The official publication of ACI Asia-Pacific www.aci-asiapac.aero
Sustainability: Aviation’s licence to grow Issue theme: Sustainable development Airport Report: GMR Airports Limited
Issue 1, 2020 www.aci-apa.com
Special report: Meet the new director general Plus: Digital apron & Industry news
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ASIA-PACIFIC AIRPORTS MAGAZINE
CONTENTS
Asia-Pacific Airports Issue 1, 2020
6 View from the top
20 Global ambitions
New ACI Asia-Pacific director general, Stefano Baronci, reflects on an eventful start to 2020, planning ahead, leadership changes at ACI and the impact of the coronavirus.
Asia-Pacific Airports (APA) turns the spotlight on the GMR Group and its airport assets in India and across the planet.
24 Up close and personal
A snapshot of some of the biggest news stories from across the region.
8 Regional news
Get to know ACI Asia-Pacific’s new director general, Stefano Baronci, a little better in this Q&A with APA editor, Joe Bates.
12 ACI Asia-Pacific news
28 Leading the way
The latest news from communications manager, Samantha Solomon, includes an update on ACI Asia-Pacific’s advocacy efforts, new dates for postponed events and a growing list of World Business Partners.
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Across Asia-Pacific, airports are responding to increased passenger numbers and environmental pressures with innovative, efficient and sustainable terminal designs, writes David Coyne, head of aviation at design firm Benoy.
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CONTENTS 32 Flood warning!
40 Aviation’s challenge
Vivek Sindhamani and Peter Vorage discuss the growing threat of flooding to airports and how some of the region’s major hubs are planning ahead to increase their resilience to rising water levels.
36 Neighbourhood watch
Airports across the world are actively working to reduce their noise footprint and engaging with their communities to create environmental capacity, writes Envirosuite’s senior aviation specialist, Matt Mills-Brooks.
Asia-Pacific Airports (APA) www.aci-apa.com Editor Joe Bates joe@aci-apa.com +44 (0)1276 476582 Design, Layout & Production Mark Draper mark@aci-apa.com +44 (0)208 707 2743
APA Issue 1, 2020
Published by Aviation Media Ltd PO BOX 448, Feltham, TW13 9EA, UK Managing Director Jonathan Lee jonathan@aci-apa.com +44 (0)208 707 2743 Advertising Manager Jonathan Lee jonathan@aci-apa.com +44 (0)208 707 2743
Leonie Dobbie, aviation consultancy company WSP's strategic aviation advisor, considers the benefits of embedding sustainability action into airport decision-making.
44 Time to go digital?
ADB SAFEGATE’S Niclas Svedberg argues that adopting a digital apron will help airports reduce delays and cope with rising traffic demand.
49 Industry news News, views and reviews from ACI’s regional and global World Business Partners.
Subscriptions subscriptions@ aviationmedia.aero +44 (0)208 707 2743
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Asia-Pacific Airports (APA) is published four times a year for the members of ACI Asia-Pacific. The opinions and views expressed in APA are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect an ACI policy or position. The content of this publication is copyright of Aviation Media Ltd and should not be copied or stored without the express permission of the publisher.
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VIEWPOINT
VIEW FROM THE TOP New ACI Asia-Pacific director general, Stefano Baronci, reflects on an eventful start to 2020, planning ahead, leadership changes at ACI and the impact of the coronavirus.
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number of very different events, some known to me in advance and others coming completely out of the blue, have helped make my first 100 days as the new director general of ACI Asia-Pacific something of a rollercoaster ride! I knew, for example, that the region’s growth rate has slowed to its lowest in five years. I also knew that a trade agreement between China and the United States was imminent and that the much publicised social unrest in Hong Kong – my new home – was continuing. However, nobody could have anticipated the outbreak of a virus! Despite the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) – and I will return to this subject later on – I was able to achieve the priorities I had set for my first 100 days in the new job: getting to know our airport members, our board members and the team. In a short period of time, I visited eight countries and met with multiple airport members as well as policymakers, regulators and other key stakeholders. What struck me most was the diversity across the region yet, at the same time, a shared commitment to safety, security and delivering exceptional customer experience. I was inspired after meeting the board members. Some I was able to meet in person, others virtually. The Asia-Pacific Regional Board includes longstanding airport APA Issue 1, 2020
professionals and I am grateful for their support in guiding ACI Asia-Pacific.
STRATEGIC PLAN
ACI Asia-Pacific operates under three-year strategic plans, so I am currently devoting significant attention to the plan for the 2021-2023 period, and will happily share more details about it with you when it gets finalised and approved by the board. Suffice to say that, for now, an important element will be to elevate the profile of ACI Asia-Pacific and our members in the region, and globally, through strategic advocacy and communications efforts. The strategic plan will also address a painful challenge faced by members throughout the region: the capacity crunch. We will be looking at smarter slot allocation mechanisms, building new infrastructure and improving the co-operation with air traffic control organisations.
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THE IMPACT OF COVID-19
Having spent my whole career in the aviation sector, I am no stranger to the types of crisis that can hit our industry. The challenge with a communicable disease is its unpredictability. At the start of the novel coronavirus (2019nCov), since renamed COVID-19, we feared the worst, but hoped for the best. At the time of writing this article, the casualties had regrettably surpassed the death toll of the SARS outbreak in 2003. ACI Asia-Pacific was quick to rally around our members by providing guidelines for airport preparedness if a communicable disease breaks out, and pointing to a handbook for emergency preparedness and contingency planning. I sincerely appreciate the willingness of our members to share additional measures implemented at airports around the region. Our team collated this information and shared it to the broader ACI Asia-Pacific member base. This kind of sharing of best practices is highly beneficial to our airport sector. The impact of COVID-19 on our industry is clearly visible, especially since the World Health Organization’s declared it a pandemic in early March. Global and regional connectivity all but halted as countries globally declared lockdowns, border closures, travel bans, quarantine requirements and airlines cancelled flights. The global scale of this outbreak is wreaking havoc and our industry is at serious risk. At this stage, we can only wait this out
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ACI LEADERSHIP CHANGES
There will be a change in leadership at ACI World later this year when, after 12 years of leading the organisation, my good friend, Angela Gittens, will hand over the reins to Luis Felipe de Oliveira, an aviation leader with decades of experience in business development and strategic planning. On behalf of the whole team, we wish Angela all the best in her retirement. We also offer a warm welcome Rafael Echevarne, who was recently appointed the new director general of ACI Latin America & Caribbean.
and call upon governments to provide necessary aid and relief to the aviation industry and the economies it serves. As the Regional Office is located in Hong Kong, we took a number of precautionary measures to make sure our team members were safe. By and large, the team has been working from their home offices and quickly familiarised themselves with on-line collaborative tools. I’m pleased to say that our operations continued seamlessly despite these extraordinary circumstances. Regrettably, this situation has impacted on a number of ACI events, most importantly for our region, the 15th ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Assembly, Conference & Exhibition in Nara, Japan, this April. I had, of course, hoped to meet many of you there, but together with our host Kansai Airports, we made the difficult decision to move the event to September 15-17, 2020. I sincerely hope that you can make the new dates and, please, rest assured that the team will keep you appraised on the latest developments regarding the 15th ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Conference & Exhibition rescheduled to September 15-17, 2020, through bi-weekly newsletters and event emails.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Asia-Pacific Airports magazine is published four times a year for you, our members. We aim to share relevant trends and innovations in our industry and provide a platform for our members to showcase the best of their airports. It is also a chance for us to update you about our activities. This is why I sat down with the magazine editor, Joe Bates, to share a little more about myself and what attracted me to this dynamic and exciting region. You can read the Q&A article on page 24. The new decade is starting off with some big challenges for our industry. Please know that you can count on us to be the voice of the region’s airports in this extraordinary time. Ciao!
Stefano
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ASIA-PACIFIC’S ASQ CHAMPIONS
BodyDXB copy RETAINS STATUS AS WORLD’S BUSIEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Dubai International Airport (DXB) handled 86.4 million passengers in 2019 to retain its status as the world's busiest international airport. The total secured its sixth successive year as the world's busiest international gateway, ahead of long-time record holder London Heathrow, which handled 76 million passengers on international flights in 2019 as it welcomed a record 80.9 million passengers. DXB operator, Dubai Airports, is quick to point out that 2019 was an "exceptional" year in terms of customer service with shorter wait times, record-breaking baggage performance and new retail and food and beverage offerings. There is, however, no disguising the fact that DXB's 2019 total of 86.3 million is actually 3% down on 2018, the airport attributing the downturn to "a series of challenges throughout the year”. Expressing satisfaction with DXB’s performance in 2019, Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, noted: “While customer numbers in 2019 were lower than the preceding year, the impact of the 45-day closure of the runway, the bankruptcy of Jet Airways, as well as the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max accounted for an estimated 3.2 million passengers over the course of the year, and indicate underlying growth at DXB.” APA Issue 1, 2020
Asia-Pacific airports have once again excelled in ACI’s annual Airport Service Quality (ASQ) customer excellence awards, enjoying a clean sweep in all the global categories in the 2019 Departures Survey while BengaluruKempegowda once again won the Best Airport Experience in Arrivals Award. Mumbai–Chhatrapati Shivaji, Delhi–Indira Gandhi, Shanghai Pudong and Singapore Changi shared top spot in Asia-Pacific’s Best Airport by Size and Region category for airports handling over 40mppa. Changi also triumphed in the Over 40mppa category in the global ‘Best Environment & Ambience’ and ‘Best Customer Service by Size’ sections, although both times it had to share the honour with Chongqing Jiangbei. Multi-award winning Changi also won the Over 40mppa prize in the global ‘Best Infrastructure and Facilities by Size’ category alongside Beijing Capital International Airport. “Our region is proud to boast the largest group of winners in the Airport Service Quality Awards. It reflects the region’s dedication to consistently striving to raise the bar in customer service excellence,” enthuses ACI Asia-Pacific director general, Stefano Baronci. “The awards this year have been won by a diverse group of airports, small and large, with enduring leaders and airports that are upping their game.” The awards recognise the airports around the world that deliver the best customer experience in the opinion of their own passengers. This year, 140 awards have been won by 84 individual airports. Visit https://bit.ly/3a99CkR to view a full list of 2019’s ASQ winners.
