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End-to-End Information Technology to Improve Passenger Experience

Elbson Quadros - SITA
Vice President for Latin America Airports
Home > Infrastructure > View from the Top

End-to-End Information Technology to Improve Passenger Experience

Alex Covarrubias - SITA
Vice President for Airport Business in Latin America of Airports
Alex Covarrubias

STORY INLINE POST

Wed, 11/01/2017 - 14:48

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Q: What differentiates SITA from other IT companies?

AC: SITA belongs to the airline community. This gives us a unique understanding of these companies’ business processes and how to improve efficiency. Our goal is to work with different organizations to define industry standards.

EQ: We are passionate about the industry. We work closely with airlines, airports and governments and are helping them improve their processes. All our efforts aim to help generate success and to make passengers happy. What differentiates us is our extensive experience and familiarity with all players in the sector, which permits us to pinpoint their needs and create solutions for them.

Q: How do you envision the airport of the future and what role will technology play in its development?

EQ: An airport is all about passenger experience. SITA aims to make the passenger’s trip as pleasant as possible, which involves a significant amount of technology and services. For passengers, the check-in process, baggage documentation and security checks are the most stressful parts of traveling. To make their journey more straightforward we have created automated services to eliminate the long periods of time spent standing in lines. We have innovated in self-service technology for many years and are now incorporating kiosks for automated immigration, check-in and luggage drop.

There are many steps that travelers never see, such as managing many different processes simultaneously, including flight operations, catering, maintenance and clearing. This area, called airport management technologies, ensures flights take off and land on time. A new area involves the personalized services airports provide to passengers. Many people want to use mobile technology to have greater control of their trip, so we inform passengers of the status of their flight and the location of their luggage. These perks improve the passenger experience.

AC: Airport technology efficiency focuses on how passengers and luggage are managed. Using technology at the core of these processes can generate revenue for airports and reduce costs for passengers, which can in turn make airports more competitive. Since NAICM aims to become a hub for the region, it could greatly benefit from incorporating this technology to be efficient and competitive.

UT: Infrastructure constitutes a significant part of any country’s GDP. This airport is going to be the second largest in the world, so its construction will boost the economy. Also, its location in the middle of the Americas makes it an excellent entry point to Latin America from Europe and Asia and vice versa.

Q: In which areas can SITA support NAICM’s construction?

EQ: NAICM will need to develop a comprehensive road map for its construction to become a gateway to Mexico City. We already provide services for AICM, the Cancun International Airport (AIC) and all airlines operating in Mexico so we are well-informed about the sector’s needs. We are preparing to participate in the airport’s technology bids because we want to bring the same improved technologies to NAICM.

UT: SITA analyzes different technologies and passenger needs to streamline trips through airport infrastructure. We are wellacquainted with the processes involved and study how to improve them for various passenger profiles. We would like our role to be ensuring that technology is in place and fully integrated. Our goal also is to provide our expertise in master systems integration and to support operators as they move from the old airport to the new location. SITA is also focused on sustainability, so we can help the airport acquire LEED and other certifications.

AC: Technology is often installed after the construction of an airport but it should be incorporated much earlier in the process. The earlier that technology is incorporated into the design the better for the airport’s long-term prospects. Having a single integrated program managing all technological aspects of construction from the very start is important. Internally, we have prepared strategies to support NAICM’s construction and our team is excited to be able to participate in the tenders of this project. Airports last for decades so it is necessary to incorporate sufficient flexibility into their design to adapt to future needs.

Q: What impact will NAICM have on its neighbors and how could SITA support a streamlined incorporation of technology in the area?

UT: NAICM will impact the entire city but the area surrounding the airport will feel this impact the most. We are preparing to offer NAICM a service that can integrate all the technological needs of the airport, the surrounding area and the transport system linking the airport with all neighboring streets. We call this the “Aerotropolis.” Businesses located around the airport will provide services so we are studying how to develop IT systems to serve this part of society.

AC: Creating an Aerotropolis around the airport will increase commercial revenue both for the airport and the surrounding area, provided it caters to users’ needs. But technology changes each year so our challenge is to develop a product for the area surrounding NAICM that can sustain the evolution of technology throughout its lifetime and still be modern when the processes are operational in 2020.

Q: Which airports are incorporating this end-to-end service and how do you foresee its incorporation into NAICM?

AC: NAICM’s team is incorporating recommendations from industry experts and working with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to get input from airlines on improving passenger processing. SITA works with all Mexican airlines, mapping their needs within this collaborative environment to ensure we implement the right processes and systems. We are also working with Jet Blue and Miami International Airport to implement biometrics technology. Its installation requires a collaborative effort between airports, airlines and government entities. IATA has been closely advising airports about the implementation of processes and technology and SITA has held workshops with airlines for the last three years, preparing them for the introduction of technologies like self-tagging facilities.

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