louisville drivers to the nation’s largest parking network

Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) has expanded its partnership with Metropolis, bringing ticketless parking to 4M+ travelers a year. With the Metropolis Recognition Platform, drivers enter and exit SDF parking without stopping at a kiosk or pulling a ticket.

Every driver who registers at SDF joins the 30M+ Members on the Metropolis Network. Properties on the network recognize those Members from day one.

At a glance

• What: Ticketless, drive-in, drive-out parking at SDF, powered by the Metropolis Recognition Platform and backed by Metropolis operations and always-on support.

• When: Live at SDF since Nov. 2, 2026.

• Who it reaches: 4M+ SDF travelers a year, plus 150K Metropolis Members already in Louisville.

• What it means for property owners: Built-in demand from a growing local Member base, increased revenue, higher CSAT and $0 cost to implement.

Powering a nonstop passenger experience at SDF

Metropolis is bringing ticketless parking to SDF, with drive-up and reserved parking on one integrated platform. Earlier in 2026, SDF launched reservations through AeroParker, Metropolis’ reservations product. Metropolis valet followed, with customer satisfaction above 96% in its first month.

Travelers register to become a Metropolis Member, then drive in and drive out. Payment processes automatically and receipts arrive electronically. Registration takes less than a minute at app.metropolis.io, in the Metropolis app or by scanning a QR code at any lot entrance. Travelers can still reserve parking in advance, and manual and cash payment options remain available.

Why SDF chose Metropolis

SDF chose Metropolis to keep pace with record growth and modernize one of the first and last touchpoints of the passenger journey. SDF logged its third-busiest year for passenger traffic in 2025 and is investing more than $1 billion in terminal and airfield upgrades through SDF Next. Home to UPS Worldport, it is also one of the world’s leading cargo airports, where operational efficiency is critical.

“The Louisville International Airport has experienced the busiest travel in its history, not only for passengers, but also for parking. The Metropolis system allows us to have a simpler operation, better capacity information, and allows us to invest further in the passenger experience. This system will save a few extra steps and time for the daily traveler.”

Cam Sidor
Director of Business Development, Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport

Beyond SDF: what it means for Louisville

The SDF launch puts more Louisville drivers on the Metropolis Network, and they can park at any Metropolis property the same way. At SDF, Metropolis cuts average exit times from 45 seconds to about 3. Drivers who experience that start looking for it everywhere they park.

Many Louisville lots still run on gates, kiosks and paper tickets. That means capital tied up in equipment, no way to recognize repeat drivers and no easy way to price for changing demand. Properties on the Metropolis Network recognize Members from day one.

Metropolis has 150K active Members in Louisville, with thousands more joining each month, and every one of them can park at any Metropolis location without signing up again or stopping for a ticket.

Every new Member makes every Louisville property on the network more valuable.

Louisville is ready for takeoff

SDF chose Metropolis to modernize parking for millions of travelers. The same technology and operations work for hotels, hospitals, offices, retail, mixed use and sports and entertainment venues.

Properties of every type can join the Metropolis Network, improve the guest experience and grow NOI, all with zero upfront cost. Louisville is the latest city where the Recognition Economy is taking hold, starting at its front door, SDF.

FAQs for Louisville property owners

• What is Metropolis?

  Metropolis is the largest parking operator in the U.S. Its AI-powered computer vision lets drivers enter, park and pay without stopping. Metropolis is also the largest airport parking operator in North America, managing parking at more than 70 U.S. airports, including 14 of the nation’s 30 busiest. Its integrated Recognition Platform replaces fragmented legacy systems across 4,500+ locations, backed by 100+ years of operating experience, 20,000+ employees, always-on support and 30M+ Members.

• What do Louisville property owners gain by switching to Metropolis?

  Higher NOI and a better parking experience, with no upfront cost. Metropolis improves both sides of NOI:

  • More demand. 4M+ SDF travelers a year and Louisville’s 150K Members can park at your property with no new app or ticket.

  • More revenue per space. Faster turns, reservations and Adaptive Pricing capture more from every space.