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MULTI-YEAR PROJECT TO EXPAND AND UPGRADE SINGAPORE CHANGI’S TERMINAL 2 Work has begun on the expansion and renovation of Singapore Changi's Terminal 2 as operator, Changi Airport Group (CAG) strives to make the airport bigger and better to cope with growing demand. The work marks the beginning of a multiyear expansion project which will increase T2’s handling capacity, as well as replace facilities and amenities which are nearing the end of their shelf lives. CAG claims that the revamped terminal will significantly enhance the experience of travellers visiting or stopping over in Singapore by incorporating more greenery, self-service travel options and wider shopping and dining choices. It will add 15,500sqm to the terminal building and allow Changi to handle an extra five million passengers yearly, raising the gateway's capacity to 90 million passengers
per annum when the works are completed around 2024. The refurbished T2 Departure Hall will feature a spacious common-use central Fast And Seamless Travel (FAST) zone, with more automated check-in kiosks and bag drop machines. Tan Lye Teck, CAG’s executive vice president of airport management, said: “The expansion and renovation works will rejuvenate T2, while the upgrades in the key operating infrastructure such as the baggage handling systems will enhance the terminal’s capacity and efficiency, allowing us to serve more airlines and passengers when the works are completed. “T2 will continue to operate and welcome passengers, even as we work to minimise disruption to operations and inconvenience to passengers and visitors.”
INNOVATION ON THE AGENDA AT ASTRA AEROLAB Newcastle Airport in Australia claims that the creation of the "world’s most uplifting defence and aerospace precinct", Astra Aerolab, has taken another significant step forward with the appointment of Daracon as lead contractor for the stage one civil works. Airport CEO, Dr Peter Cock, says the realisation of the globally significant hub will help position the region at the forefront of international innovation and high-end manufacturing. “I’m confident this development will become the pre-eminent space for innovation in aviation, defence and aerospace-related manufacturing, maintenance, research and education in Australia,” said Cock. He adds: “Wherever possible, construction material will be recycled. Ultimately, we’re aiming to achieve overall precinct sustainability accreditation with our design to create something truly remarkable.The A$19.8 million Astra Aerolab development is set to deliver 5,500 new jobs and greater global connectivity for the region." www.aci-apa.com
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BRISBANE’S NEW RUNWAY READY FOR TAKE-OFF Brisbane Airport (BNE) has announced that after eight years of construction its new A$1.1 billion parallel runway is all but complete and will open for business on July 12, 2020. Gert-Jan de Graaff, CEO of Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC), said the news was a significant milestone for BNE given the new runway has been part of long-term planning for more than forty years. “I am proud to have been part of an iconic project that will transform and provide unlimited opportunities for our city, region and state,” enthused de Graaff. “The new runway is so much more than asphalt; it is an enabler for growth across all facets, with an estimated 7,800 new jobs created by 2035 and an additional five billion dollars in annual economic benefit to the region. "We are seeing first-hand that the new runway is bringing more flights, destinations and choices for the travelling public, and this growth will only strengthen from July 12, 2020.”
NEW INDIAN GATEWAY Zurich Airport operator, Flughafen Zürich AG, was named as the preferred bidder for the concession to design, develop and operate India’s new Noida International Airport in late 2019 and is currently working on the formation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to carry out the project. The new greenfield airport will be located around 80 kilometres south of Delhi in Jewar, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, and is slated to open between 2023 and 2027. Zurich Airport has agreed a 40 year concession to operate the gateway, the first phase of which is expected to cost around $670 million. The new airport will initially be equipped to handle 12 million passengers per annum, but an ambitious development plan includes proposals to raise its capacity to 30mppa by 2032 and 50mppa by 2037. Talking about the appeal of the new Indian airport, Flughafen Zürich AG’s chief financial officer, Lukas Brosi, enthuses: “Noida International Airport will be strategically located between Delhi and Agra, close to the fast-developing Noida and greater Noida area. If we look at large metropolitan areas worldwide, we find that second airports become viable once the primary airport reaches a certain hurdle in terms of passengers. “We believe that Noida International Airport will complement and work in harmony with Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, and look forward to close collaboration with it in the future.” He notes that Zurich Airport’s previous experience in India, where it was part of the consortium that successfully built and operated Bengaluru’s own greenfield airport before selling its stake in 2017, proves that it is more than qualified to take on the challenge of Noida International Airport. APA Issue 1, 2020
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Regional update The latest news from communications manager, Samantha Solomon, includes an update on ACI Asia-Pacific’s advocacy efforts, new dates for postponed events and a growing list of World Business Partners.
ACI EVENTS RESCHEDULED FOLLOWING CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK The organisers are pleased to announce that the ACI 12th Annual Airport Economics & Finance Conference and Exhibition and pre-conference ACI-World Bank Annual Aviation Symposium will now take place on September 22-24. The events will be hosted Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad and the event venue, the EQ in Kuala Lumpur, remains unchanged. The 15th ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Conference & Exhibition has also been rescheduled to September 15-17, 2020. It will take place at the original location of Nara, Japan, with the support of host Kansai Airports. The events were postponed due to travel restrictions and reduced connectivity as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, and the priority of the organisers to protect the health and wellbeing of delegates, speakers, exhibitors and team members. ACI Asia-Pacific is deeply appreciative of the support it has received in making the difficult decisions to postpone these events. Asia-Pacific and Middle East airport revenues have been under tremendous APA Issue 1, 2020
pressure amidst the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. As a result of travel bans and direct flight cancellations in response to the outbreak, passenger traffic has dropped severely and substantially decreased air connectivity. Highlighting one aspect of the impact, ACI Asia-Pacific director general, Stefano Baronci, said: “Many of the hub airports in the Asia-Pacific region are heavily reliant on non-aeronautical revenues, sometimes referred to as commercial revenues. “These revenues are derived from rental income, car parking and concessions such as duty free. On average, Asia-Pacific airports derive as much as 45% of their revenues from non-aeronautical sources. For some hub airports in the region, non-aeronautical revenues are the principal revenue source. Unfortunately, these airports also find themselves in countries that are at the epicentre of the confirmed cases of the coronavirus."
ASIA-PACIFIC AIRPORTS MAGAZINE
2020
2020
September 15-17 ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Conference & Exhibition Nara, Japan
September 22-24 ACI 12th Annual Airport Economics & Finance Conference & Exhibition Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
ACI ASIA-PACIFIC BOARD PRESIDENT
Seow Hiang Lee* (Changi Airport Group Pte Ltd, Singapore)
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
Emmanuel Menanteau* (Cambodia Airports, Cambodia)
SECOND VICE PRESIDENTS
Kjeld Binger* (Airport International Group, Jordan) Fred Lam* (Airport Authority Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR)
SECRETARY-TREASURER
Sheikh Aimen bin Ahmed Al Hosni* (Oman Airports Management Company, Oman)
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad Abdul Majid** (GMR Airports Limited, India)
REGIONAL BOARD DIRECTORS
Mohamed Yousif Al-Binfalah (Bahrain Airport Company SPC, Bahrain) HE Ali Salim Al Midfa (Sharjah Airport Authority, UAE) Geoff Culbert* (Sydney Airport, Australia) Gert-Jan de Graaff (Brisbane Airport Corporation PTY Limited, Australia)
SGK Kishore (GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited, Hyderabad, India) Bon Hwan Koo (Incheon International Airport Corporation, South Korea) Xue Song Liu* (Beijing Capital International Airport Co Ltd, China) ACK Nair (Cochin International Airport Limited, India) Yun Qin (Shanghai Airport Authority, China) Nitinai Sirismatthakarn (Airports of Thailand, Thailand)
Chang-Wan Son (Korea Airports Corporation, South Korea) Akihiko Tamura (Narita International Airport Corporation, Japan) Bryan Thompson (Abu Dhabi Airports, UAE) Kejian Zhang (Guangdong Airport Authority, China)
REGIONAL BOARD DIRECTOR (WBP)
Greg Fordham (Airbiz Aviation Strategies Pty Ltd, Australia)
SPECIAL ADVISORS
Yoshiyuki Yamaya (Kansai Airports, Japan)
Faiz Khan (Fiji Airports, Fiji) * WGB member **Regional Advisor on WGB
The ACI Asia-Pacific region represents 113 members operating 602 airports in 49 countries and territories in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. www.aci-apa.com
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SECTION ACI ASIA-PACIFIC TITLE NEWS INDIAN ADVOCACY EFFORTS LEAD TO SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME ACI Asia-Pacific was recently successful in its efforts to prevent the potential halving of the personal allowance for duty free liquor and cigarettes in India. In response to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry proposal to reduce people’s personal allowance, ACI Asia-Pacific sent a letter to the Indian government urging it to maintain the existing duty free allowance of two litres of liquor and one carton of cigarettes per passenger. In the letter to the Minister of Civil Aviation, ACI Asia-Pacific called on the government to reject the proposal, calling it inconsistent with the government’s efforts to incentivise private capital in the public sector, and suggesting that it would damage the growth trajectory of Indian airports and duty free providers. The letter was swiftly followed up by a press release which was widely reported in the Indian media. “We urge the authorities to reject this proposal. Duty free operators must be able to count on the expansion of airport APA Issue 1, 2020
infrastructure along with new retail space and a regulatory framework that incentivises the market to grow,” said ACI Asia-Pacific’s director general, Stefano Baronci, in the press release. “Unfortunately, the Ministry’s proposal will limit this objective if airports cannot generate non-aeronautical revenues to cover aeronautical cost.” Indian airports have tremendous growth potential in terms of duty free and travel retail. Wine and spirits are the top duty free segment in India. According to ACI’s 2018 World Air Traffic Report, passenger traffic in India will grow by around 6% annually until 2040. Within an unconstrained scenario, it is forecasted that the spending in duty free and travel retail will grow 20% to $2.1 billion in 2022, according to InterVISTAS analysis. In the Union Budget of India for 2020– 2021 presented shortly after ACI Asia-Pacific advocacy efforts, the Finance Minister left the current allowances in place and it is hoped that this situation remains the same for the foreseeable future.
