WBP NEWS

Bangalore International Airport Limited has awarded the Plaza Premium Group (PPG) a 10-year concession to carry out a host of passenger service activities at Bengaluru Kempegowda.

As a result, PPG will provide meet and assist, porter, PRM (persons with reduced mobility), luggage storage, concierge, limousine, personal shopper, valet parking and pet care services at the Indian gateway along with numerous other passenger related duties.

In addition the concession covers service delivery, customer engagement, marketing and communications, training for BIAL staff and the potential adoption of new service enhancing technologies.

The move is in line with ‘The Power of One’ philosophy of transforming the airport experience for passengers by delivering “One brand, one experience, one service standards” across the airport campus.

“We are optimistic that our timely partnership with PPG will bolster our mission to transform the passenger experience at BLR,” says BIAL’s managing director and CEO, Hari Marar.

“The Power of One concept will ensure optimal service and safety standards, along with a seamless airport experience. This partnership is a positive step towards restoring passenger confidence in air travel.” Premium Group has teamed up with global IT services leader Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to develop an end-to-end passenger services technology platform to connect the complexity of reservation, sales and marketing, customer engagement, back-of-house command and control, manpower management, training centre and the entire operation information management.

The new PPG Passenger Services Technology Platform currently under development will be based on the existing PPG operating platform tailored to meet the needs of Bengaluru Kempegowda’s passengers both now and in the future.

According to PPG, the platform will include an omni-channel booking engine which enables worldwide sales and distribution; a ‘customer engagement centre’ with customer profiling and personlisation capabilities; a service delivery platform for dispatch and real-time incident management; and a back office system which powers human resources, administration, asset and information management.

PPG has also partnered with one-stop customer engagement technology service provider oneDirect to ensure passenger interactions are managed through one-single platform via various touchpoints.

“We are beyond grateful to be trusted by BIAL to jointly create world-class airport experience and very importantly, to serve millions of domestic and international travellers in the new era of travel,” enthuses PPG’s founder and CEO, Song Hoi-see.

Elenium Automation is to supply Darwin International Airport (DIA) with its VYGR end-to-end solution, which it says will help improve the passenger experience, enhance operational efficiency, and enable future growth.

To date, DIA has used traditional, agent-assisted passenger check-in and baggage acceptance. By implementing Elenium’s self-service technology, it will provide a fast, safer, and more efficient journey for passengers and enable ground staff to give more focused assistance to those who need it.

The scope of the Elenium solution at DIA includes 30 portable kiosks to provide a full and fast check-in process, all of which can be easily moved for greater operational flexibility and utility, as well as 23 bag drops, six of which can also function as agent-assist and rework stations. Rob Porter, executive general manager for DIA operator, Airport Development Group, said: “We believe that Elenium’s innovative technology will help us create a seamless kerb-to-gate journey for our passengers.”

Elenium Automation CEO and co-founder, Aaron Hornlimann, noted: “As Australia moves toward reopening, self-service automation technology will be key in enabling airports to operate safely, without compromising on efficiency or passenger experience.”

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Darwin International Airport to leverage our self-service technology. Our ultimate vision is for passengers to simply walk through the airport unencumbered.”

Lagardère Travel Retail has opened a large-scale retail and F&B concession at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, stating that its “stellar luxury brand line up befits the ambitions of China’s newest major airport and the dynamic city it serves”.

The airside shopping area features 15 luxury boutiques developed by Lagardère Travel Retail showcasing brands ranging from Alexander McQueen, Bulgari and Gucci to Valentino. food and beverage brands in the same terminal, including Costa Coffee (the first of several openings under a partnership between the two companies), Godiva Café and Ajisen Ramen. A second Costa Coffee outlet will open in the international terminal next year.

Eudes Fabre, CEO for North Asia at Lagardère Travel Retail, said: “The new airport in Chengdu sets a new benchmark in terminal design and commercial planning. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the development of this majestic new gateway and thank our brand partners for their support in this ambitious project.”

Collins Aerospace has completed deployment of its ARINC SelfPass biometrics solution at Tokyo Haneda, one of the busiest airports in Asia-Pacific.

The technology will help streamline passenger journeys through Haneda by reducing the need for physical interaction with staff and bottlenecks at multiple passenger touchpoints.

“Our Face Express system will allow passengers to efficiently proceed through baggage drop, the entrance to security checkpoints and boarding gates by utilising facial recognition, eliminating the hassle of showing passports and boarding passes,” enthused Shoichi Ohashi, Tokyo International Air Terminal Corporation’s senior manager for the facility.

