SPECIAL REPORT: IT INNOVATION
“No new equipment has to be installed onboard the aircraft, which is important, as is the fact that it exceeds IATA and ICAO requirements.” The new technology, developed in association with a number of airlines, uses existing Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS), Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS–B), Future Air Navigation System (FANS) and ATC radar information systems to pinpoint the location of aircraft. More than 40,000 aircraft are already equipped with the above technology, said Dawkins, who revealed that Malaysia Airlines is among its latest customers for the software. According to SITA OnAir the fact that it uses multiple sources of data ensures tracking intervals of 15 minutes or less, with intervals of just 60 seconds theoretically possible. It was developed after ICAO and IATA called for global tracking technology that uses existing equipment and procedures as much as possible. And although like existing GPS technology AIRCOM FlightMessenger could be turned off, Dawkins said that if it happened with this system it would immediately and automatically alert the airline to a problem.
Airport Apps ACI Europe’s director for media and communications director, Robert O’Meara, revealed that Europe’s airport operators have developed 51 apps that currently cover 164 gateways while 292 had official twitter accounts and 289 were on Facebook. And he flagged up some of the highlights of ACI Europe’s Digital Report 2014-2015, pointing out that by the end of 2017, some 54% of Europe’s airports expected to have implemented mobile-based services and 65% of these would provide personalised information to passengers. He insisted that social media was a key enabler for airports to provide support and reassurance to passengers. When asked whether he felt social media was the ‘silver bullet’ to stay connected with travellers, he replied: “I don’t think it is the silver bullet, but it should be an instrumental part of any airport’s passenger experience strategy. “I believe that there are a certain amount of people who think that social media is a fad or that it is just too shallow to be useful, but in the airport context it is genuinely useful.”
He noted that KLM has invested hugely in social media, employing around 130 staff to work purely on its social media themes. Such actions, he stated, had “raised the game” on what can be done via social media and caused other airlines and airports to sit up and take notice. “It has made many think about what they can do and how far they want to go in meeting customer expectations through social media,” added O’Meara. “There is certainly a lot more to come from social media and room for more exciting developments.”
Airline IT survey A common theme throughout this year’s Air Transport IT Summit was how new technology is making air travel easier and helping restore the ‘fun’ at airports, and the world’s airlines seem to agree as they continue to invest in passenger enhancing IT solutions. Indeed, according to SITA’s 2015 Airline IT Trends Survey, almost a third of airline IT spend is on innovation, with increased ‘personalisation’ appearing to be the goal of many airlines. It also predicts that a “major revolution in the passenger experience” is set to emerge over the next three years as airlines invest in the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT). According to the survey, the vast majority of airlines (86%) expect that the IoT will deliver clear benefits in the next three years and already more than one third (37%) have allocated a budget to it. SITA explains the Internet of Things as being when physical objects are connected to the internet, enabling tracking, data collection, analysis and control. As part of this revolution, it says, more things in the airport are being connected up including buildings, equipment, bags, trolleys and tugs – basically all the ‘things’ that could emit a status. One of the first manifestations of the IoT in the air transport industry is the use of beacons and this is where airports have a key role to play with some, such as Dubai and Miami already installing thousands of beacons across their respective sites. Dubai Airports CEO, Paul Griffiths, said: “The abiity to track and trace and optimise operations has huge benefits for the industry. It will make airports, airlines and passengers happy.” He noted that IoT would improve an airport’s on time performance, transform airport design and increase the capacity of existing facilities. AW
AIRPORT WORLD/AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2015
21