In the spotlight: Airport IT

Airport: Salt Lake City

Special report: Air-rail links
Plus: Environment, leadership & airport design

Airport IT:
Smart solutions

OctoberNovember 2014
Volume 19 Issue 5
www.aci.aero

OPINION
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Making IT
happen
Airport World editor, Joe Bates, reflects on the loss of one
of the team, environmental initiatives and the information
technology theme of this issue.

y the time you read this we will be on

the home stretch in terms of major
ACI events in 2014, with just Airport
Exchange in Paris and the ACI-LAC
Assembly, Conference & Exhibition in Cancn to
go before we start it all again next year.
I have no doubt that both will be a great
success, although this years ACI-LAC conference
will be held with a tinge of sadness following the
recent passing of president Philippe Baril.
Like many of you, I knew Philippe for a long
time and will miss his friendship, enthusiasm
and passion for life that was evident in almost
every conversation you had with him.
As ACI-LAC has said in its warm tribute,
his dedication to serving airports and the
aviation industry in general is a legacy that will
live on for many years to come. His successor
certainly has big shoes to fill.
On a brighter note, a story that appears to
have gone under many peoples radar is
aviations new commitment to sustainable
growth made during the United Nations Climate
Summit in September.
The joint pledge at this high-level forum
by ICAO and the industry (co-ordinated through
the Air Transport Action Group) to work more
closely to reduce CO2 emissions expands on
a host of existing industry initiatives already
in play.
They include both ACI-NA and ACI-LACs
decision to join the Airport Carbon Accreditation
programme see page 49 for further details.
But if you thought the environment was the
theme of this issue youd be wrong, as this time
out Information Technology is in the spotlight.
As a result, we have articles on how IT is
redefining the passenger experience, helping
raise customer service levels, driving revenues,

tightening security and increasing the efficiency

of baggage handling.
We also get the thoughts of two IT gurus
SITAs portfolio director for airports, Andrew
OConnor, and Rockwell Collins vice president
for international and global airports, information
management services, Michael DiGeorge.
IT is, of course, the great enabler for
everyone. Can you imagine life now without
laptops, mobile phones and the Internet?
Speaking as someone who is old enough to
remember the dark ages before all three, I
genuinely cannot.
For me, our newfound dependence on IT
was highlighted this summer when after moving
house I had to wait a frustrating 42 days before
getting a phone line and subsequently a
high-speed and reliable Internet service that
connected me to the world again. Without it I
had felt almost cut off from the outside world
and unable to function properly. Sure, I had
my mobile phone, but have you ever tried
doing your supermarket shopping or setting
up a standing order on your mobile? It wasnt
easy or cheap.
One thing you can be assured of is that for
someone who back in the 1980s used to have
to find a phone box in London that hadnt been
vandalised to file a story to my newspaper,
Im well aware of how far IT has brought us
forward in terms of global communications.
Well, thats IT and the environment taken
care of then! Other topics covered in this issue
include planned new air-rail links, building
customer-friendly terminals and Salt Lake City
International Airport.
I hope you enjoy it and look forward to
meeting up with some of you at the upcoming
AW
GAD Conference in Athens in November.

AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2014

CONTENTS

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Issue 5
Volume 19

In this issue
3 Opinion

Airport World editor, Joe Bates, reflects on the loss of one of the team, environmental
initiatives and the information technology theme of this issue.

9 News
12 ACI news
15 View from the top
Director general, Angela Gittens, discusses ACIs Aviation Community Recommended
Information Services framework and how it can help aviation stakeholders share
information more efficiently.

16 Doing the right thing

Salt Lake City International Airports Maureen Riley talks to Joe Bates about the gateways
$1.8 billion development programme and a host of other issues ranging from customer
service to airport leadership.

20 The new dynamic

Advancements in airport technology can redefine the passenger experience and drive
airport revenues, write Olivier Houri and Franco Amalfi.

23 The big picture

With intelligent analysis, video cameras can potentially offer much more than just
surveillance, even contributing to an airports bottom line, writes Boschs Denis Castanet.

24 In the spotlight
Axis Communications Daren Lang provides some case studies of airports that have realised
the commercial and customer service rewards of intelligent video.

27 Baggage tales
Advancements in RFID technology, new 2D barcodes and mobile tablets are just some of the
ways IT is helping transform baggage handling at airports, writes Kim Madsen.

AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2014

CONTENTS

Director General
Angela Gittens
Chair
Fredrick J Piccolo (Sarasota, USA)
Vice Chair
Declan Collier (London, UK)
Immediate Past Chair
Yiannis Paraschis (Athens, Greece)
Treasurer
Stefan Schulte (Frankfurt, Germany)
ACI WORLD GOVERNING BOARD

28 Happy talk
Faith Groups Zachary Varwig considers how strategically using data can significantly
enhance the airport experience for passengers.

31 The IT crowd
Joe Bates and Justin Burns round-up the latest IT news from airports across the world.

33 The time is now

Andrew OConnor, portfolio director for airport solutions at SITA, talks to Justin Burns
about IT innovation.

34 All aboard
Airport rail services are increasing as cities and governments look to improve
ground transportation links and reduce the environmental impact of their
gateways, writes Justin Burns.

38 Fast track
Steve Riano reflects on the basic requirements of a good airport rail link, the
challenges posed setting them up and the progress of the Dulles Corridor
Metrorail Project.

40 Balancing act
Keith Hui provides his thoughts on designing customer-friendly terminals in
the Asia-Pacific region.

43 People matters
Dr Richard Plenty and Terri Morrissey provide their thoughts on:
Sustaining high performance.

45 Environment news
47 Project watch
Guayaquil International Airport.

49 ACIs World Business Partners

50 The last word
Airport World catches up with Michael DiGeorge, Rockwell Collins vice president
for international and global airports, information management services.

AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2014

DIRECTORS
Africa (3)
Pascal Komla (Lom, Togo)
Bongani Maseko (Johannesburg, South Africa)
Robinson Misitala (Livingstone, Zambia)
Asia-Pacific (8)
Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Dennis Chant (Gold Coast, Australia)
Rodolfo Echeverria (Amman, Jordan)
Kenichi Fukaya (Tokyo, Japan)
Saud AR Hashem (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
Seow Hiang Lee (Singapore)
Kerrie Mather (Sydney, Australia)
1 vacancy
Europe (7)
Declan Collier (London, UK)
Arnaud Feist (Brussels, Belgium)
Michael Kerkloh (Munich, Germany)
Tonci Peovic (Zagreb, Croatia)
Stefan Schulte (Frankfurt, Germany)
Sani Sener (Istanbul, Turkey)
Jos-Manuel Vargas (Madrid, Spain)
Latin America & Caribbean (3)
Fernando Bosque (Guadalajara, Mexico)
Hctor Navarrete Muoz (Merida, Mexico)
1 vacancy
North America (7)
Thella Bowens (San Diego, USA)
James Cherry (Montral, Canada)
Frank Miller (San Antonio, USA)
Fredrick J Piccolo (Sarasota, USA)
Mark Reis (Seattle, USA)
Maureen Riley (Salt Lake City, USA)
Tom Ruth (Edmonton, Canada)
Regional Advisers to the
World Governing Board (7)
Aaron Adderley (Hamilton, Bermuda)
Rosemarie Andolino (Chicago, USA)
Haluk Bilgi (Tunis, Tunisia)
ngel Crdova Carrera (Guayaquil, Ecuador)
Howard Eng (Toronto, Canada)
Zouhair Mohamed El Oufir (Rabat, Morocco)
1 vacancy (Europe)
Observer
World Business Partner Board Chairperson
Roddy Boggus (Parsons Brinckerhoff )
Correct as of October 10, 2014

NEWS

ADPi wins Beijing Daxing

design competition

Aroports de Paris Ingnierie (ADPi) has won the international

competition to design Terminal 1 at the new Beijing Daxing International
Airport, which is scheduled for completion at the end of 2018.
ADPi which beat off competition from both Foster + Partners (designers
of Beijing Capitals showpiece Terminal 3) and a Chinese consortium that
included the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design claims that the
45mppa capacity terminal will boast an incredible five kilometre faade.
Located 60 kilometres south of Tiananmen Square, Beijing Daxing
will be built on a 700,000sqm plot of land and eventually have seven
runways and the capacity to handle more than 100mppa.
China plans to spend around $14 billion on the new airport to relieve
congestion at Beijing Capital International Airport, which is already the
worlds second-busiest, handling around 84mppa.

EC state aid rulings

Food for thought

The importance of retail and F&B revenues to the health of the worlds
airports was top of the agenda for ACI World chairman, Fredrick Piccolo,
during his presentation at The Trinity Forum in Taiwan.
Piccolo, who revealed that airports in Europe (38%) and Asia-Pacific
(27%) accounted for the lions share of the $117 billion in income made by
airports in 2012, stated that revenue diversification led by retail and F&B
operations was key to the financial resilience of the worlds gateways.
Im happy to report that our latest figures indicate that retail continues
to be the leading source of non-aeronautical income for airports at 29% of
the total, but of course theres still more that we can do, he noted.
So what can we do collectively to help grow retail revenues in airports?
To fellow airport operators, I would say that we need to remain open to
new opportunities.
I would also ask that airport operators planning renovations or new
facilities involve retailers and even brands from the very beginning. The
industry is replete with examples of how carefully planned walkthroughs or
strategically placed stores boost sales. Retail at an airport should never be
an afterthought; its simply too important to our continued success.
To all stakeholders: share information that can better the industry as
a whole. There is a wealth of data out there, but its only useful if it gets into
the right hands.

News in brief
Construction work has started on the expansion
of the Northern Terminal at Riga International
Airport, which will allow the Latvian gateway
to add four boarding bridges and better
accommodate non-Schengen passengers.
Nigerias Bayelsa state is building a new
international cargo airport at Amassoma.
It will potentially be in competition with five other
airports located within 100 miles of Amassoma
Osubi, Port Harcourt, Sam Mbwake, Asaba and
Benin City. Bayelsa is the oil-rich home state of
Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan.

The European Commission has adopted seven decisions about public support
granted to airports and airlines in Belgium, Germany, Italy and Sweden.
The commission has concluded that Zweibrcken and Charleroi airports
received state aid, which was incompatible with EU rules and must now
be recovered. In addition, it says it has opened an in-depth investigation
concerning state financial support granted to certain airlines flying from
Brussels Airport in Zaventem.
The decisions are based on the commissions new guidelines on
state aid to airports and airlines adopted in February 2014 as part of its
State Aid Modernisation (SAM) strategy.
Commission vice president, Joaqun Almunia, in charge of
competition policy, explains: EU state aid rules allow public authorities
to grant support to airports where it is justified, in particular where it
improves the accessibility of a region and provides a significant
contribution to its economic development.
However, duplicating unprofitable airport infrastructure or unduly
favouring certain airlines wastes taxpayers money and distorts
competition in the single market.
The commission has adopted decisions on two types of measures: financial
support granted to airports; and financial conditions offered by airport
managers to certain airlines for their operations at the airports in question.
Commissioners have fully approved the state aid granted to the
airports of Frankfurt-Hahn and Saarbrcken in Germany, Alghero in Italy
and Vsters in Sweden.

For daily news updates, visit www.airport-world.com

Westfield claims that it will bring cutting-edge design
and 24 new retail and F&B outlets to Los Angeles
International Airport as part of Southwest Airlines
$500 million revamp of Terminal 1. It believes the
introduction of world-class dining and shopping in
the terminal will create a re-imagined experience, that
features a hip, modern Californian feel that taps into the
LA feeling and energy of the Southwest brand.
China has unveiled plans for a new $4.3 billion
off-shore airport in Dalian in the north-east of the
country. It is anticipated that Dalian International
Airport will be built on a 20.9 square km (8.07 square

mile) artificial island and eventually replace todays

capacity-constrained Zhoushuizi International Airport.
After lying empty for 10 years, Aroports de
Montral (ADM) has decided to demolish the former
terminal building at MontralMirabel Airport
to allow for the site to be used for other activities.
The dismantling will permit the redevelopment
of an entire sector of the airport that has excellent
access to the apron and runways as well as to
Highway 50, all with the goal of creating jobs and
wealth for the community, says ADM president and
CEO, James Cherry.

AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2014

NEWS

Card sharps: ACI-NA president and CEO, Kevin Burke (third from right), and airport colleagues celebrate the launch of the new collectable airport trading cards.

