EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — Travelers at the El Paso International Airport will now see a new parking system as the airport launched AI-powered parking on Wednesday, partnering with a technology company that has previously faced lawsuits.

During a press conference on Wednesday, the El Paso airport announced a partnership with technology company Metropolis, which will develop and operate the new parking system.

According to airport officials, as part of the new system, visitors will receive a QR code to scan upon entering the parking lot. From there, visitors will create an account using their license plate number and set up a payment method to pay for parking when they leave.

“Metropolis is drive-in drive-out technology, you’ll see some cameras mounted at entry and exit,” said Nick Rosen-Wachs, VP of communications at Metropolis. “Think of it like Amazon or Uber put in your name, your phone number, credit card, license plate, and then you can set it and forget it, and don’t have to think about parking at the airport ever again. And then when you leave, the camera will recognize your exit, you will get a text message when you leave, and you can be on your way.”

However, as the airport works to launch the new parking system with Metropolis, the company has faced multiple lawsuits in recent months.

Most recently, Metropolis reached a settlement with the state of Tennessee over multiple customer complaints due to parking fees and privacy violations, according to a news release from Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s office.

“Tennesseans work hard for their money, and when they park, they deserve a clear price up front and no shenanigans with bogus charges and stonewalling customer service,” said Attorney General Skrmetti in January.

According to Skrmetti’s office, an investigation into Metropolis was launched two years ago, which revealed that “Metropolis misled consumers about its prices with inaccurate signs, charged surprise fees due to technology glitches, made obtaining refunds nearly impossible, and created confusion with notices that looked like government bills.”

Metropolis has since been ordered to pay $8.75 million to cover consumer refunds, litigation costs, and a free parking program as part of the settlement agreement with the state.

On Wednesday, both the company and El Paso airport said the launch has nothing to do with the litigation and that Metropolis will continue providing customer service.

“So we build in privacy with everything that we do at Metropolis, the number one thing that we care about is creating exceptional and seamless consumer journeys,” Rosen-Wachs said.

Tony Nevarez, director of aviation at the El Paso airport, added that the airport will have staff available around the clock to help address concerns.

“The big thing here is that we have staff 24/7 that we will be able to address any issues that came up during that lawsuit or settlement that they went through,” Nevarez said. “We’ve been discussing this for over a year with the Metropolis, and they’ve been fantastic partners from the beginning.”

Meanwhile, the new system comes after the El Paso Airport began raising prices for long-term parking. In March, a $2 increase in daily parking rates was enacted, bringing the total to $9 per day.

The rate hike was approved by city leaders as part of the fiscal year 2026 budget, with airport officials citing rising operational costs as a factor for the increase.

According to Nevarez, the new parking system will not change current pricing.

“There was an increase we did a few months ago, but everything will stay the same. No plan to increase in the future,” Nevarez said.

The airport said it will still have parking lot tickets and cash payments available to accommodate users who don’t sign up for the new system.

RECOMMENDED: Long-term parking at El Paso airport rises $2 to $9 a day beginning in March

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