  • Lower operating costs. One integrated platform, no equipment to buy, less to maintain and no third-party processing fees.

  • Zero capex. Metropolis installs and runs the technology.

  • Live in 30 days. From signed contract to live lot.

  • Proven locally. Metropolis already operates parking and valet at UofL Health – Jewish Hospital Garage, with customer satisfaction above 96%.

• How does Metropolis grow NOI?

  Metropolis raises revenue and lowers operating costs at the same time. Partners see an average 14% NOI lift. The next two answers explain how.

• How does Metropolis increase parking revenue?

  Metropolis grows revenue three ways:

  • Built-in demand. Members seek out Metropolis locations because they can drive in and drive out. SDF adds a steady stream of new local Members, and every one of them can park at your property from day one. Demand channels, including Parking.com and AeroParker plus SpotHero and ParkWhiz, bring new visitors straight to Partner locations.

  • Better utilization. Faster exits turn spaces quicker at peak. Reservations sell spaces before drivers arrive. Real-time data on occupancy and dwell time shows where capacity sits unused. And because computer vision matches 99%+ of vehicles, every visit gets paid for.

  • Adaptive Pricing. Machine learning forecasts demand and sets the right price for every hour, shown on digital rate boards that update in seconds. Adaptive Pricing delivers a 10% lift in transient revenue.

  More demand, fuller spaces and the right price for every hour.

• How does Metropolis lower operating expenses?

  Most properties see operating expenses drop 10% to 15% after switching to Metropolis:

  • $0 to install. Metropolis covers the computer vision hardware, digital signage and installation.

  • Vertically integrated. Metropolis owns the technology, operations and payment processing. There are no third-party processing fees and no vendors to coordinate.

  • Simple to maintain. There are no gates, ticket machines or pay stations to repair. The platform is software that improves over time, with 99.9% uptime.

  • Leaner operations. Technology handles access and payment, so on-site teams focus on hospitality instead of tickets and cash.

  Lower costs and higher revenue don’t offset each other. They compound.

• How much does it cost to switch to Metropolis?

  Nothing upfront. Metropolis installs and runs the technology, so there are no gates, kiosks or ticket machines to buy. Pricing is simple and transparent, with incentives tied to growing revenue at your property.

• How long does it take to launch Metropolis at a Louisville property?

  Most properties go from signed contract to live lot in 30 days.

• Does Metropolis operate parking in Louisville?

  Yes. Metropolis operates parking at SDF, where ticketless parking launched Nov. 2, 2026. Metropolis also operates parking and valet at UofL Health, where customer satisfaction is above 96%.

• What is the Metropolis Network?

  The Metropolis Network is 4,500+ parking locations and 30M+ Members. Members register once, then drive in and drive out at any Metropolis location. 150K Members are already in Louisville, with thousands more joining each month.

• How do SDF travelers become customers at my property?

  Every traveler who registers at SDF becomes a Metropolis Member. When your property joins the Metropolis Network, those Members can park with you without downloading a new app, signing up again or stopping for a ticket. Your property recognizes them from day one.

  Members look for the same seamless parking everywhere they go, across 4,500+ locations.

• What types of properties can use Metropolis?

  Any property with parking, including hotels, hospitals, office buildings, public garages and event and entertainment venues.

• Can drivers who aren’t Metropolis Members still park?

  Yes. At SDF, one-time payment options remain available for travelers who don’t register. Registering takes less than a minute: drivers scan the QR code on posted signage when they pull in.

• Who manages day-to-day parking operations?

  Metropolis does, with 20,000+ employees, 100+ years of operating experience, 24/7 customer support and white-glove hospitality.

• How does Metropolis protect driver data?

  Metropolis recognizes vehicles, not people. Computer vision records a vehicle’s entry and exit to time and process payment automatically, eliminating paper tickets and exit lines. Metropolis follows a data minimization framework. It collects only what a parking transaction needs (license plate, payment method and contact information) on an opt-in basis, and it does not sell data to third parties.

• How do I get started?

  Talk to our Louisville team about how Metropolis can modernize parking and grow NOI at your property.