Page 65 - World Airnews Magazine April 2020 Edition

EMISSIONS FEATURE

COULD ALTITUDE HOLD CULTURE IS A KEY

THE KEY TO REDUCING By Arash Rahmani - Rotterdam The Hague Airport

AVIATION EMISSIONS? anaging an airport was sim-

Mpler in the past. Overall, an

By Laura Ash airport in 2020 is not that much different
from one in 1970, however, when looking

specifically at the behind-the-scenes opera-

tions, things have definitely changed.

ccording to a new study, air- Airport operations have changed signifi-

Acraft alti tude could hold the key cantly and this will most definitely continue in
the coming years. Innovation is fuelling that

to drastically reducing global warming. change and airports are transforming into dig-

Research shows that a lower flying altitude ital smart locations. Providing passengers with

could help the aviation industry reduce its a more seamless experience while improving

carbon footprint. That’s despite the fuel the levels of safety and security in a more

inefficiency of low altitude flights. data-driven environment, airports are imple-

menting procedures such as self check in and
USING ALTITUDE TO MEDIATE baggage drop, 3D security scans, paperless
CLIMATE CHANGE border control and autonomous vehicles.

When it comes to the climate, the aviation Decision makers within our industry are

industry is heavily focused on investing in experiencing a more rapid change, espe-
new technologies to keep passengers in the cially those who have been working within
air. From biofuels to new aircraft designs, the industry for decades.

the focus is on bringing a green evolution The speed of change is only going to

to aviation. However, what if the answer to increase as airports become smarter,
combating climate change already existed? data-driven and autonomous. To be able department, rather than improving the process we need to focus on what innova-

It might be a case of casting aside the to adapt with these changes and efficiently processes organisation wide. tions are available to be used to the improve

rulebook and looking at aviation’s carbon use them, airport decision makers need to We work within an industry where the journey. To be able to do that, a strong
footprint from a different angle. focus on people, processes, technology and breaking down silos is necessary. Our core culture is needed to allow the environment

New research from Imperial College contrail, doesn’t it? Well, that’s not so. ers in London suggest that only some - most importantly - culture. processes go beyond silos: The process to innovate, to experiment, to fail, and to

London suggests that lower altitude flying Contrails do not occur as a result of flights would need to fly at lower altitudes While a solid digital strategy is an import- of passenger handling involves multiple learn from those failures. It needs leadership

could markedly decrease the negative aircraft operation. They occur as a result in order to improve the overall footprint of ant element for a digital transformation, departments such as safety and security, with a strong vision that can make decisions

effects of flying on the environment. The of altitude. This is a key principle in the the aviation industry. Leading researcher the right culture is needed to be able to facilities, communications, marketing and whilst understanding the full process and the

new study says that airlines’ best efforts Dr. Settler said in an article on Imperial execute the strategy. IT. For innovation to succeed efficiently and impact those decisions make on the process

should be in reducing contrails. In fact, findings of Imperial College researchers. College London’s website: Research by McKinsey, Capgemini, Bain effectively, silos need to be broken down so chain. It needs employees to understand that

When aircraft fly lower, they don’t dispel

the industry should be so hell-bent on this contrails. As a result, the climate gets a “A really small proportion of flights are and others have shown that a lack of strong that the focus is on the core processes and what they are doing affects the process and is

objective that aircraft fuel efficiency is only welcome relief from the negative emissions responsible for the vast majority of contrail culture is the main hindrance to success. how innovations can improve each step. part of a bigger picture and goal.

a secondary concern. Digital transformation tips:
that cause it to heat up. On the outset, climate impact, meaning we can focus our However, C-level executives and senior man- UNDERSTAND THE DIGITAL

SO, WHAT’S THE PROBLEM removing contrails looks like the easiest attention on them.” agers often think that technology is the most TRANSFORMATION PROCESS • Break down the silos

• Have a clear digital vision with the

WITH CONTRAILS? solution ever for solving our climate woes. In fact, lowering the altitude of just 1.7% important element, resulting in companies In November 2018, Rotterdam The Hague leadership team involved and commu-