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ACI Asia-Pacific’s World Business Partner (WBP) family has grown with a number of industry leading companies recently becoming members. Drone security technology company, DroneShield Limited, has locations in Sydney (Australia), Virginia and Washington DC (USA) and London (UK). In response to the growing use of consumer drones for unethical purposes, and the resulting need for effective counter measures to drone intrusions, DroneShield designs detection and disruption systems that use specialised technology to achieve high levels of precision and sensitivity. The company has developed pre-eminent drone security solutions that protect people, organisations, critical infrastructures and airports from drone intrusions. Oshkosh Corporation is a Fortune 500 company with manufacturing operations on four continents. The Fire & Emergency segment of the company is a single-source designer and manufacturer of a broad range of fire apparatus, homeland security vehicles, mobile command,
communications vehicles, and airport rescue firefighting vehicles under the Oshkosh, Pierce, and Frontline brands. The regional sales and service office, located in Singapore, covers the Asia-Pacific region (excluding China). Founded in Germany in 1947, Wanzl offers over 100,000 products, solutions and innovations for airports, retail systems, and logistics industries, among other business areas. At airports, Wanzl is best known for its baggage trolley management solutions. Through its extensive international expertise in hardware (up-to-date products) and services (trolley management, valet parking, porter services, UM, etc), Wanzl can assume responsibility for all baggage trolley logistics including cash management, staffing and even marketing of advertising space. In fact, the chances are your airport is already using some of Wanzl’s products!
MODERATE TRAFFIC GROWTH IN 2019 Preliminary traffic data for last year shows that Asia-Pacific recorded a 3% increase in passenger numbers in 2019, which although still positive, was less than half of the 8.1% growth rate in 2018. Growth in the Middle East was +3.3%, showing a +0.7% improvement from 2018. The performance of both regions was below the average growth of the past five years. “Both Asia-Pacific and the Middle East have experienced significant growth over the last five years,” comments ACI Asia-Pacific director general, Stefano Baronci. “The 2019 traffic results indicate a growth contraction. This confirm the concerns related to the negative impact of the US/China trade war, which were boosted by commercial measures that frustrated the economic and social progress of the region”. www.aci-apa.com
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NEW WORLD BUSINESS PARTNERS
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SECTION ACI ASIA-PACIFIC TITLE NEWS YANGON (YIA) COMPLETES GLOBAL SAFETY NETWORK DIPLOMA PROGRAMME
In a ceremony held in early February, the operator of Yangon International Airport (YIA), Yangon Aerodrome Company Limited (YACL), awarded 11 of its personnel Gold and Silver diplomas for successfully completing ACI’s Global Safety Network Diploma Programme. Attending on behalf of ACI World, the Regional Office’s SL Wong, head of technical affairs, safety, capacity and ATM, presented the diplomas to the graduates. Also present was Punya Shakya, ICAO’s regional officer for aerodromes and ground aids. Wong said: "Safety through the Global Safety Network Programme represents the ethos of what we are collectively trying to accomplish: a sustainable airport industry, led by a generation of innovating airport professionals. “I'd like to thank YACL for enhancing operational safety and efficiency at Yangon International Airport. We look forward to your APA Issue 1, 2020
continued dedication, and to collaborating with you and other members in the region. Together, we can meet the ICAO global aviation safety plan objectives and contribute to a safe and efficient air travel system." The 11 YACL staff to receive diplomas work in the company’s Operations Department – Safety, Airside Operations, and E&M, six of whom received Gold Diplomas, while five received Silver Diplomas. YACL CEO, Ho Chee Tong, said: “Passengers and airline partners in YIA can expect a marked improvement in operational safety and efficiency as we complement our current knowledge and practices in operations systems with the skills acquired from the programme. “This is part of YACL’s continuous training programme to equip our colleagues for the future development of YIA.”
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SPONSORED ADVERTORIAL
Creating a traveler-centric airport experience Sarah Samuel, Head of Airport IT APAC, Amadeus From mobile check-in to self-service automation to pay-for fast track services, technology, over the last decade has fundamentally changed how passengers interact with airports. Despite these advancements, passengers are still, for the most part, treated uniformly when they reach an airport terminal, no matter who they are, and what their needs may be. However, this is changing as passengers, accustomed to the personalization of modern digital services, push for more intuitive experiences and more traveler-centric journeys. Evolving to meet specific passenger needs Compare the needs of a solo business traveler who travels frequently with those of a large family traveling for leisure. The former may prefer a highly automated self-service experience. Whereas the latter would likely choose a more traditional full-service journey with agent-assistance at check-in. In an environment where passenger demands can differ this greatly, it’s easy to understand why airports are investing in flexible technology to meet the needs of both. For example, Hong Kong International Airport partnered with Amadeus to develop the iCUSS mobile check-in kiosk. Featuring both a self-service and full-service mode, using the kiosk, HKIA can now offer both an automated and full agentassisted experience from the same hardware footprint, with switching between the two able to take place on the fly. Meanwhile, in Singapore, Changi Airport has deployed Hybrid Auto Bag Drop (ABD) units from ICM Airport Technics, an Amadeus Company. These units can operate in either a self-service or conventional agent mode, enabling the airport to tailor the experience to different passengers, from the same hardware. They also leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to ensure whatever the bag, it can be analyzed successfully, whether it’s a business traveler’s luggage case or a young family’s stroller. The ABDs are trained on hundreds of thousands of data samples to analyze the enormous variations in baggage types. So, they can meet the needs of different passengers while ensuring all bags placed on the ABD are positioned correctly, are not over-sized, and do not have a non-compliant shape. Biometrics to enable fully automated experience Underlying this need for change is the harsh reality that many airports simply cannot expand physical capacity. They must automate and optimize to meet both increasing passenger demands and increasing passenger numbers. At Amadeus our biometric solutions draw on our unique position as a technology provider to the entire travel industry, to offer travelers the chance to biometrically enroll once, use everywhere. Soon, we expect passengers to be able to authenticate themselves using biometrics at check-in, bag-drop, security control, boarding and even the airport lounge using this solution. But why does this matter? Well, once we’ve worked with our airport customers to deliver a foundation of automation and flexibility, that allows for the mix of self-serve and agent-serve to be adjusted as needed, then the introduction of biometrics is one of the final elements to a fully automated experience right across the airport. This level of flexibility is essential, as passenger needs continue to evolve. For example, in Asia-Pacific, 59% of travel is now paid for using alternative methods of payments, such as e-wallets like WeChat Pay or Alipay. Airports need to be able to adapt quickly to ensure they can respond to and facilitate these new technologies and the associated changes in passenger expectations. This is an exciting shift in how airports handle passengers. Not only will it deliver better more traveler-centric journeys, but it also means airports can differentiate, serving passengers based on their exact needs. Transform your passenger experience with Amadeus. Contact airport@amadeus.com
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AIRPORT REPORT: GMR AIRPORTS LIMITED
Global ambitions
Asia-Pacific Airports turns the spotlight on the GMR Group and its airport assets in India and across the planet.
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hese are exciting times for India’s GMR group, which continues to develop and expand its airport network both at home and abroad and will shortly welcome a key new investment partner. On home turf in India, GMR Airports Ltd (GAL) operates the gateways of Hyderabad– Rajiv Gandhi and Delhi-Indira Gandhi, courtesy of 63% and 64% shareholdings respectively in operators GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL) and Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL). Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) is the busiest airport in India handling in excess of 70 million passengers annually, while HyderabadRajiv Gandhi (HYD) welcomed 21.4 million in its FY2019. In the global arena, in partnership with local company, Megawide Construction Corporation, GMR has a 25-year operating concession for Mactan-Cebu International Airport in the Philippines. And construction work has started on Crete’s new €850 million Kastelli Airport, which is being financed and built by the Ariadne Airport Group – a joint venture between GAL and Greek firm GEK-Terna – in exchange for a 35 year operating contract. Slated to open in 2024/25, it will APA Issue 1, 2020
replace Heraklion’s Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport. Back in India, wholly-owned subsidiary, GMR Goa International Airport Limited (GGIAL), has signed a 40-year concession agreement to build and operate Goa’s new Mopa International Airport, the first phase of which is expected to open in 2022. And its list of domestic airports in India is about to get even bigger after GHIAL signed a concession agreement with the Indian government to develop commercial operations at Bidar Airport. GHIAL has agreed to "commission, operationalise and maintain the civilian enclave at the Bidar Airport" in North Karnataka, which up until now has served purely as a military airfield. The deal, which falls under the government's Regional Connectivity – UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) Scheme, is expected to lead to the launch of a daily flight between Bidar and Bengaluru. GHIAL CEO and executive director – south for GMR Airports, SGK Kishore, says: “The operationalisation of Bidar Airport is a testimony to our commitment to support the Government of India’s flagship Regional Connectivity Scheme. "We are very pleased to partner with the Government of Karnataka to support efforts
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NEW SHAREHOLDER
GMR’s global airport ambitions and growth path trajectory will almost certainly be boosted by GMR Infrastructure’s decision to agree to sell a 49% stake in GAL to Groupe ADP for €1.36 billion. Groupe ADP is one of the world's biggest airport operators managing a portfolio of 24 airports across the globe, including Paris CDG in France, Queen Alia in Jordan, and Santiago’s Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Chile. The deal will be completed in two phases, with a 24.9% interest in GAL expected to be completed in Q1 followed by a second transaction for another 24.01% stake at a later date, subject to certain regulatory conditions.
