"Smart" airports can accommodate more passengers



[ad_1]

AFP / Farnborough

With the increase in air traffic, some airports, at the edge of congestion, are modernized using digital technology and artificial intelligence, to improve the passenger flow through the interaction of the users themselves.

"In the next 10 years, if nothing changes, at least 200 airports in the world will be structurally unable to meet demand," says Sergio Colella, president of Sita Europe, technology branch and digital innovation in the air sector.

By 2036 at the latest, the number of passengers will have doubled in a context of rising middle classes in emerging countries, development of low-cost airlines and air links.

In Europe, several large airports, such as Frankfurt or London Heathrow, are already saturated and suffer from limited expansion due to environmental imperatives or lack of space.

From online registration or automatic terminals – already extended – to biometric sending – which Sita has tested at Boston's Logan Airport -, going through the check-in automatic baggage, border crossing – reading the authorized passport – parking (when a robot parks the car), digital technology seeks to optimize the flow of passengers to avoid queues, absorb more passengers and save space .

According to Sita, self-service teams are already present in more than 20% of airports. Emerging companies compete with imagination and, if the technology already exists, it remains only to "identify and integrate the most relevant use cases", according to Jean-Baptiste Nau, expert in Wavestone cabinet air transport and co-author of a future airport study. "

The only thing that continues to cause congestion and for which no solution has been found, for the sake of it. Now, these are the security checks, the border inspection posts (PIF).

"Everyone dreams of a tunnel-like post, which would sweep the passengers and their baggage without stopping them. . But we are still far from that, because of the complexity of the controls that must be carried out, "says Nau.

Regarding mobility, some airports are testing passenger tracking with the help of the smartphone. With this system, the traveler can be located and the traveler receives personalized information in real time – for example, a change of boarding gate – through an application or with sensors distributed by the airport .

In addition, artificial intelligence can also be applied to anticipate the consequences of weather changes, strikes, traffic jams, work; inform the passenger and thus better manage the flow. A digital tracking of the passenger can also be used to obtain additional income.

In 2015, the fees paid by the airlines decreased and accounted for only 55% of airport receipts.

[ad_2]
Source link