Page 40 - AA 2018_11

Future Airports

some promise. “The world of media consumption past few years is the design and
The complexity is that the ‘Tension is constantly changing,” Felten implementation of smart digital
speed of change in the consumer acknowledges. towers,” says Kiffs.
electronics ecosystem is much faster also exists “In the era of big data, we don’t go “From London and Hungary to
than that in aviation. It’s still hard online, we live online. Data gives the Australia and Singapore, trials have
for passengers to ensure that they between current and future passenger planning begun all over the world to deploy
navigate themselves to the correct insight and informed decision-making smart digital tower technologies as a
dropoff location for their particular precisely and therefore it is vital that a future smart, safe and sustainable solution
rental car company at many airports, Brisbane Airport is able to respond for not just low traffic density airports
and it feels like there may well be a whose accordingly. Airports are uniquely but also those that are regularly
role for individual airports and trade placed to tackle the challenges that described as having (HIRO) high-
associations to better understand and passenger it accompany a digital transformation intensity runway operations to
work more closely with the numerous and this is already evident in today’s manage.”
international app providers. is.’ passenger journey.” The benefits: images and data
There is a tension here between not Understanding how to use the are generated by cameras, sensors,
wanting to reinvent the wheel while plethora of data available already aircraft trackers, transmitters and
also ensuring enough control over the and that will continue to stream from other sources (like taxiway closure,
data passengers see to ensure accuracy every passenger, staff member, aircraft runway availability, and so on), then
and the delivery of the airport’s and ground vehicle will be crucial to stitched together into a live 360°
goals, many of which revolve around the future success of airports and the picture of operations – which can then
encouraging more retail spend. ecosystem that surrounds them. be managed either on-site or, in the
Tension also exists between future, remotely.
precisely whose passenger it is. Data and digitalisation are only “Such systems can track aircraft, as
“Growth and advancements in digital starting to overhaul the way airports well as provide situational awareness
technology and social media use are run for controllers and other airport
has provided a direct link between One key push recently has been to stakeholders to airfield incursions and
airports and passengers, when that use the early benefits of the Internet even drones,” explains Kiffs.
relationship was historically owned by of Things to make more of existing “Whether it is optimising air
the airlines,” says Brisbane’s Felten. infrastructure and to guide the traffic management, delivering
The greatest success here has been development of the next generation. staffing deployment efficiencies,
when airports go to where passengers “With global air traffic set to double servicing remote airports with few
are rather than trying to get over the next two decades, airport daily movements, or as a contingency
passengers to come to them. Sydney operators, regulators and ANSPs have arrangement in the event of severe
Airport’s automated Twitter-based been exploring ways to cope with weather conditions like storms
arrivals and departures notification this increase in demand through the and hurricanes, moving away from
channel, on Twitter: @flySYD, digitalisation of airports,” explains the constraints of a physical tower
allows passengers to subscribe to Ben Kiffs, managing director Middle is a logical next step for aviation
notifications for a particular flight, East & Asia Pacific at NATS, the authorities across the world which
enabling what is essentially a personal air navigation service provider that are grappling with the challenges of
FIDS feed with timing, gate and evolved from the UK’s National Air managing the exponential surge in air
boarding information delivered via an Traffic Services, and which is looking traffic.”
app people already know how to use to expand within Asia Pacific. Smaller airports, especially
and whose notifications they already “One of the most exciting those in rural and remote areas, are
allow. developments taking shape in the particularly ripe for smart digital

The pace of change at future airports will only accelerate

Eleven years ago, when the experience, such as a single seamless and easy for all of our unpacking bags, or removing
first iPhone launched, few people process for check-in, security travellers.” shoes or belts.”
could have perceived the way and border control.” Brisbane’s Felten is also keen Passengers automatically
smartphones dominate our Acknowledging that “this may on adopting new technology guided to their gates by their
lives and our travel. The rate include greater and reducing personal electronic devices,
of new technologies and their use of biometrics administration, given information that helps
effect on the wider world will to track your especially them get where they’re going,
only get faster and stronger, so movements through facial in shorter queues thanks to
as Australian Aviation finished through or thumbprint improvements in scanning or
interviewing Adelaide Airport’s the various recognition. She flow prediction technology,
Mark Young and Brisbane departures wants to “make provided with useful and
Airport’s Floor Felten, we asked and arrivals airport processes targeted advertising for a service
what aspect of the airport processes paperless – no they might find helpful, while
experience they’d change if they including aircraft tickets, boarding immediately knowing how and
could wave a magic wand. boarding,” Young passes or where they can find help – this
Adelaide Airport’s Young says that “the overriding aim in passports,” and aspires towards is the vision of the airport of the
would love to see “a more all of these new technologies is “walk-through security and future. It won’t be that long until
streamlined international to make the travel experience immigration processes, with no we get there.

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