According to both, the new partnership will be built on a two-way exchange of expertise, personnel, knowledge and market access. GAL states that the deal will "combine unmatched strengths in airport development and operations, offering the highest levels of passenger experience". It adds that the agreement will also open up new opportunities for route development and enhanced expertise in operations, retail, IT, innovation, engineering and other areas that will “immensely benefit” passengers and other stakeholders and set new "industrydefining benchmarks". Between them, GMR Airports Limited and Groupe ADP's airports handled 336.5 million passengers in 2019. GMR Group chairman, GM Rao, noted: “The partnership with Groupe ADP is in line with GMR’s business direction to become a global airport developer and operator. "We have been on a journey of defining airports of the future with a key focus on the passenger experience by leveraging enhanced technology and offering superior amenities. With Groupe ADP, GMR will have smoother access to global markets, opening up new avenues of business growth.” Once the deal is done, GAL will be jointly owned by GMR Infrastructure (51%) and Groupe ADP (49%).
A THING OF BEAUTY
One of GMR’s international assets, MactanCebu International Airport, recently won a prestigious award at the World Architecture Festival when its new Terminal 2 triumphed in the ‘Completed Buildings-Transport’ category. www.aci-apa.com
AIRPORT REPORT: GMR AIRPORTS LIMITED
for the all-round development of Bidar and its nearby regions, and we are confident that the start of commercial operations at Bidar will provide a boost to the local economy through better connectivity for the people of Bidar and the large number of tourists who visit the area.” Located in the north-eastern part of Karnataka state, Bidar city is the headquarters of the Bidar District and is home to some important religious shrines and historic monuments. And there’s more to come as the GMR Group has received a Letter of Intent to develop and operate Nagpur Airport on a PPP basis and has emerged as the highest bidder for the development and operation of a greenfield airport at Bhogapuram in Andhra Pradesh.
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AIRPORT REPORT: GMR AIRPORTS LIMITED
To put this in perspective, it beat off competition from Singapore Changi, Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Station and several other structures to win the accolade. Srinivas Bommidala, chairman of energy and international airports at the GMR Group and chairman of Mactan-Cebu operator, GMCAC, said: “The World Architecture award to resort-themed Terminal 2 is testimony to GMR Group’s credentials as a leading global airport developer and operator. “Due to its intelligent and aesthetically beautiful design with use of local materials, the terminal not just provides a memorable travel experience but has also touched the chords of local people making it an immensely popular tourist spot.” Described by judges as “simple and elegant”, arguably the terminal’s most striking feature is its arched wooden roof. It was designed by Hong Kong-based Integrated Design Associates along with local designers Budji Layug, Royal Pinda, and Cebu’s Kenneth Cobonpue.
CUSTOMER SERVICE CHAMPIONS
In addition to being one of India’s biggest gateways, Delhi-Indira Gandhi International is also among the most successful, in recent years, in ACI’s Airport Service Quality (ASQ) customer excellence awards. Indeed, in the 2019 ASQ Departures Awards, DEL jointly won Asia-Pacific’s Best Airport By Size and Region in the Over 40mppa category for the third year running while HYD triumphed in the 15-25mppa category for Asia-Pacific – sharing the honour with Bali-Ngurah Rai and Sanya Fenghua – and winning its first ever global ‘Best Environment & Ambience’ award for airports handling 15-25mppa. GHIAL’s Kishore said: “We feel honoured that our passengers have chosen us as the Best Airport in the annual ASQ survey 2019 conducted by ACI. This milestone echoes the rigour and teamwork of our stakeholders that include the Directorate APA Issue 1, 2020
General of Civil Aviation; Immigration; Customs; the airlines; our employees and all business partners/vendors, who all work towards the common goal of serving our customers. “We are also thankful to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for their support. This award is testimony of our tireless efforts to make our passenger experience the best and our pursuit towards excellence.”
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
DEL and HYD are also among the super six airports in the Asia-Pacific region to boast carbon neutral status in ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport achieved actually carbon neutral status in 2017 and has since gone on to win the ‘Gold’ award in 2018’s ACI AsiaPacific Green Airports Recognition initiative for airports handling less than 15 million passengers per annum. Kishore states that his gateway’s significant green achievements are the result of GHIAL's “sustained efforts towards the environment”. “These efforts include proactive energy conservation measures, generation of renewable energy (solar), carbon sinking through extensive greenbelt and various other environment protection measures, with the active support of the airport’s stakeholders,” he enthuses. DEL, which has utilised solar power since 2017 and whose recycling efforts have saved more than three billion litres of water over the last decade – recently announced that single-use plastic items such as water bottles, straws and coffee stirrers are no longer available at the airport. The Confederation of Indian Industry-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development (CII-ITC CESD), known for supporting business communities toward achieving sustainability, has certified DIAL for its voluntary and successful implementation of single-use plastic-free airport measures APA within DEL’s operations.
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INDUSTRY INTERVIEW
Up close and personal Get to know ACI Asia-Pacific’s new director general, Stefano Baronci, a little better in this Q&A with APA editor, Joe Bates. HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTO AVIATION?
I think, like many, I first got into aviation when I was kid as I fondly remember the excitement of going to Rome-Fiumicino Airport with my parents to pick up my uncle who was returning to Italy from the US. Discovering somewhere so full of people and aircraft made it a place of wonder to a small boy. When, years later, I completed my studies at the Law Faculty in Rome it was my natural inclination to specialise in air transport law, with research conducted at McGill University in Canada. I then decided to work at the European Commission as it provided me with the best opportunity for my career in aviation to take-off.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE?
I think I am inclusive, open and transparent and encourage people to take the initiative. I also believe in the importance of having clear ambitions and targets and a strategy to achieve them. In this respect, I like to set the direction and get everyone on the same page, so that everyone works to a common goal. I also appreciate feedback and believe that one of my strengths is my ability to listen and learn. APA Issue 1, 2020
WHAT WAS THE APPEAL OF THE TOP JOB AT ACI ASIA-PACIFIC?
Current circumstances may suggest otherwise, but the Asia-Pacific region – which, of course, for us includes the Middle East – is simply the place to be to experience dynamic growth and development and a glimpse of the future, as it will be aviation’s biggest market by 2035. To put that in perspective, ACI forecasts that almost 60% of the additional 12 billion passengers that will pass through the world’s airports between now and 2040 will be handled in our region. Indeed, eight out of the 10 fastest growing countries for passengers and six out of the 10 fastest growing markets for cargo are in Asia. This rapid growth across the region, coupled by increased competition, radically shifting technologies and emerging disruptive business models, represents a challenge for the development of Asian airports as well as a unique opportunity to define the future role of airports in the world. We must also not forget that business cycles are always exposed to exogenous risks, such as the current coronavirus outbreak, that has caused the postponement of ACI’s Airport Economics & Finance Conference in Kuala Lumpur and our annual
ASIA-PACIFIC AIRPORTS MAGAZINE
HOW WILL YOUR EXPERIENCE AT ACI EUROPE AND ACI WORLD HELP YOU IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE?
Our business is global, and the lessons I’ve learnt in Brussels and Montréal will certainly be useful for interpreting problems and identifying solutions. At ACI Europe, for example, participating in the often complex EU decision-making processes allowed me to build my advocacy skills. While the global exposure gained at ACI World, after previous important experiences at IATA and at the Association of Italian Airports, has allowed me to enhance my skillset to know how best to communicate, work and do business in different countries and cultural settings. I’m also sure that my global experience and the strong network of airport and industry contacts that I’ve managed to build up during my time with ACI Europe and ACI World can only serve to benefit the Asia-Pacific region in the years’ ahead.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES OF ASIA-PACIFIC?
The size and growing importance of the region meant that Asia-Pacific almost naturally became my first destination for business trips to meet policymakers and stakeholders during my time at ACI World. This exposure has given me a sense of the multiple opportunities that lie ahead, along with the particular challenges of this amazing and very diverse region.
WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN FOCUS AREAS THIS YEAR FOR ACI ASIA-PACIFIC AND WHY?
My main priority is to elevate the profile of our members and of ACI Asia-Pacific in the region and globally. We have many stories to tell, several problems to sort out and many dreams to make them come true.
IN WHAT AREAS HAVE ACI ASIA-PACIFIC’S AIRPORTS SHOWN LEADERSHIP AND, CONVERSELY, IN WHAT AREAS IS THERE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT?
Asia-Pacific’s airports are renowned for the quality of service they provide and are often seen as a benchmark for the rest of the world. Indeed, airports such as Delhi-Indira Gandhi, Singapore Changi and Incheon, to name but a few, excel in terms of the quality of the service they provide and often top ACI’s Airport Service Quality (ASQ) customer excellence rankings. In terms of what they can do better? I think there are several areas for improvement. If I had to pinpoint one, however, I would say that there is a tremendous need to tackle the capacity crunch, both in the sky and on the ground. Smarter slot allocation mechanisms, building new infrastructure and improving the co-operation with air navigation service providers is the way forward.