Collaboration holds the key for ACI-NA

ACI-NA has revealed that increased collaboration with other associations
both from within and outside the aviation industry will form a major
part of its development strategy in the years ahead.
It believes that building better coalitions will increase support for
airports and ultimately persuade the US government to provide the
funds needed to help develop the nations gateways.
The new policy follows the appointment of former American Apparel
and Footwear Association CEO, Kevin Burke, as ACI-NAs new president
and CEO earlier this year.
To date ACI-NA has formed coalitions with AAAE, the US Travel
Association, the US Retail Federation and seven other trade
associations and is targeting greater collaboration with at least
another 20, representing everyone from airport contractors and
retailers to restaurant owners.
Burke said: Airports in the United States have done much with
little, but they are at a breaking point. Many airports are simply tapped
out, and going to the debt markets for additional bond funding is not
an option.
Sadly, travellers can expect airport conditions to deteriorate
even more if passenger growth trends continue without any relief.
Unfortunately, the current political climate makes it difficult to
achieve these goals.
That is why ACI-NA is approaching next years FAA Reauthorization [Bill]
with a fresh perspective. Through aggressive advocacy, effective public
relations and coalition building, ACI-NA is poised to secure a successful
FAA reauthorization.
Our ability to build a broad coalition of traditional allies and
non-traditional stakeholders is just one of many essential components
to our overall strategy. Already we have made tremendous progress on
Capitol Hill, but much more work remains to be done.
Raising the current Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) fee from $4.50 to
$8.50 also remains a key goal of ACI-NA as it seeks an increase in funds
that will help US airports finance capacity-enhancing capital
development programmes.
Burke, however, insisted that ACI-NAs message to Congress has to
be more focused than before as he believes that many politicians
opposed to raising the fee still wrongly presume it to be a tax that goes
into the federal governments coffers.

10

AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2014

He told Airport World: The more we talk about PFCs and explain
that the money is not a tax but a fee that goes to the airport with
the exception of a small 11 cents fee to the airline the more
optimistic I am about our chances of success.
The current PFC of $4.50 was introduced in 2000 and is effectively
worth $2.25 today. Congress will decide next year whether to raise it or not.

Economic importance
ACI-NAs newly released economics report revealed that, combined,
the aviation industry is the second biggest employer in the US after
Walmart, supporting 9.5 million jobs across the nation.
Compiled by CDM Smith for ACI-NA, the report The Economic
Impact of Commercial Airports in 2013 also revealed that US airports
have a collective national output of $1.1 trillion and create a payroll
of $356 billion.
Burke said: The clear takeaway from this latest study is that our
nations airports continue to be a tremendous source of economic
activity around the country and across all hub sizes.
Individually, the airport is the cornerstone of many local
economies, and collectively airports spur an annual output of more
than $1 trillion. Not only does our commercial aviation system rely on
such a robust network of airports throughout the US, but so do a
myriad other industries.
And in a bid to demonstrate the economic importance of US
airports, ACI-NA has unveiled the first batch of collectible trading cards
based on the baseball model that it believes will help it get its
message across.
Each card in the new North American Airport Collectors Series lists
the name and IATA code of the airport on its front, and details about its
history, achievements and economic impact on the back.
I am always encouraged when our members are eager to tell their
stories and educate the public about the significant contributions they
make to their local communities, said Burke. These cards not only
offer our member airports a fantastic way to showcase themselves to
the travelling public but also appeal to the kid in all of us.
From the youngest passengers to lifelong aviation enthusiasts, the
trading cards offer a fun new way for collectors to remember the airports
that they visit and inspire new journeys to complete their collections.

ACI WORLD NEWS

World in motion
Ryan White reports on the latest news, developments and pioneering global initiatives
from ACI World.

he 2013 edition of the World Airport Traffic Report, released in

September, provides comprehensive data coverage for almost 2,000
airports in 160 countries worldwide, ensuring that ACIs flagship
publication remains the authoritative source and industry reference
for the latest airport traffic data, rankings and trends in air transport demand.
Reflecting on 2013, ACI Worlds director general, Angela Gittens, says:
With many major economies remaining in a fragile state, 2013 can best be
characterised as a year of unstable recovery for the global economy.
Despite this challenging operating climate, worldwide traffic surpassed the six
billion passenger mark. This represents an enormous feat for the airport industry as
we commemorate the 100th anniversary of commercial aviation in 2014.
Of the future, Gittens says: The opportunities that lie ahead for aviation
are numerous, particularly in emerging markets. Indeed, the huge
demographic bases in many of these economies, coupled with rising per
capita income, will mean continued growth at airports in these markets.
The growth in air transport demand and the services that airports
provide will have a beneficial multiplier effect within local economies where
airports operate, as well as across industries and the global economy.

The overall passenger growth rate in the first six months of 2014
was 4.8%, which is above the equivalent year-over-year figure from
2013, enthuses Dr Rafael Echevarne, director of economics and
programme development for ACI World.
The cargo market has also seen a notable turnaround, displaying
an overall growth rate of 3.7% for the first half of 2014 compared with
a net decline for the same period the previous year.
However, at the time of writing, a number of developments indicate
that the airport industry still faces growth challenges. Indeed, there
remains a lingering uncertainty surrounding demand for air
transport worldwide.
This is clearly influenced by social and political volatility in areas
of the world such as Eastern Europe, the Middle East and West Africa.
Whilst this volatility obviously has a direct negative impact on traffic at
airports located in the affected areas, the potential for a contagious effect
on traffic at airports in other parts of the world is real.

Key statistics

ACIs partnership with IAWA

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL) remained the busiest airport on the planet,

handling 94.4 million passengers in 2013, followed by Beijing Capital (PEK)
with 83.7 million, which experienced more subdued growth of 2.2% in 2013 as
compared to the double-digit growth it achieved in previous years.
Airport traffic in emerging markets and developing economies grew faster
(8.7%) than in advanced countries (1.8%) in 2013, with emerging markets
reaching a 42% share of global passenger traffic.
Asia-Pacific handled more passengers than anywhere else on the planet in
2013, its airports handling 2.06 billion passengers (+8.7%). The next busiest
regions were Europe with 1.73 billion (+3.2%), North America with 1.57
billion (+1.1%), Latin America & Caribbean with 501 million (+5.5%), the
Middle East with 278 million (+7%) and Africa with 164 million (+0.5% ).

ACI is proud to join forces with the International Aviation Womens

Association (IAWA) as part of an affiliation announced earlier
this year.
Both organisations have agreed to work collaboratively on
education, training and job opportunities by offering IAWA members
ACIs robust suite of educational programmes at ACI member rates;
giving IAWA members the opportunity to earn executive and
technical scholarships from ACI; and encouraging IAWA members to
explore job offerings in the airport field.
ACI will provide IAWA with one annual scholarship for the Airport
Operations Diploma Programme (AODP), valued at $1,795.
To achieve the AODP diploma, candidates must successfully complete
three self-paced online courses within a three-year time frame.
ACI will also provide IAWA with one annual scholarship for the
ACI Airport Executive Leadership Programme (AELP), which prepares
selected candidates for senior-level executive responsibilities,
thereby creating a network of future industry leaders.
Further, ACI will cross-post its website job listings from the
airport industry to the IAWA website to encourage IAWA members to
explore airport job opportunities.
ACI director general, Angela Gittens, notes: Globally over the
next two decades passenger traffic growth at the worlds airports is
expected to average 4.1% per year to reach over 12 billion total
passengers. It is essential that airports have a deep talent pool from
which to draw in order to ensure the sustainable growth of the
industry. This affiliation goes a long way toward achieving that goal.
ACI has long been a proponent of diversity in the workforce, and
we look forward to adding value for IAWA members by giving them
more opportunities for professional growth in an exciting industry.

