Page 50 - World Airnews Magazine December 2019 Edition

AFRICA

AIRPORT TECHNOLOGIES

report by Albinus Chiedu

he air transport industry has embraced digitalisation
Tof systems and the upgrade of airport technologies to
optimise operational efficiency, improve passenger experi-
ence, create new revenue opportunities and improve aviation
security.

How financially prepared are airports in Africa for this venture?
This formed part of the discussions at the 28th ACI annual gen- airport technology service providers to identify the peculiar needs

eral assembly conference and exhibition held at Kempinski Hotel, of small airports and develop a wide range of services to carry
Accra, Ghana recently. them along.
The theme of the conference was ‘Smart Airports in Africa, Are “There is no one cap fits all solution,” said Indranil Gupta, man-

We Ready?’ aging director GSEZ airport Gabon.
Director, strategy and business development ACI Africa Romesh United States transportation and safety administration (TSA) and

Bhoyroo said the ACI had identified financing of airport technolo- international finance corporation representatives

gy infrastructure as one of the challenges ahead in the course of presented their technology funding support offers which partici-

implementing the APEX safety programme. pants considered expensive.

“There is a very high cost in terms of finance to be invested in TSA representative in West African region Gary Pleus said an

what is changing but are we ready for this cost journey?” asked innovation task force was founded in 2016.

Justine Sushi from Tanzania. “A five year membership costs (US) $5,000.00 but one of the

“There are many airports in Africa struggling with digital benefits from this is access to sophisticated passenger screening

transformation but when technology is transforming, it always which, for example, does not require passengers to remove their

transforms in an expensive way. There is a need to seek a way of shoes and clothes during screening.

financing technological advancement so that both big and small IFC’s principal investment officer, Ramatou Magagi said the IFC

airports can keep moving,” Justine said. had decided to support projects that are energy efficient. She said

Most airports in Africa are small and their needs in terms of for such projects to be approved, they have to be 20% more ener-

traffic volume and revenue capacities vary as much as each other. gy efficient, 20% more water efficient and certified by a third party.

For this reason, participants agreed that playing catch-up in terms “We seek to make airports as green as possible. There is soft-

of technological upgrades has to be on a case by case basis. ware that indicates how green an airport is. Focus is on Africa and
“Small airports lack the capacity to invest significantly in building developing countries and IFC owns the programme, supported by

new big airports,” said Ahmat Hassan Orozi representative of the British Government,” she said.

director general ASECNA. The week-long event was opened by Ghana president Nana Addo

Olivier Baric, aviation director African region, EGIS appealed to Dankwa Akufo-Addo with over 300 delegates in attendance. Q

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