DO THE GROWING GLOBAL CONCERNS ABOUT THE DAMAGE AVIATION CAUSES TO THE PLANET POSE A VERY REAL THREAT TO THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY?
ACI and our member airports take our environmental responsibilities very seriously because we know that aviation’s sustainable development is effectively its licence to grow. As a result, over the course of the last decade, ACI Asia-Pacific airport members have proactively undertaken significant actions to reduce emissions from their operations. These include voluntarily participating in ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme, the global industry standard for airports, which as of January 2020, counted 54 airports from Asia-Pacific and the Middle East among the world’s 293 accredited airports. www.aci-apa.com
INDUSTRY INTERVIEW
Regional Assembly, Conference & Exhibition in Nara, Japan, and will heavily impact on the Q1 traffic figures.
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INDUSTRY INTERVIEW The 54, which between them collectively handle 37.7% of the region’s air passenger traffic, include six that have already reached carbon neutral status – BengaluruKempegowda, Delhi-Indira Gandhi, Hyderabad-Rajiv Gandhi, MumbaiChhatrapati Shivaji in India, Queen Alia in Jordan, and Sunshine Coast in Australia. Many airports have also implemented renewable energy initiatives such as green electricity purchase agreements, solar power and hydrogen power facilities. We are, however, aware that much more has to be done, because the challenge is tangible. The apparent trend of increasing investment in renewable energy facility installations is evidence of this. This is an area where ACI Asia-Pacific has a fundamental role to play to gather ideas, share best practices, provide guidance and tools, and set a vision with the adequate level of ambition. Rising sea levels, increasingly unpredictable weather patterns and the melting polar ice caps prove that climate change is real and it’s happening right now, and as you will be able to read on page 32 of this issue, an ever increasing number of airports across the world are at risk from flooding. APA Issue 1, 2020
In this regard, the Asia-Pacific region is not immune, and although the region’s biggest hubs and most affluent countries have the resources to invest in initiatives and sometimes expensive new infrastructure to try and adapt to the impact of climate change, the same cannot be said for many of the developing nations that are arguably at greater risk from extreme weather events. Around the world we are seeing states, like New Zealand, companies like Microsoft, and airports, too, moving towards net zero carbon pledges. It is an enviable ambition and one that I think the region should consider sometime in the future.
YOU SPEAK ENGLISH, FRENCH AND SPANISH. IS LEARNING CHINESE ON YOUR TO DO LIST THIS YEAR? Ah, the secret is out! I am attending Mandarin classes and the intention is to try and learn how to speak it as soon as possible, but please do not test me yet. I need more time. Perhaps in the next interview?
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SPECIAL REPORT: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Leading the way Across Asia-Pacific, airports are responding to increased passenger numbers and environmental pressures with innovative, efficient and sustainable terminal designs, writes David Coyne, head of aviation at design firm Benoy.
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sia-Pacific (APAC) is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world, with passenger numbers more than quadrupling over the last 15 years and both ACI and IATA forecasting that the region will account for more than half of new passenger traffic globally over the next two decades. Growth on this scale would place a major strain on the infrastructure and natural resources of any region in the world. But in Asia-Pacific, the potential impact is even greater as the region comprises diverse ecological areas and boasts a wealth of rich, but fragile natural habitats, including 17 of the world’s 36 recognised biodiversity hotspots. As such, infrastructure development in the region requires a delicate balancing of priorities and approach. In fact, how to manage industry growth responsibly, with due regard for the environment and local communities, is a major challenge facing APAC’s airlines and airports alike. Airlines, naturally, are focusing their attention on the skies, exploring options APA Issue 1, 2020
such as electric aircraft, alternative flight paths, aviation biofuels and hybrids – the benefits of which won’t be felt for many years. Airports, meanwhile, are responding with more immediate, on-the-ground solutions. From Hong Kong and Singapore to Indonesia and South Korea, innovative new terminal buildings are driving progress in operational efficiency, natural resource conservation, passenger experience and social responsibility. In doing so, these airports are setting new standards in sustainable airport design – not only for Asia Pacific, but for the rest of the world as well.
IMPROVING PERFORMANCE AND PERCEPTION
With air travel accounting for over 2% of global CO2 emissions, the aviation industry is coming under increasing public scrutiny and pressure to improve its environmental performance. To reduce these impacts, the industry has committed to carbon-neutral growth from 2020 onwards and aims to cut CO2 emissions to half 2005 levels
ASIA-PACIFIC AIRPORTS MAGAZINE
AIRPORT EFFICIENCY AND VIBRANCY
“As the first and last touchpoints for visitors to our city, HKIA is a reflection of Hong Kong people’s values, where the airport’s efficiency and vibrancy is a great source of pride for Hong Kong and its people,” says Airport Authority Hong Kong CEO, Fred Lam. Looking to evolve from a ‘city airport’ to an ‘airport city’, HKIA is currently expanding to meet regional demand, with the goal of handling 100 million passengers and nine million tonnes of cargo a year by 2030. At the same time, the airport authorities have pledged to make HKIA the world’s “greenest airport”. Benoy has worked as design consultant on HKIA’s new Terminal 1 Annex since 2015. The team’s task has been to integrate new design and facilities that will enable capacity expansion, while supporting HKIA’s sustainability initiatives and targets.
The airport’s commitments include recent compliance with ISO 14001, the internationally recognised environmental performance standard, and a major acceleration in waste reduction. Waste is one of Hong Kong’s most urgent environmental issues, and by 2021 HKIA aims to reduce, recycle or recover 50% of the waste it generates. Keen to decouple business growth from greenhouse gas emissions, HKIA also runs a carbon reduction programme, recently achieving a 5.7% reduction in airport-wide carbon intensity (against 2015 levels). Throughout, the airport has focused on improving energy performance by switching 100,000 light fixtures to LEDs, installing a cloud-based building analytics system, and replacing chillers and pump sets with more efficient models. Other efficiency schemes, embedded in Benoy’s Annex design, include multiple skylights for natural daylight and static smoke extraction; waste-water recovery technology; and facilities for electric vehicles in airside areas. And as the airport looks ahead to its Three-runway System (3RS) project, conservation measures are being devised to safeguard local wildlife. In particular, HKIA has pledged to protect the Chinese white dolphins in the surrounding estuary via dedicated ‘exclusion zones’.
SINGAPORE’S SPARKLING INNOVATIONS
Singapore Changi Airport is one of the region’s leading promotors of sustainability initiatives. Terminal 4, opened in 2018, and the landmark international attraction Jewel, opened last year, have pushed the boundaries of green and experiential airport design. Since opening, T4 has won a Prix Versailles and Singapore Good Design Mark, and a Green Mark Gold Plus award for environmental performance. It’s also received multiple five-star ratings from Skytrax, while Changi Airport overall has been rated Skytrax World’s Best Airport for seven years running. www.aci-apa.com
SPECIAL REPORT: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
by 2050. In support of these goals, mandatory emissions reporting was introduced in January 2019 under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). Efforts to achieve airport sustainability have also been underway for some time. In 2007, the global airport industry made commitments to reduce its carbon emissions at the ACI World Annual Assembly, Conference & Exhibition. And nine years later, at the Airports Going Green conference in Amsterdam, airports from all over the world signed the Airports Sustainability Declaration. As these co-ordinated initiatives acknowledge, airports have a vital role to play as aviation’s main public interface, with the potential to enhance the sustainability performance and perception of the industry. In the same way, they also help to reinforce local brand values, credentials and identity – something Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has been quick to grasp.
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SPECIAL REPORT: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
As Concept Design Architect and Interior Designer for T4, Benoy helped to reimagine the boundaries between the airport and its city context. Livable space is a key theme, with passengers enjoying dynamic interiors, artwork, interactive exhibits, street cuisine and retail. The design also integrates Singapore’s garden landscape, featuring a green wall and over 500,000 plants to create a sense of wellbeing and calm. Transparency and openness are key contributors to T4’s sustainability performance. Pervasive natural light and glass atria help to increase visibility and sightlines, while LEDs optimise energy efficiency and reduce operational costs, in line with benchmarks agreed with the Singapore Green Building Council. Materials are locally sourced and recycled, although large structural spans minimise the overall amount of material used. Water management, meanwhile, includes the recycling of condensate water for irrigation. Automation is another key element, with innovative Fast and Seamless Travel (FAST) initiatives, automated check-in, bag-drop, boarding and biometrics enabling smooth and efficient passenger flows. In fact, T4 is a test case for airport automation, leading in principle to reduced workforce requirements and associated volume. Changi Jewel further enforces Changi’s green credentials through the extensive use of natural light, unparalleled biophilia, and innovative engineering. Designed by Safdie Architects, with interior design, retail and aviation facility planning by Benoy, Jewel comprises APA Issue 1, 2020
137,000sqm of retail, F&B and leisure space. Its key features include a live rain forest, canopy park, and the world’s largest indoor waterfall. Delighting passengers and tourists alike, Jewel’s design, like T4’s, has received industry awards and plaudits. Notably, Jewel’s chiller plant efficiency scheme, which is targeting operating efficiency of 0.56 kW/tonne, has been awarded Singapore’s prestigious Green Mark sustainability standard. Above all, Jewel and T4 offer a wholly unique passenger experience, which is where Benoy believes it can make the biggest contribution to airport sustainability. Because sustainability isn’t just about environmentally friendly methods and materials. It’s also about creating a sense place and belonging. It’s about providing a comfortable, convenient and stress-free environment, enabling passengers to relax and enjoy a seamless connection with the surrounding urban environment. Employing a design ethos called ‘Airports for People’, Benoy takes an experience-led approach which puts the passenger at the heart of all planning and development. The aim is to optimise airport capacity, enable ease of access and wayfinding, and increase commercial revenue, leading to long-term operational and economic value. Because only through people-centric designs can airports provide a truly enjoyable and livable experience. An experience which, as HKIA, Changi T4 and Jewel demonstrate, points the way to a more sustainable future APA for airports in Asia-Pacific and beyond.