Other selected highlights include:

The worlds top 30 airport cities handle more than one-third of global
passenger traffic. London remains the worlds largest airport system
with almost 140 million passengers handled at six airports. New York
maintains the second position with 112 million passengers at three
airports. Tokyo is the third city market with 105 million passengers
Worldwide airport cargo increased slightly by 0.9% in 2013 to 96
million metric tonnes, with mixed levels of growth across all six regions
The worlds air cargo market is highly concentrated, with the top 30
air cargo hubs handling 57% of global air cargo volumes. Hong Kong
and Memphis remain the busiest airports in terms of air cargo traffic
(4.17 and 4.14 million metric tonnes of cargo respectively). Between
them Shanghais airports PVG and SHA handle 3.36 million
tonnes, taking the third position in the air cargo hubs ranking
Worldwide aircraft movements increased slightly by 0.6% in 2013
to 82 million, with mixed levels of growth across all six regions

12

Outlook for 2014

AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2014

ACI WORLD NEWS

ACIevents

2014

2015

November 8-11

April 27-29

ACI Latin America &

Caribbean Annual
Conference &
Exhibition
Cancn, Mexico

ACI Asia-Pacific
Assembly, Conference
& Exhibition
Amman, Jordan

2015

2015

2015

August 31-Sept 2

ACI World and Latin
America & Caribbean
Annual Conference &
Exhibition
Panama City, Panama

June 24-26

February 25-27

ACI Europe General

Assembly, Congress &
Exhibition
Prague, Czech Republic

ACI Airport Economics

& Finance Conference
& Exhibition
London,
United Kingdom

ACIoffices
ACI World
Angela Gittens
Director General
PO Box 302
800 Rue du Square Victoria
Montral, Quebec H4Z 1G8
Canada
Tel: +1 514 373 1200
Fax: +1 514 373 1201
aci@aci.aero
www.aci.aero

ACI Fund for Developing

Nations Airports
Angela Gittens
Managing Director
Tel: + 1 514 373 1200
Fax: +1 514 373 1201
acifund@aci.aero

ACI Africa
Ali Tounsi
Secretary General
Casablanca, Morocco
Tel: +212 660 156 916
atounsi@aci-africa.aero
www.aci-africa.aero

ACI Latin America & Caribbean

Javier Martinez Botacio
Director General
Panama City, Panama
Tel: +507 238 2691
jmartinez@aci-lac.aero
www.aci-lac.aero

ACI Asia-Pacific
Patti Chau
Regional Director
Hong Kong SAR, China
Tel: +852 2180 9449
Fax: +852 2180 9462
info@aci-asiapac.aero
www.aci-asiapac.aero

ACI Europe
Olivier Jankovec
Director General
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (2) 552 0978
Fax: +32 (2) 502 5637
danielle.michel@aci-europe.org
www.aci-europe.org

ACI North America

Kevin Burke
President & CEO
Washington DC, USA
Tel: +1 202 293 8500
Fax: +1 202 331 1362
postmaster@aci-na.org
www.aci-na.org

ACI represents 591 members operating 1,861 airports in 177 countries and territories, which in 2013 handled 5.95 billion passengers, 93.6 million
tonnes of cargo and 79.6 million aircraft movements. ACI is the international association of the worlds airports. It is a non-profit organisation,
the prime purpose of which is to advance the interests of airports and promote professional excellence in airport management and operations.

AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2014

13

ACI VIEWPOINT

View from the top

Director general, Angela Gittens, discusses ACIs Aviation Community Recommended Information
Services framework and how it can help aviation stakeholders share information more efficiently.

rom reading previous issues of Airport World, youre likely well

aware that ACI provides a variety of services for its member
airports, from safety peer reviews, benchmarking, training
opportunities, production of guidance materials, conferences
and networking, relevant statistics and data to special assistance for
airports in developing nations and much, much more.
This Airport IT themed edition of Airport World is the perfect opportunity
to talk about another important initiative that ACI has been working
diligently on since 2011 Aviation Community Recommended Information
Services, or ACRIS for short.
As we all know, the aviation industry is a dynamic and complex system.
It works best when the multiple players can exchange the data it takes to
manage their operations. ACRIS provides a cost-effective and efficient way to
exchange information among IT systems using standardised information
services to connect airport, airline and aviation partners systems.
The goal of ACRIS is to develop a harmonised framework of
information services to facilitate the sharing of information among
aviation community stakeholders. For example, ACRIS can provide the
web services necessary to improve information exchanges in passenger
and baggage end-to-end processes.
These include transportation to and from the airport; passenger check-in
and baggage drop-off; access to the security checkpoint and border control;
services and information for passengers on departure and arrival; boarding
processes; aircraft turnaround; baggage processes; and airport status,
maintenance and asset management.
To demonstrate the benefits and business drivers of ACRIS, a proof
of concept and demonstration project was developed to enable flight
information exchange and common situational awareness in the Airport
Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) framework.

A-CDMs main objectives are to improve performance reliability,

maximise airport capacity and increase efficiency in turnaround operations.
Accompanying the increased adoption of the A-CDM concept by airports is
an increase in the number of different interfaces used to exchange flight and
aircraft turnaround information.
The ACRIS proof of concept and demonstration were defined and
developed with the goal of uniform implementation in different airports
worldwide. The initial participants were Amsterdam Schiphol, Frankfurt
Airport, Munich Airport and Madrid-Barajas, which developed the proof
of concept Web service and implemented the service in their flight
operational databases.
Im happy to report that the ACI ACRIS trials were successful, highlighting
the main drivers of the ACRIS initiative, namely the interoperability of Web
service standardised technical interfaces; flexibility and adaptability to
business requirements; and low time to market and reduced costs, as the
design of the proof of concept took less than four months to complete.
After this successful demonstration, Oslo Airport implemented the same
interface for its local communication protocols with airlines and ground
handlers with excellent results. Since the beginning of the initiative, the
ACRIS Working Group has been co-operating closely with ICAO, IATA, CANSO,
SESAR and other aviation bodies to strengthen awareness and acceptance of
this recommended communication approach.
The results of this co-operation have led to additional success stories,
such as the joint ACI-IATA Passenger and Baggage Conformance Services,
which facilitate the implementation of bag-drop facilities and reduce
integration costs.
ACI has recently strengthened our resources structure to expedite further
ACRIS projects that can facilitate operations for the benefit of airports,
airlines, other aviation partners and the travelling public.
AW

AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2014

15
15

AIRPORT REPORT: SALT LAKE CITY

Doing the
right thing
Salt Lake City International Airports Maureen
Riley talks to Joe Bates about the gateways
$1.8 billion development programme and a
host of other issues ranging from customer
service to airport leadership.

his summers ground-breaking ceremony for its new

terminal ensured that these are busy and exciting times
for Salt Lake City International Airport and its aviation
director, Maureen Riley.
The new showpiece terminal is the key project of a $1.8 billion
development programme that will last up to 10 years and result in
a number of new facilities being built from the south to the north
of the gateway.
Between them, the 700,000 square foot terminal and new South
Concourse (West) will boast 74 gates and feature dual access levels,
a host of new retail and F&B facilities and sweeping views of the
Wasatch mountain range in the distance.
But before it can be built the airport first has to build a new parking
garage and car rental complex, tear down the old car rental building,
add utilities for a new TRAX light railway site and build some temporary
roads to circumnavigate the construction sites.
The final piece of the building jigsaw will be a new car parking
facility next to the new terminal followed by the demolition of the
existing terminal some time around 2020.
Next on the agenda in Phase 1b of its ambitious Terminal
Redevelopment Program is the addition of extra gates on the site of
the demolished terminal.
Between them, the projects will be built in phases and are expected
to generate nearly 24,000 jobs, with the first phase expected to be
completed in 2019 and the second in 2022.
In a typically understated way, Riley, who has served as executive
director of the Salt Lake City Department of Airports for the best part of
eight years and was recently appointed the new second vice chair of
ACI-NA, says that 2014 has been hectic.
Sometimes I think I have three jobs running an airport, getting a
development project off of the ground and working with ACI, so it has
been a very busy year, laughs Riley.

New terminal
Salt Lake City mayor, Ralph Becker, claims that the long-awaited
upgrade will make huge improvements to the gateway, and Riley
agrees, stating that the airport needs the new terminal to help meet
regional demand and raise customer service levels.

16

AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2014

She says: We need more space as the existing facilities, some

of which opened 50 years ago, were built for 10 million passengers
per annum but are now handling over 20 million, so everything
is constrained.
Our concession programme, for example, is half the size it
should be for an airport handling 20 million passengers, and this
is definitely something we plan on addressing in the new terminal.
How would she describe the design of the terminal?
Contemporary, is the reply. We want it to incorporate the future
and we want the terminal to be customer-friendly and easy to
use for passengers. We also want it to include cutting-edge
environmental technology.
In terms of how this translates into its look and feel, Riley says the
terminal will be bright and light with plenty of glass to give passengers
great views of the airfield and majestic mountains in the distance.
The terminal will also boast state-of-the-art technology, offer free
Wi-Fi and provide a sense of place by bringing the natural beauty of Utah
into the building, reveals Riley, who notes that these were the number
one things asked for by passengers, airlines and the local community
during an extensive public outreach programme 18 months ago.
Remarkably, when completed, Salt Lake City International Airport
(SLC) will have 12 fewer gates than the 86 it has today.
Crucially, though, each will have an airbridge eliminating the need
to use steps to board aircraft and be bigger and more flexible in terms
of accommodating different types of aircraft.

AIRPORT REPORT: SALT LAKE CITY

This, admits Riley, will make a significant difference for operational

efficiency and passenger comfort, as summer temperatures in Salt Lake
City can hit 90oF and plummet to below freezing in winter when the
airport gets an average of 65 inches of snow.
HOK is project architect for the new terminal, which will be
constructed by HDJV Construction a joint venture between Holder
Construction and Big-D Construction.

Non-aeronautical revenues
Riley adds that the new terminal also offers SLC the opportunity
to develop a better concessions programme that reaches out
to more people.
A greater variety of shops and F&B outlets, she notes, will provide
more choice for passengers, which will help raise customer satisfaction
levels, improve passenger flow throughout the terminal and, ultimately,
boost concession revenues.
However, with the terminal design yet to be finalised and plans for
the concessions programme in its infancy, Riley expects it will be 2017
before the retail and F&B contracts are put out to tender.
The airport actually only revamped its existing concessions
programme three years ago when all 68 retail and F&B contracts were
put out to tender for the first time in 50 years, and Riley claims that it
learnt a lot from the experience that will prove useful next time round.
Riley, who notes that SLC will not be looking for a master
concessionaire, adds that another benefit of the new terminal will be a

bigger and better Delta Sky Club lounge with an outside observation
deck that allows users to watch airfield activity.
Car parking remains SLCs biggest source of non-aviation related
income, making around $35 million per annum.

Customer service
Riley observes that the airport is there to serve passengers and airlines,
and this basic premise perhaps best explains why it takes customer
service so seriously.
She proudly tells Airport World that she set up an in-terminal customer
service programme about five years ago, and as a result SLC has a team of
staff that are 100% dedicated to assisting passengers with everything from
providing directions and helping passengers find lost bags to crowd control.
I get letters from customers all the time telling me how members of
staff have helped them, enthuses Riley. We really do care about our
customers and will go that extra mile to help them.

Airlines
Riley describes 2013 as a good year based on the annual throughput
of 20.1 million passengers, and she admits she is really pleased with
the 6% rise in traffic for the 12-month period ending August 31.
The upturn, she says, is primarily down to economic recovery in
the US and the entry to the market of Alaska Airlines, which serves
eight cities (Boise, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Portland, San Diego,
San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle) non-stop from SLC.

AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2014

17

AIRPORT REPORT: SALT LAKE CITY

The challenge is not

to make fatal flaws by
ensuring that what we build
is easily adaptable in the
future as technology will
advance faster than we can
incorporate it

Hub carrier, Delta Air Lines, remains the dominant airline at SLC,
accounting for around 73% of all passengers at the airport together
with its partner airlines. Despite Deltas dominance at SLC, Riley points
out that the airport enjoys a healthy mix of O&D (57%) and transfer
(43%) traffic.
Its strong position at SLC prompts Riley to refer to the airport as a
fortress hub for Delta. This is clearly good for business right now,
but does it mean that SLC is too dependent on one carrier and might
suffer the consequences if Delta was to go out of business?
I am actually asked this quite a lot by politicians and my answer is
always the same, says Riley. Where are they going to go?
They have asked for 54 gates in our new terminal and they will get
them. What other airport has such gate availability and could make this
happen that easily? Delta does well here and has no reason to leave.
But if the unthinkable were to happen and Delta moved its hub
operation elsewhere, Riley reveals that the airport would be
prepared for it.
Part of our job of safeguarding the long-term future of Salt Lake City
International Airport is to plan for the what ifs to ensure that we are
prepared for any eventuality, and that includes the unlikely scenario of
no longer being a Delta hub.
As a result, and with the full support of Delta, our phasing
designs include some very discreet options that effectively mean
that as a city and as an airport we will be in a very favourable position
in about 10 years time when we possibly have to make the next
big decision.
If the hub is gone, we can stop building and have a perfect airport
for an O&D operation. On the other hand, if ten years from now
passenger demand is still strong and Delta is still growing, then there is
a subsequent phase to add more gates.

18

AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2014

Its a very well measured, structured and considered phasing and

development plan. The first two phases will get us to about 72 to 74
gates in 2023, which is expected to be our next decision point. We
have, however, already agreed with the airlines that we will make the
decision earlier if demand dictates.
The challenge is not to make fatal flaws by ensuring that what we
build is easily adaptable in the future as technology will advance faster
than we can incorporate it.
We need to do it the smart way. Im always saying to myself that I
dont want to do the fast thing, I want to do the right thing, and if that
takes a longer I am okay with that.
Riley notes that the airlines are happy with this as they understand
the uncertainty that goes with being in the aviation industry and
dont want SLCs operating fees to go up to help pay for facilities
that arent needed.
Although Delta operates non-stop flights to Paris CDG and launches
services to Amsterdam Schiphol in May 2015 (in conjunction with Air
France-KLM), with the exception of a handful of destinations in Canada
and Mexico, the route network out of SLC remains essentially domestic.
Riley states that London would be at the top of her wish list of
new international routes, although connectivity appears to the
obstacle for Delta.
For now her main route development focus is on getting domestic
services to the five biggest markets that dont have non-stop flights
from SLC Miami, New York (LaGuardia), Fort Lauderdale, Washington
DC (Dulles) and Tampa.

Traffic growth
Until the recent upturn in traffic, passenger numbers at SLC had been
relatively flat for four years.

AIRPORT REPORT: SALT LAKE CITY

Like most other major US airports, it did experience a drop in traffic

during the 2008 global financial crisis, although Riley points out that it
escaped relatively lightly compared to some airports.
You actually have to go back to 2005 for its all-time high, when
22.5 million passed through the airport after Delta closed its Dallas/
Fort Worth hub and temporarily moved operations to Salt Lake.
This record is likely to stand for a few more years to come, but Riley
is confident that it will be much easier to sell the airport to airlines
when the new terminal opens.

Airport leadership
As we have previously reported in Airport World, the airport industry
has lost a lot of talented leaders in the last few years, with many
veteran bosses retiring or leaving for pastures new.
In North America alone, this has included the likes of Larry Berg
(Vancouver), Paul Benoit (Ottawa), Reg Milley (Edmonton), Jeff Fegan
(Dallas/Fort Worth), Krys Bart (Reno-Tahoe) and Louis Miller (HartsfieldJackson Atlanta) and the trend will continue over the next few years as
the old generation of airport leaders makes way for the next.
Thankfully, the list wont include Riley just yet as she still feels that
she has a big job to do at SLC, but acknowledges that times are changing
and that finding the airport leaders of tomorrow is no easy task.
The quest has led some airports to widen the talent pool by
beginning to recruit people from outside the airport industry. The new
recruits often bring new ideas and areas of expertise with them that
can be used in the airport environment.
Indeed, ACI-NAs recent appointment of former American Apparel
and Footwear Association CEO, Kevin Burke, as its new president and
CEO is an example of this. So does she see more US airports going
down this route in the future?

Riley is not so sure due to the fact that most airport leaders in the
US are political appointments made by the state, region, city or mayor
of the city, as in her case.
Her airport background Riley was deputy executive director at
Orlando International Airport and already familiar with SLC and many
other gateways through previous work as a consultant with LeighFisher
certainly helped.
Having said that, New Jersey girl Riley is a certified public
accountant by profession and admits that she had no idea that shed
end up running an airport when she started out on her career.
Riley quips: My background as an accountant means that my
speciality is business and finance, which is ideal for an airport and
overseeing a $1.8 billion capital development programme!
As for the bigger question where are the airport leaders of
tomorrow going to come from? I honestly dont know, but this is a big
issue and we need to start thinking about it now as there is a lot of
competition out there, especially from other industries, which might
seem more attractive to graduates.

Exciting future
Riley says she is excited by the opportunities and challenges ahead
for Salt Lake City International Airport.
Being here, in my role, at a time when we have the opportunity
to create a huge future asset for the state of Utah that will serve
the community for the next 50 to 75 years is very exciting and really
an achievement at this stage in my career, she tells Airport World.
Many airport directors go through their entire careers and never
get to the point where you can build a whole new terminal and tear
the old one down. Its very cool and terrifying at the same time.
It does sound hectic, doesnt it?
AW

AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2014

19

SPECIAL REPORT: IT

The new
dynamic
Advancements in airport technology can
redefine the passenger experience and
drive airport revenues, write Olivier Houri
and Franco Amalfi.

nformation technology is the great enabler that drives operational

efficiency, improves the passenger experience and can ultimately
prove to be an expert revenue generator.
When it comes to passengers, nothing makes them happier than
being kept up-to-date with real-time information, short queues and
rapid processing times at airports, which ultimately give them more
time to explore a gateways shops and restaurants!
Because of this, the importance of new technology cannot be
overstated. If airports are able to identify individual passengers and
develop a clearer understanding of their needs and attitudes before
they even arrive at the airport, average revenue per passenger can be
significantly increased.
It is especially critical that airports embrace new technologies,
particularly around infrastructure, social/mobile engagement and
predictive analytics if they are to improve the passenger experience and
ultimately drive revenue growth.