“Despite the challenging pandemic environment, we were able to manage staffing and suppliers to ensure smooth delivery of the solution.”

This project includes the installation of 98 self-service check-in kiosks, 30 biometric enrollment kiosks, 104 biometric devices for self-bag drop, 17 biometric automated security gates and 42 biometric automated self-boarding gates.

It has been a busy few months for Collins Aerospace which has also announced that Clark International Airport in the Philippines has selected its suite of airport solutions to help provide a seamless passenger experience for the increased number of travellers expected to pass through the airport following its 2021 expansion.

The gateway has selected ARINC’s passenger processing and airport operation solutions to move passenger flow through its new Terminal Two while helping to keep airport data optimised and secure.

All the solutions, which include cloud-based passenger check-in platform ARINC cMuse, are expected to be installed and operational by the third quarter of 2021.

Location: Canada Type of business: Consulting & Management E: Info@aviationstrategies.aero W: www.aero-enable.com

Aviation Strategies International (ASI) is an international multi-disciplinary network of seasoned aviation advisors, comprised of former senior executives from air transportation industry enterprises and international organisations. ASI provides corporate-level strategic advice and consulting services, as well as executive training for aviation sector enterprises such as airports and airlines as well as for governmental and regulatory authorities in civil aviation. ASI is the officiallyappointed administrator of the Airport Management Professional Accreditation Programme, a joint programme by ACI and ICAO.

Location: Singapore Type of business: Consulting & Management Contact: Yun Yuan Tay E: yunyuan@skyports.net W: www.skyports.net

Skyports is unlocking the sky for advanced air mobility (AAM), providing the critical link between the ground and the sky. It designs, builds and operates take-off and landing infrastructure for air taxis, and partners with electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) passenger and cargo vehicle manufacturers around the world to enable safe and efficient flight operations within urban and suburban environments.

Location: Singapore Type of business: IT & Communications E: apacevents@genetec.com W: www.genetec.com

Genetec is recognised as a pioneer in IP video surveillance and a technology leader within the physical security industry. Genetec’s success is built on its dynamic team of highly skilled individuals dedicated to the development of tomorrow’s cuttingedge security technologies and its commitment to customer care.

Sarah Samuel Head of Airport IT, APAC

At Amadeus, we aren’t just starting to think about biometrics. We have ten years of experience in the development and delivery of airport biometrics. That’s why we can help airports respond to today’s unprecedented challenges and offer a new way to service passengers.

Developing biometric technology for airports requires more than just IT expertise, it requires specialist insight into airport operations and passenger movement, flow, and validation. Airports come in all shapes and sizes; some are more digitally mature than others; many are ADVERTrestricted by legacy infrastructure; and all need the flexibility to adapt operations in line with changing passenger requirements and demand. That’s why we developed Amadeus Biometric Solutions in collaboration with our airport customers, and in response to the growing need for low-touch passenger servicing. Make biometrics accessible to every airport

Understandably, some passengers are nervous about returning to travel. Social distancing has become the norm and we instinctively avoid touching objects in public, where possible. This is where biometrics can really make a difference at airports. Once enrolled for biometric servicing, passengers simply look at the camera: to check-in, drop a bag, go through security, immigration, access the lounge and finally board their plane, independently and with minimal interpersonal interactions. Behind the scenes, Amadeus technology is hard at work. At every touchpoint, a photo is captured. In a matter of seconds, we match it to the identity database, validate the traveler’s trip with the airline DCS, and then authorize for the passenger to proceed. Fast, secure, streamlined and of course low touch.

It was important for our biometric solution to be easy for airports to implement. So, we built the necessary interfaces to airline departure systems, identity management providers and airport touchpoints, making our so ware accessible via a single connection to our biometric platform.

Building upon a decade of self-service and automation experience, we can now supply airports with advanced biometric cameras which, specifically designed for the airport environment, accommodate things such as dynamic lighting conditions. Supported by our product experts every step of the way, this combination of purpose-built so ware and hardware is all airports need to implement end-to-end, biometric passenger servicing.

Amadeus was developing biometric technology long before the arrival of a global pandemic. Thanks to its versatile capabilities, airport biometrics will be more necessary and relevant than anyone could have predicted. A modern solution for very different times, preparing us for a new era in travel.