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Don Mueang Airport – Water world: Don Mueang Airport pictured during the 2011 Bangkok floods.
SPECIAL REPORT: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Flood warning! Vivek Sindhamani and Peter Vorage discuss the growing threat of flooding to airports and how some of the region’s major hubs are planning ahead to increase their resilience to rising water levels.
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uring the past five years, over twenty major, and many more small-island airports, have flooded due to extreme rainfall events or storm surges in combination with a rise in sea levels. The list includes Chennai International Airport in India in 2015; Japan’s Kansai International Airport as a result of Typhoon Jebi in 2018; Cochin Airport in India which was left partly submerged after severe rainfall in Kerala in 2019; and Grand Bahama International Airport in the Bahamas, closed in the wake of Hurricane Dorian the same year. APA Issue 1, 2020
These events are just the tip of the (melting) iceberg as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted a continued increase of sea levels and occurrences of erratic rainfall events. Many ACI member-airports were constructed in coastal or river floodplain areas since these were the only large, flat surfaces available for safe aircraft operations. This situation has become increasingly critical due to increased urbanisation in these airports’ surrounding areas. This, in turn, has reduced natural water buffering
ASIA-PACIFIC AIRPORTS MAGAZINE
DISRUPTION TO AIRPORT OPERATIONS
In 2011, extreme rainfall caused Bangkok’s main river to flood a large part of the city, including Don Mueang International Airport. The resulting effects were so severe that it took a year to carry out the extensive repair work required and replace damaged electrical and IT systems. During this period, all flights had to be diverted to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi. This is a prime example of what the finance and insurance sector term the physical risk of climate change. Other examples may be found following the aftermath of hurricanes such as Katrina in New Orleans and Sandy in New York in 2012, where flooding at regional airports meant that disaster relief teams had to use alternative airports and travel by road to reach disaster-hit areas. You might think that the enormous potential cost and operational disruption would lead authorities to ensure their airports are well defended. Sadly, in our experience, this is not the case. Today, the average airport is built on legacy infrastructure with gradual expansion cycles. In most cases, drainage systems were not designed to cope with the increase in extreme rainfall intensities that have occurred, and are expected to continue, so the threat of extreme weather events poses a very real concern. The United Arab Emirates, for instance, has swiftly refocused its attention on the potential of flooding after the downpour and floods of 2019. The situation becomes more acute when the airport is located in a heavily urbanised area, floodplain or reclaimed land.
SOCIETAL DISRUPTION
The closure of any airport can have a considerable economic, operational and, indeed, reputational impact on the city, region and even country it serves as when an international airport is inaccessible, the country it is located in along with its services are similarly affected. While a storm may pass within a few hours, it can take several weeks, months or longer to rebuild and resume normal operations. And in cases like these, it is not just reputations that are at risk, but business itself. Talking to The Guardian newspaper in October 2019, former Bank of England governor, Mark Carney, noted that ‘Firms ignoring climate crisis will go bankrupt,” either because their insurers will refuse to cover their asset(s) if they are clearly at risk, or through being punished by investors for not moving towards zero carbon emissions and thus ending up going bankrupt; so called ‘transitional risk’. The insurance sector is no less vocal about this. The International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) published a 2018 Issues Paper on Climate Change Risks to the Insurance Sector and AXA Insurance’s CEO, Thomas Buberl, has even warned that more than four degrees Celsius of warming this century would make the world “uninsurable”. The closure of airports, of course, has a wider societal impact than the loss of a single business. For example, when Fiji’s main airport was closed due to flooding in 2012 following Cyclone Evan, it sent shockwaves through the country’s tourism industry and precipitated a major review of the airport’s business continuity plans. During floods, airports can be a necessary lifeline for evacuations and the supply of relief goods; a key link in the chain of disaster response for cities and islands. So, being able to operate during extreme weather events, is not only important, it is essential. Worth noting here is the fact that often it is not the extreme climate event itself that hurts the tourism industry, but an evident lack of preparedness to deal with such an occurrence. www.aci-apa.com
SPECIAL REPORT: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
putting airport flood resilience under further pressure. As a result, airports are now uniquely vulnerable to the increasing effects of climate change, and to flooding in particular.
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SPECIAL REPORT: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
This, in turn, can hurt the reliable image some countries require to be seen as a major tourism destination.
BUSINESS CONTINUITY
Several airport hubs have recognised the need for action and are now taking important steps to plan ahead and increase their resilience to this threat. In recent years, airport planner, NACO, has worked closely with clients and their stakeholders at Amsterdam Schiphol in the Netherlands, Singapore Changi in Singapore and Kansai International Airport in Japan to identify in detail how climate change could impact on their respective assets and operations by carrying out scenario-based risk assessments and mapping potential vulnerabilities. We have been actively involved in capturing the learnings from these projects in several papers and reports outlining how airports can take key steps towards resilience. These have included ‘Preparing Singapore Changi Airport for the effects of climate change’ in the Journal of Airport Management and The Water Vision Schiphol 2030, developed by Nanco Dolman, which was recognised and included in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Private Sector Initiative data-base of adaptation actions. Similarly, our client, Sebastien Lacoin, wrote about the learnings from the Kansai Airport flood in his article ‘Climate Change Resilience Strategy – Redefining Flood Protection At Kansai International Airport’, published in ICAO’s Environmental Report of 2019. APA Issue 1, 2020
Benefits of planning ahead • Less costly • Less disruptive to ongoing operations • More time available to align stakeholders • Opportunity to spread costs
In other areas, Hong Kong International Airport is also leading the way in terms of involving financial and insurance stakeholders in the airport resilience debate, led by the Task Force on Climate Funding Disclosure (TFCD). The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Airport Council International (ACI) both play vital roles here. While ICAO sets the standards for future airport sustainability and resilience, ACI facilitates the process of changing and developing new standards using the types of valuable experience gained by member airports, as described previously. One of the drivers behind the recent airport activity may be that they have come to realise that the potential cost of inaction is currently estimated to be four times the cost of action. Being proactive and thinking ahead might also help ensure the sustainable future of their airports.
About the authors Vivek Sindhamani and Peter Vorage work for airport planning and design firm, NACO, and have extensive experience of the potential impact of climate change on airport infrastructure and operations.
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SPECIAL REPORT: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Neighbourhood watch Airports across the world are actively working to reduce their noise footprint and engaging with their communities to create environmental capacity, writes Envirosuite’s senior aviation specialist, Matt Mills-Brooks.
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here are two types of constraints on airport growth, physical capacity, which relates to the limits imposed by the runway, terminal, security or in the case of London Heathrow even the tunnel that provides access to Terminals 2 and 3. And, environmental capacity, which relates to the local community’s acceptance of the airport’s current operation, growth or expansion plans and the resulting impact on where they live. Environmental capacity exists at almost every airport around the world, but the limit imposed by it varies. APA Issue 1, 2020
Whilst the physical capacity is known, it can be measured and addressed through the master planning process, environmental capacity is different. It is difficult to measure community acceptance, and, it can vary over time, on occasions changing quickly following high publicity. This presents a unique risk to airports as airspace differs from other forms of transport as it is not a physical asset, which has to be dismantled to remove, and as a result, restrictions can be imposed quickly. Once implemented these are almost impossible to remove. Sydney is a good example where the curfew restrictions
ASIA-PACIFIC AIRPORTS MAGAZINE
www.aci-apa.com
SPECIAL REPORT: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
initially imposed following the opening of the third runway remain in place despite suggestions to remove them, even from parts of the Federal Government. To manage this unique risk, the process of noise management has evolved over the years, broadly following the ICAO balanced approach. At the same time airports have invested heavily in community engagement to build understanding and acceptance of noise. Over the last 50 years the net result is airports seeing large reductions in the size of noise contours, despite the industry now being over 10 times larger. However, whilst these programmes have delivered reductions, we are now seeing a disconnect. Reducing noise is not resulting in an increase in community acceptance and thus environmental capacity. Michael Huerta, the previous administrator of the US’s Federal Aviation Administration, noted that “annoyance is now at the levels that they were in the early 1970s, when aircraft were a lot louder and the impacts were much more widespread”. Research studies are noting the same trend – we are becoming more sensitive to aviation noise. And although noise is a
common complaint, non-acoustic factors are important and can account for around 80% of the overall annoyance. Internationally, airports have already experienced reducing environmental capacity and in response have sought to adapt and evolve. Most of the adaptation has occurred across Europe and the Americas where environmental capacity is particularly challenging. In the Asia-Pacific region environmental capacity is not acute, however, challenges in accessing information and data in the public domain may drive this conclusion. Despite this, there are airports which are adapting. Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, for example, is reviewing how it reports and manages aircraft noise. Incheon Airport compliments its noise insulation and air conditioning installation programme with a specific non-acoustic programme. It includes investing in the local community through educational programmes, senior citizen support and job creation. All aiming to address nonacoustic factors by positioning the airport as a good neighbour. Taoyuan International Airport has also sought to be a good neighbour and, since 2018, has paid compensation to local residents affected by noise, with the fund generated by fees levied on airlines with those operating noisier aircraft paying more. Brisbane Airport’s strategy to help deliver its soon to open second runway was to use a combination of a mobile community information centre – that attended regular events and could be requested to attend community events – and a new web-based tool that shows current and future flight paths alongside noise data. Both allowed it to minimise engagement barriers, share data in a transparent way, and engage with a wider demographic.