Contrails are the visible emissions or white But, as you may have guessed, getting rid of daily flights could cut the impact of investing heavily in technology with the belief Airport was the first airport in the world to nicate it to all employees and partners

trails left behind by flying aircraft. Before of contrails is a bit of a catch 22. contrail-induced climate change by around that the right tool will fix all problems, without use autonomous vehicles to improve the • Be customer centric

they are released, these contrails capture IS IT POSSIBLE TO FLY AT LOW 59%. Researchers at Imperial College went investing in people, processes and culture. baggage handling process. This replaced • Define what innovation means to your

carbon particles from the exhaust and, ALTITUDES? on to say that: What often occurs is technology is then the need for fixed conveyors and sorting organisation

when visible, subsequently defuse them “…flight altitude changes of just 2,000 pushed to employees who are not open to systems as individual autonomous vehicles

into our atmosphere. The issue is that these Avoiding contrails necessitates aircraft to feet could lessen [the] effect [of contrails]. adapting; resulting in heavy delays and an carried single luggage items along the most • Give people decision-making power not

contrails cause the earth’s atmosphere to fly at lower altitudes. However, if it was that This…combined with using cleaner aircraft inefficient use of resources. This frequently optimal route, with real-time tracking. based on seniority, but based on strengths

trap heat. Thankfully, the contrails quickly simple the aviation industry would surely be engines, could reduce contrail-caused harm creates a mindset that avoids risk based While this was ground breaking in the • Set up a journey for a cultural change

dissipate and with them go the adverse doing that already. There are many reasons to the climate by up to 90%” on unsuccessful attempts in the past and is aviation industry, similar innovations have and engage employees in that change

heating of the planet. However, with so that aircraft operate at such high altitudes. IS IT REALISTIC? less flexible to adapting to change. been around for years. Amazon and Alibaba • Empower employees to drive a digital
many flights every day all across the globe, Namely, it’s to do with air resistance which AVIATION MUST BREAK DOWN THE warehouses have been using hundreds of culture and make sure they have the

what seems like a small impact is actually plays into fuel efficiency. Other than that, Suddenly, when such a small proportion INDUSTRY’S SILOS autonomous vehicles to carry, route and time, space and resources to grow and

extremely damaging. high altitudes also present a lower risk of of flights need to be altered, the contrail track individual orders. improve their skills
Contrails represent the heart of the en- weather- or collision-related incidents. problem looks a lot more manageable. One of the main barriers to a successful “I believe that in our industry, the focus is • Have additional KPI’s that focus on behaviour

vironmental damage that aircraft produce Armed with this information, it’s unlikely It’s certainly plausible but it’s not without digital transformation are silos. Silos are not necessarily to become a disruptor, as reg- • Start by mapping process schemes and

but what can be done? that airlines would compromise the safety heavy planning from air traffic control. more than a structural issue; they create ulation does not allow us to be fully disrup- with every step of the process make

of their passengers and crew for the sake Deciding and monitoring which airlines a culture with narrow-minded employees tive. It is important to become a fast follower sure management and other employ-

HOW DO WE GET RID OF of the environment. Airlines are already fly low and which fly high could present a who hesitate to share information or col- of innovations that improve the journey ees understand the change. Q

CONTRAILS? investing in other climate saving solutions, strategic dilemma. laborate across functions and departments. within an airport’s core processes: Processes

When you think of aircraft, the now why bother with something that might not That said, it’s worth putting in the They create an environment with less such as passenger handling, luggage han- Article courtesy:

not-so-humble contrail also comes to mind, be so safe? extra effort for better logistics planning transparency, where there are less organi- dling, ground handling and so on. All these https://www.internationalairportreview.

billowing in the wake of a speeding aircraft. Well, thankfully eradicating contrails if it’s going to benefit the planet and sation-wide initiatives and where employ- operations need to be systematised into com/article/112235/digital-

It seems that there is no aircraft without a doesn’t have to be that drastic. Research- future lives. Q ees are focused on tasks within their own process schemes and with every step of the transformation-cultural-change-airports/

World Airnews | April 2020 World Airnews | April 2020
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