Louisville Airport Launches Ticketless Parking System

Drivers at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport can now enter and exit lots without tickets, using license plates instead.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Air Travel

Photograph of an empty automated parking gate with a raised barrier arm and a camera mounted on a pole at a concrete airport garage entrance under flat daylight. — Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport has launched a ticketless parking system that lets drivers enter and exit lots using their license plates, run by Metropolis. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport has introduced a ticketless parking system for its garage and surface lots. The system, run by Metropolis, uses license plates in place of paper tickets.

Why it matters

The change removes the need to handle parking tickets and speeds up entry and exit for drivers using the airport. It comes as the airport handles rising passenger traffic during the busy holiday season.

Passenger traffic at SDF has grown 40% since 2018, and the airport offers non-stop flights to more than 40 destinations. The $1 billion SDF Next expansion's completion timeline has not been specified.

The players

Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport

The Louisville airport, known by its code SDF, is undergoing a $1 billion expansion called SDF Next.

Metropolis

Metropolis operates the ticketless parking system at the airport and at several other parking garages across Louisville.

The details

Drivers entering the lot trigger an automatic gate opening, and account holders receive a text welcome message. Exiting drivers receive a digital receipt by text, while the airport keeps a cash lane with an attendant and honors handicap placard discounts.

Throughout the holiday travel season, renovations to concourses and gate areas are expected to continue.
Some new TSA lines could be open for the holiday travel season.

Travel Outlook

The airport's ticketless system follows the same Metropolis platform already used at Louisville garages near Jewish Hospital and UofL Health. Its rollout comes as SDF handles growing holiday traffic, with passenger volume up 40% since 2018.

Drivers parking at the airport can skip paper tickets by registering a Metropolis account or paying by QR code, Apple Pay, Google Wallet, or saved credit card. Cash payment remains available at an attendant lane.