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SPECIAL REPORT: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Despite the current market conditions, long-term growth is predicted in the Asia-Pacific region and, as developments continue, environmental capacity concerns are starting to emerge and these could grow, potentially quickly. In preparation, best practice implemented at the international airports experiencing environmental capacity constraints could be explored. At London Gatwick, a new independent engagement board was implemented. It took collaboration to a new level, involving local community stakeholders directly at the heart of the noise reduction in some of the busiest airspace in the world. Whilst the board at Gatwick is a good example of collaborative working with the community, it has arguably faced the common challenge of any engagement activity. Which is being able to involve a sufficiently broad spectrum of the local community. Especially important when considering non-acoustic factors which can be driven by a wide range of socio-economic factors within the local community. Toronto Pearson explored an interesting solution using a citizens refence panel, formed by randomly selecting individuals who had expressed an interest in joining the board, but in such a way that the local demographics and areas impacted by aircraft noise were represented. APA Issue 1, 2020
The panel was provided with a basic introduction to the airport, regulations and best practice. It heard from community groups, elected officials and industry stakeholders to identify recommendations for sustainable growth for the airport and region. The process empowered the local community. London Heathrow, like Brisbane, sought to minimise engagement barriers, and by using new technology, the airport sought to provide tailored information about their expansion plans using a resident’s location. A simple, but very powerful idea. Prior to this, in order to determine how the change may have impacted a location, the resident would need to visit a consultation event and/or review a large document. Whilst the current legal appeal raises uncertainty, the tailoring approach was an interesting solution and certainly one to watch closely. In summary, environmental capacity will remain difficult to measure. But solutions are being explored, and even if it is too early to understand if these programmes are delivering effective results, they are the first step to managing environmental capacity. The Asia-Pacific region is now actively considering emerging best practice in preparation for environmental capacity constraints that are emerging as the region develops. This is especially important as the market expands and airports seek to increase physical capacity to meet the APA growth in demand.
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SPECIAL REPORT: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Aviation’s challenge Leonie Dobbie, aviation consultancy company WSP's strategic aviation advisor, considers the benefits of embedding sustainability action into airport decision-making.
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rom the 1991 Earth Summit in Rio to the 2015 Paris Agreement, policymakers have attempted to come to grips with the science and political-economic implications of climate change. Achieving the Paris Agreement goals requires that we hold the increase in global average temperature to below 2ºC above pre-industrial levels (and that we pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5ºC). To do so, net emissions must ultimately be reduced to zero. APA Issue 1, 2020
Current levels of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions suggest a possible rise in temperature to above 3ºC this century, thus exceeding the goals envisioned by the Paris Agreement. Physical manifestations of climate change through extreme weather events (such as flooding, hurricanes and wildfires) are more commonplace. Representing about 2.5% of global GHG emissions, aviation is on course to become responsible for 20% or more of global emissions – a growth trajectory incompatible with targets to reduce GHG emissions.
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Without doubt, Airport Carbon Accreditation has been hugely successful in reducing airports’ historical CO2 emissions. In the last reporting year (2018-2019), the then 54 accredited airports in Asia-Pacific reduced their Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 15,164 tonnes. Per-passenger emissions declined to 2.51 kilogrammes of CO2 compared to the three-year rolling average, which represents the standard baseline of the programme to ensure unbiased assessments. Globally, the 274 airports then in the programme achieved a reduction of 322,297 tonnes of CO2 – equivalent to the amount of CO2 absorbed by planting seven and a half million trees in 10 years. But if airport actions are to be recognised as fully sustainable, and deliver net zero, they must now undertake the monumental task of addressing their future GHG emissions. The solutions identified and deployed so far do not go far enough or fast enough to deliver on this goal. To do so, airports need: • Every single affordable low carbon/ clean energy technology that is possible to use – because growth is not being offset by technological means or energy efficiencies. • To reduce the carbon impact of putting new buildings and infrastructure in place – because the carbon embodied in construction and renovation is a highly significant part of the carbon impact of an airport and can be reduced. • A broader uptake of all airport emission sources and potential abatement strategies – not merely operational ones – because airports cannot be disassociated from the carbon impact of aircraft emissions in flight. This means reducing emissions beyond their direct control. • Responsible Investment which reflects the United Nations Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) principles – because www.aci-apa.com
SPECIAL REPORT: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
In this scenario, it would be a moot point whether aviation can abate its GHG emissions; this reality would challenge aviation’s role in the global economy and our general way of life. In a world becoming carbon-constrained and climate-damaged, airports have many hurdles to overcome before they can fully embed sustainability into a low/zero carbon future. Whilst sustainability as a goal is more material to the airport industry today than say a decade ago, airports are not routinely adopting sustainability as their bottom-line core conviction. Presently, airport sustainability action is not necessarily embedded into strategic decision-making. As ACI World director general, Angela Gittens, has pertinently observed: “We must renew our dedication to sustainability”. Airports were amongst the first aviation sectors to put in place the only voluntary global programme for the decarbonisation of airport operations, Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA). This programme provides a progressive path towards better carbon management. Asia-Pacific airports were early adopters of the programme, signing up in 2011, and continue to progress climate action in the region. Currently, seven airports in the region have a public environmental policy and have initiated carbon mapping action; 21 have actively set carbon emissions reduction targets and actively reduced the CO2 emissions under their operational control; 22 airports have reduced their CO2 emissions and engaged their airport partners to do so; and six have attained the most advanced programme level by reducing their emissions as much as possible and offsetting their residual emissions through certified offsets. These 56 airports account for around 40% of Asia-Pacific’s passenger traffic and 20% of all accredited airports in the programme.
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SPECIAL REPORT: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
How airports embed sustainable action into their decision-making Business & Management
Energy & Electrification
Carbon Emissions
Consumption & Waste
Air traffic management (atm) to reduce time and fuel consumption
Producing renewable energy at the airport
Airport carbon accreditation
Closed loop supply chain – design, control & operation of systems that create value through the lifecycle of airport supplies
Adoption of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria into their sustainability policies
Co-generation plants – supplying energy by electrical and thermal means
Ground Operations Servicing – single engine or electrical power vehicles, APU limits. Providing 400 Hz power for parked aircraft
Generating, separating and processing at waste sources. Waste collection, transfer, transport, processing and disposal
Sustainable building certifications standards that certify the sustainability of buildings and construction – e.g. BREEAM, LEED
Purchasing sustainable energy with Guarantees of Origins (GO) Certificates
Elimination & replacement of polluting emission sources (boilers & generators etc.) with renewable, less energy consuming ones
Harvesting rainwater for sanitation purposes
Adherence to climate accreditations – ACA to achieve carbon neutrality
Reducing Electricity Consumption by means of: natural lighting; LED lighting, presence detectors, smart lighting and management systems
Reducing energy loss in buildings through bioclimatic design, thermal optimisation, smart management etc
Promotion of public transport for airport access
Use of electric vehicle fleet on airport and landside
Controlling emissions outputs from specific activities e.g. fire, spills, aircraft tests
Promotion of good practices for airport staff, partners & stakeholders
Accounting for embodied carbon in buildings & infrastructure
Adapted from aertecsolutions.com
the role of financial markets and institutional investors is becoming critical to the achievement of airport sustainability goals. • Sustainable business and management models in which sustainability is intrinsically connected to other airport goals – because public acceptance of aviation is not always a given. • Clear long-term GHG emissions reduction targets and goals and associated policies – because the aviation industry needs to speak with one voice and deliver on its commitments. Airport sustainability actions encompass a broad spectrum of activity. ACI Europe’s airports have issued a ‘Sustainability Strategy for Airports’ based on the UN Sustainability Goals. This strategy is said to “equip airports with an industry-wide framework and guidance, APA Issue 1, 2020
enabling them to embed sustainability at the core of their business strategy”. In parallel, ACI Europe with its ‘NetZero2050’ commitment has aligned its policies to the science of climate change. Some 211 European airports have signed up to this goal, some pledging earlier timescales. ACI Asia-Pacific have an annual ‘Green Airports Recognition’ initiative on different themes, the 2019 edition covering 'green airport infrastructure'. In line with the top priorities of its airports, the region’s airports are encouraged to focus on waste management and energy management. At the time of writing in early March 2020, there were 299 accredited airports across the globe in ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme – 149 in Europe, 56 in Asia-Pacific, 47 in North America, 33 in Latin America, and 14 in Africa. Who will be APA the 300th?
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AIRPORT OPERATIONS
Time to go digital?
ADB SAFEGATE’S Niclas Svedberg argues that adopting a digital apron will help airports reduce delays and cope with rising traffic demand.
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e all know how frustrating airport delays can be. Every month some 50,000 flights are cancelled, and more than half a million flights are delayed worldwide, costing airports billions in lost revenue. It’s why airports everywhere are putting efficient and reliable operations high on their agendas as they strive to provide a competitive and superior passenger experience. APA Issue 1, 2020
Delays can be the result of a breakdown in any of the multitude of airport operations, airside or landside. And while some delays are outside the airport’s control, such as sudden bad weather, many more could be avoided through better operations. Nowhere is this truer than in the apron and gate areas. Linking airfield and terminal, the apron is one of the busiest areas at any airport. The continuous arrival and departure of aircraft needs to be
ASIA-PACIFIC AIRPORTS MAGAZINE
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IS THE SOLUTION
Airports typically operate in ‘silos’, where data is generated but not shared with other parties who could benefit from it. The result can often be uncoordinated processes that lead to inefficiencies, errors and delays. The answer to this challenge is the ‘digital apron’, which uses new surveillance technologies, applies data analytics, tightly integrates airfield, tower and gate systems, and uses automation and the Internet of Things (IoT) to help ensure rapid, reliable aircraft turnarounds. There are four key pillars of the digital apron. The first is awareness, making sure everyone on the apron has the information they need to work effectively. This is achieved by integrating airport systems to provide full situational awareness for more predictable, faster aircraft turnarounds for a superior customer experience. The second pillar is predictability, being able to forecast what might happen offers the chance to take effective action to avoid capacity constraints and delays. The ability to predict is vastly improved with techniques such as Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. Complementing predictability, the application of advanced data analytics will help people make better decisions by providing better insights into events on the apron and suggesting courses of action to deal with new conditions.