Infrastructure support
Mature airports run hundreds of disparate systems and applications that
include a number of outdated legacy networks that were not designed to
support the modern traffic and operations in place today.
In a 2013 survey, IATA stated that 69% of airport leaders named a lack
of integration between disparate systems as one of the top two barriers to
improving customer engagement.
Communication lines are often running at less than 1GB per second, so
real-time information sharing and decision-making suffer with major delays
due to the lack of integration between internal airport systems and partners.
Whats worse, region-specific requirements can often serve as a roadblock
for airports that are regularly patronised and sustained by global travellers.
For instance, one major Chinese airport requires a Chinese mobile phone
number to access the Internet, leaving visiting passengers in the dark.
The resulting complexity creates inefficiencies, increases costs and
makes it difficult to scale and meet demands. Airports need to keep cabling
infrastructure up to date to uphold the exponential increase in data and
applications being used in real-time.
In addition to the underlying infrastructure, Wi-Fi is no longer simply a
perk at airports but a customer necessity. Passengers especially
millennials expect access to free Wi-Fi throughout the facility so they can
stay connected and receive alerts for changes to their flight or travel plans.

20

AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2014

This way, they can maximise their time at the airport, accessing their
mobile devices for work or personal use as well as taking advantage of
retail and dining establishments.
Its not as simple as just providing free Wi-Fi, either. Free Wi-Fi is
only beneficial if the network has the bandwidth to handle the millions
of travellers in airports each day.
As well as keeping customers and tenants informed, Wi-Fi can also
be used for marketing initiatives collecting customer data and
pushing location-based notifications or offers. Free Wi-Fi is a first step,
but upgrading bandwidth will provide the most opportunities for
airports to connect with passengers.
However, creating a seamless and more personalised experience
cant be done in isolation. Airport executives need to work closely with
airlines, service providers and other airport associates as part of a
co-ordinated effort to better engage with passengers to provide more
timely and personalised services that digitally savvy consumers have
come to expect.
Ultimately, organisations will be more successful if they can tap into
the collective intelligence of the entire airport ecosystem to evolve their
business model.

SPECIAL REPORT: IT
and reduce operational costs. Embedding such mobile capabilities is
vital given the need to react quickly and behind the scenes to any
operational irregularities that could impact passengers.
Social media platforms give airports and airlines a direct line to
passengers in real-time. At one US airport, Twitter was used to monitor
crowd management and emergency situations.
A passenger who saw a young girl choking was able to get medical
attention by tweeting out her location and the need for a doctor more
quickly than the airport itself could summon its emergency response team.
By monitoring and responding to social media, airports can leverage
the alerts and concerns of passengers to respond faster and better
serve their needs.

Predictive analytics

Social and mobile connectivity

Social media and mobility will bring the next wave of benefits
of providing improved customer service in the airport journey.
The millennial generation is at the forefront of this surging mobile
technology use.
Raised in a digital age, they account for 76% of all smartphone
users and comprise a significant portion of the estimated 1.2 billion
people worldwide using mobile apps.
Millennials are savvy online comparison shoppers and highly vocal
in social media about their product and service preferences and
experiences. As a result, their influence has gained a prominent role in
the development of airports business strategies.
Airlines have been responding to the surge in mobile adoption with
mobile boarding passes, frequent flyer and other mobile-based
applications to deliver greater convenience and service.
To continue to successfully engage these customers, organisations
must develop or acquire the expertise to build a robust, reliable digital
network and related services.
The challenge is to roll out capabilities that support mobility as
quickly and effectively as possible to generate new sources of revenue

Airports that take steps to increase their bandwidth and Internet

offerings, as well as use social/mobile platforms to engage with
travellers will also be privy to a wealth of passenger information that
can ultimately be used to improve the passenger experience and
generate revenue growth.
In fact, predictive analytics from passenger demographic data can help
airports reduce stress for air travellers at every step of their airport journey.
There are several key areas where new technology has the potential
to create better efficiencies for travellers, including:
Pre-departure: Airports can offer mobile alerts to passengers before
they leave for the airport, offering suggested parking to help reduce
time spent searching for a spot and facilitate faster check-in.
Check-in: Technological advances in at-home baggage tag printing
facilitate a speedier process at check-in, in addition to self-service
kiosks and baggage drops that offer shorter lines.
Screening: By assessing peak times for crowds augmented by
real-time data, staff can expedite passage through security
checkpoints by ensuring appropriate staffing, allowing more dwell
time for passengers at retail and dining establishments.
Security: Intelligent surveillance systems can connect personnel to
programmes that highlight anomalies and automatically alert staff
when a possible incident is identified so that it can be proactively
addressed rather than reactively dealt with.
Boarding: Self-boarding at the gate has the potential to reduce the
time spent waiting there, allowing passengers to spend more time
patronising retail and dining outlets.
Retail deals: Customer data can be used to help draw passengers
into stores. By looking at where passengers shop, airports and
retailers can employ targeted marketing to send customers
personalised discounts for their favourite stores in the terminal.
So far, passengers have shown a willingness to help airports
transform how they collect and use data: the latest Unisys Security
Index survey found there is strong public support for expanded use of
biometrics to confirm the identities of passengers as they board a flight.
Although it goes without saying, as airports collect more customer
data they must be vigilant in protecting and securing the personal
information they receive.
These myriad challenges come down to leveraging technical,
physical and employee assets to create a consistently more responsive
and passenger-centric organisation.
By recognising and improving IT infrastructure, social/mobile
connectivity and predictive analytics capabilities, airports can launch
into the future and generate new sources of revenue.
AW

AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2014

21

SPECIAL REPORT: IT

REC

The big
picture
With intelligent analysis,
video cameras can potentially
offer much more than
just surveillance, even
contributing to an airports
bottom line, writes Boschs
Denis Castanet.

ithout doubt, video surveillance is one of the cornerstones

of an airports security operation.
Indeed, with the advent of intelligent video analysis,
operators were able to streamline their security operations and greatly
reduce manual labour in the control room by only transmitting images
and alerts whenever predefined events occurred.
Because of this, most people still associate intelligent video purely with
the benefits/efficiency gains it brings to airport security and nothing else.
The growing power of the Internet and an abundance of new intelligent
sensors on the horizon, however, mean that it can do a whole lot more.
While not necessarily a reality today, you can, for example, easily
think of intelligent video being used as an enabler of new services to
both passengers and tenants, opening up new business opportunities
for airport operators.
And the upfront investment into such services would be minimal as
the entire infrastructure including the cameras is already in place, and
so it is really just a matter of identifying opportunities, developing the
additional services and deploying them.
One of the main areas in which intelligent video has the potential to offer
additional benefits to an airport operator is service delivery management.
The video management system, for instance, can use one or multiple
camera images for crowd density analysis and thus check on queues at
boarding gates, passport control, baggage-check areas or security.
This information in turn can be used for trend analysis by compiling
and compared it with historical data. At the very least such information
could prove invaluable for targeting staff assignment in real-time and
for future personnel planning.
Imagine being able to communicate waiting times to passengers in
real-time, consequently improving customer satisfaction and avoiding
delays due to passengers not making it to the gate in time.
Likewise, being able to automatically measure performance at
check-in and/or security checkpoints should ensure that service
levels remain high.