The final pillar is automated and autonomous apron operations using advanced surveillance and detection solutions. Making use of clear, automated processes allows more effective decisions to be made more quickly. For example, automated gate allocation and all-weather aircraft guidance from runway exit to parking helps to achieve just-in-time docking that maximises gate utilisation.
THE TECHNOLOGY IS HERE TODAY
The digital apron is not just a future vision that’s years away. ADB SAFEGATE is creating the necessary information gathering, display, connectivity and data analysis technologies and making them available today. The latest Advanced Visual Guidance and Display Systems (A-VGDS) are adding capabilities that make docking aircraft safer than ever. Using advanced radar systems, they can sense aircraft in low visibility, such as fog. Increasing accuracy could allow docking in the very worst weather, even in CAT III conditions, allowing airports to maximise apron capacity. When integrated with adjacent airport systems and gate equipment, the A-VDGS supports more predictable, repeatable and shorter aircraft turnaround times, thereby increasing efficiency and profitability for the airport and airline. By providing information on baggage handling, catering, fuelling, passenger boarding and pushback readiness on the A-VDGS and apron management system screens, staff are kept up to date on events and are better able to stick to schedules. Fully integrated gate systems can interface and share data with other gate operational solutions such as A-SMGCS surveillance systems and ground equipment. By collecting information throughout the process and sharing it with tower and airfield in real time, the gate and apron area becomes a part of the integrated solution. www.aci-apa.com
AIRPORT OPERATIONS
sequenced and managed to maintain the optimum throughput and ensure safety. The swarm of ground support vehicles and personnel traversing the apron around docked and taxiing aircraft must be choreographed precisely. At the same time, the many activities needed to turn a docked aircraft around involves multiple stakeholders who depend on accurate information to help them meet and deliver on-time departures.
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AIRPORT OPERATIONS KEEPING APRON ASSETS ON TRACK
ADB SAFEGATE and its partners are increasingly applying Internet of Things (IoT) technology. For example, video analytics is helping to track every apron activity to boost operational efficiency and reduce the potential for incidents and delays. Beyond the aircraft, there are many support systems and vehicles that form a vital part of the turnaround process. Embedded IoT sensors can be used to track all assets on and around the apron, including ground power units, passenger buses, baggage tractors and trailers, loaders, catering and fuelling trucks and even personnel. These sensors can provide more information than just location. For example, not just showing that a pushback trolley is at the gate, but also which trolley, where it came from, its next destination, if it is powered, and if it is connected and locked onto the aircraft, among others. The wealth of data gathered can provide new insights into apron operations, helping to improve operational efficiency by ensuring the right assets are available at the right time. APA Issue 1, 2020
A MORE PREDICTABLE PASSENGER JOURNEY
The collection and analysis of data streaming from integrated systems will lead to more opportunities to apply analytics technologies such as machine learning. Machine learning can find patterns and trends in historical data to help predict times and durations more accurately, for instance correctly predicting the true taxi time of an aircraft. Trend analysis also helps to improve fundamental operational processes. The pressure on apron and gate management systems can only grow as air traffic continues to soar, stringent safety needs to be maintained and the demand for a great passenger experience increases. But by applying integration, analytics, automation and IoT technologies, dramatic improvements to the passenger experience can be achieved. Above all, the digital apron is about making things better, and ultimately a quicker and more convenient airport APA journey for passengers. About the author Niclas Svedberg is ADB SAFEGATE’s global product manager for SafeControl Apron Management. Visit www.adbsafegate.com for more information about the company and its products.
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SECTION TITLE INDUSTRY NEWS
Industry news News, views and reviews from ACI’s regional and global World Business Partners.
HEINEMANN AUSTRALIA EXTENDS SYDNEY AIRPORT CONCESSION Heinemann Australia has celebrated five years at Sydney Airport by extending its Duty Free concession at the gateway until 2029. The news is a major coup for the company, which has operated a Heinemann Tax & Duty Free store at the airport since 2015. “I’m delighted that we have attained this agreement extension, as it not only highlights our partner’s trust in us, but it also reflects the success of our company, as well as our brand at Sydney Airport,” says Marvin von Plato, CEO of Heinemann Asia Pacific. “The new agreement is based on a collective shared vision concerning an evolution and optimisation of the current space,” says Richard Goodman, managing director at Heinemann Australia. At the heart of Heinemann Australia's plans to further enhance the shopping experience at Sydney Airport is the introduction of new zones to create an even more seamless customer experience. These areas include generational spaces featuring on trend and new brands targeting brand-driven passengers giving them access to new luxury products.
ENVIROSUITE ACQUIRES EMS BRÜEL & KJÆR HOLDINGS Australian environmental management technology firm Envirosuite Limited (EVS) has completed the acquisition of EMS Brüel & Kjær Holdings Pty Ltd (EMS) in a move designed to create a global leader in environmental technology. EVS and EMS are both innovators globally in their respective fields with complimentary capabilities across air, odour, wastewater, noise and vibration management. “The connection of two of Australia’s most successful environmental technology companies, with a track-record of over 30 years each, is a powerful proposition for the market, both here at home and internationally,” says EVS CEO, Peter White. “Australia has been at the forefront of environmental monitoring technology and we will now have the people and footprint to be able to establish a world-leading offering.” APA Issue 1, 2020
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INDUSTRY NEWS
LIGHTING THE WAY Honeywell is to help upgrade the airfield lighting control and monitoring systems at Incheon International Airport (ICN) as part of the next phase of the gateway’s development. It is installing its Airfield Ground Lighting Control and Monitoring System (AGLCMS) and Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS) technologies to promote safer navigation through enhanced controllability under most traffic or visibility conditions, while enhancing overall operational efficiency. “Under high-traffic conditions, reliable guidance systems such as those installed by Honeywell are critical to the pilots manoeuvring around our congested airfield and taxiways. Put simply, this technology helps keep operations running smooth and helps make sure people are safe,” explains Chang-Jun Lee, director of the airport’s Aeronautical Ground Light Team.
NEW FOOD VILLAGE OPENS IN DUBAI HMSHost International claims to have opened the food court of the future with the unveiling of its 170sqm Food Village at Dubai International Airport (DXB). According to HMSHost, DXB’s Food Village has combined the best of design, brands and engagement to create a “truly future-focused food court experience for passengers”. It adds: “From an eclectic dining setting reminiscent of a Middle Eastern sense of place, and intelligent lighting design to direct passenger flow, through to live cooking elements and the first truly mobile food cart, Food Village can take passengers around the world in ten plates.” www.aci-apa.com
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INSPIRING FEMALE ENGINEERS Collins Aerospace Systems opened its doors to more than 2,300 female students across the globe in February in an effort to inspire the next generation of female engineers. With the help of over 1,000 employee volunteers, the company hosted 55 ‘Introduce a Girl to Engineering’ events taking place on or around February 20. In addition, Collins Aerospace announced it is committing $100,000 to DiscoverE, the founding organisation for ‘Introduce a Girl to Engineering’ for the continued support of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. The donation is part of the company’s ‘Redefining Futures’ Corporate Social Responsibility programme rolled out in 2019. “Building diversity is central to the mission of DiscoverE,” said Leslie Collins, executive director for DiscoverE. “The commitment being made by Collins Aerospace will have a direct and lasting impact on the lives of countless girls seeking opportunities in engineering and other STEM occupations. We are deeply grateful for this support as it will enable us to significantly expand our vision now and in the future.” “Young girls need strong role models and to see individuals who look like them working in STEM fields,” said Stacey MacNeil, chief communications officer for Collins Aerospace. “With over 70,000 employees around the world, 16,000 of which are engineers, we are uniquely positioned to offer these opportunities. By hosting events like Introduce a Girl to Engineering, we can engage and inspire the next generation of innovators while also working to achieve greater diversity in the engineering workforce.” APA Issue 1, 2020
PLAZA PREMIUM GROUP Location: Hong Kong Contact: Hoi See Song E: song@plaza-network.com W: www.plaza-network.com Plaza Premium Group, a global service brand headquartered in Hong Kong, is an industry leader in premium airport services. The Group comprises four core airport hospitality businesses, namely Airport Lounges, Airport Transit Hotels, Airport Meet & Greet Services and Airport Dining.
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WBP PROFILES
BECA LTD Location: New Zealand Contact: Richard Holyoake E: richard.holyoake@beca.com W: www.beca.com Beca is one of the largest employeeowned engineering and related consultancy services companies in Asia-Pacific. As well as numerous engineering consultancy services, it offers architecture, planning, project and cost management, land information, valuations and process improvement services. EMIRATES LEISURE RETAIL Location: UAE Contact: Andrew Day E: andrewd@mmi.ae W: www.emiratesleisureretail.com Emirates Leisure Retail (ELR), an Emirates Group subsidiary, creates exceptional airport dining experiences for travellers and drives successful enduring partnerships with key international airports. A world-class operator delivering award winning concepts that are a mix of owned and franchise brands, multi-site chains and unique one-of-a kind concepts from Dubai in the Middle East to Launceston in Tasmania, Australia.
APA