Certainly there is a lot of potential in using intelligent video beyond

surveillance, and some of these applications can also be turned into new
services for the airlines and consequently boost airport revenues.
Providing real-time information on waiting times should, for
example, make passengers more relaxed and lead to them having a
more enjoyable time at the airport by spending more time shopping or
eating rather than getting to the gate too early.
And this information could either be displayed on screens within
terminals or even be sent directly to a known passengers mobile device
once she or he has signed up to the service.
Applications like these will also please the tenants in the shopping
and restaurant areas of the terminal building as passengers will have
more time to spend there.
Using metadata from the video surveillance system can also help an
airport develop people-counting applications, which, in conjunction
with flow and crowd-density analysis, could help shop and restaurant
owners maximise efficiency and tailor offers or activities to specific
passenger groups.
This data could also empower the airport operator to develop new
rental charges for its concessionaires based on real and proven traffic.
Finally, an added benefit of such information is the ability to detect
bottlenecks and hotspots and potentially improve space utilisation
within the terminal.
Security is and will probably remain the single biggest reason to
install comprehensive video solutions at airports. But thinking beyond
just security can open up a plethora of new opportunities and make the
airport some money.
AW

About the author

Denis Castanet is Bosch Security Systems director of
business development EMEA. He can be contacted at
Denis.Castanet@fr.bosch.com

AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2014

23

SPECIAL REPORT: IT

Munich Airport already uses IP cameras to closely monitor aircraft servicing processes and simplify them.

In the spotlight
Axis Communications Daren Lang provides some case studies of airports that have realised
the commercial and customer service rewards of intelligent video.

reviously only used for security, video cameras are now also
helping some airports optimise baggage handling, shorten
check-in queues and estimate waiting times for passengers.
At Moscows Sheremetyevo International Airport Russias largest
and busiest airport with more than 26 million passengers each year
for example, the video surveillance system serves not only as a security
solution but also as a means for controlling operations such as
check-in, boarding, luggage loading control and other processes
at all stages of aircraft servicing.
The solution is neat as it simply uses the camera network thats
already in place for security purposes. The Internet Protocol (IP)
cameras installed at the airport generate a single video stream,
which is then processed by two systems security and operational
according to the required tasks and algorithms.
It is the shift from analogue to network cameras that has made the
use of video for non-security applications possible.

24

AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2014

Analogue CCTV cameras sit in a closed system, whereas IP cameras

are connected to an open network system and deliver the video images
digitally over standard IP connections. This means different user groups
can be given access to various parts of the live and/or recorded video
stream from selected cameras.
Based on their user rights, they can view video streams from any device
that is connected to the network, making the video much more accessible.
Being IP-based also allows the cameras to be integrated with other systems
on the network, such as access control or smoke detection systems.
And, as the video is delivered in the form of digital data, it can be
read and processed by intelligent software applications that can, for
instance, automatically detect incidents such as a person entering a
restricted area, a baggage jam or luggage falling off a conveyor belt.
Whats more, network cameras with built-in intelligence capabilities
can not only send automatic alerts but also provide analytics, such as
traffic or passenger statistics including numbers and flow patterns.

SPECIAL REPORT: IT

Understanding customer statistics and conversion rates is key for retailers renting space at the airport.

Live video to everyone

One of the greatest benefits of network video is that it makes it possible
to connect all cameras in an airport to one network.
Being able to virtually place themselves at any location in the
airport and see what is happening at any given time is essential
to a number of user groups apart from airport security, such
as police, customs, border control, flight services and even
airline companies.
Live video from relevant areas provides each of these user groups
with real-time information helping them to make informed decisions
fast to optimise performance and efficiency, such as increasing staff
levels or opening another check-in counter.
Tasks that previously required phone calls or manual checks can
now be handled directly from a computer or even a mobile device.
Munich Airport in Germany already uses IP cameras to
closely monitor aircraft servicing processes and simplify them.
For example, ground and ramp services can use the cameras to
establish whether a plane has docked at the gate, whether the
baggage has been loaded, whether the catering has been delivered
and whether refuelling is completed all without having to physically
go to the gate, make phone calls or use radio communication.
Cameras can also help provide information to the control tower.
Air traffic control can see how many planes are in the queue for
a runway, whether lights on taxiways are working properly, and
whether the runway is clear of snow and obstacles.
In the long-term, network cameras together with modern air
traffic control systems and other computer-based systems that
can be set up and run from any location may even make traditional
air traffic control towers redundant (See page 33).
Tests are ongoing with remote and virtual towers (RVT) for
smaller airports in regions where the air traffic service can be
centralised for efficiency.

Both can be achieved with a better understanding of passenger

numbers and passenger flows, using cameras with built-in
people-counting.
At Lyons Saint Exupry Airport in France, a network video system of
close to 50 cameras is used to give passengers more information as
they move around, including the estimated waiting times between
security checkpoints and in departure lounges.
Beyond improving operations, IP cameras are increasingly used in
airport car parks and retail spaces. The aim is not only to provide a better
passenger experience but also to increase revenue opportunities.
Denver International Airport, in the US, has installed a number of
cameras that include optical character recognition to identify and store
license plate numbers.
When customers lose their parking tickets, attendants can quickly
search the airports data files by license plate number to determine
when a specific vehicle entered the parking lot a feature that helps
prevent revenue loss.
Understanding customer statistics and conversion rates on the other
hand is key to the retailers renting space at the airport. By offering
surveillance as a service to airport concessions as part of the installed
video camera network, as well as valuable footfall statistics, airports
can generate additional revenues and add value for the retailers.
The surveillance as a service model can also be extended to offer
services to other tenants, such as airlines and freight companies.
Ultimately, using network video can help in running a more efficient
and reliable airport: providing the right service to the right airplane at
the right time, getting passengers and their luggage to where they need
to be on time, avoiding flight delays and lost luggage, and opening up
new business opportunities.
As Frdric Besson, information systems project leader at Aroports
de Lyon, puts it: Beyond the satisfaction of the passengers that we
achieve, we can see that the network video solution is a daily work tool that
allows us to enhance our organisation and assist our development. AW

Improving passenger flow

Getting passengers to their gate in time to avoid flight delays is
another key consideration. Shortening waiting times at check-in
or security checks reduces passenger stress and boosts the overall
passenger experience.

About the author

Daren Lang is manager business development Northern Europe at
Axis Communications.

AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2014

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