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Birmingham Airport Investments to Improve Passenger Experience

February 27, 2018
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Birmingham Airport Passenger Experience Investments | Airports NewsIn readiness for a busy summer period, Birmingham Airport has announced its investments to improve passenger experience in the journey through the airport, including new flight information displays and digital signage, redevelopment of security areas, boarding gates and a refurb of the current passenger waiting areas for boarding and security.

The whole airport site will enjoy some investment, as new restaurants and eateries, retail areas and a new 178-room Hilton Garden Inn are set to open later this year.

The major airport hub has experienced record growth, as have many airports around Europe during last year alone. This year will also see new long-haul routes for Birmingham, including to New York, Toronto and Boston, in addition to more short-haul destinations.

Airports all over the world are now putting more importance on passenger experience, and investments are becoming commonplace as passenger traffic increases. Infrastructure investment has been key during the last decade, to ensure a scalable approach is taken to rising passenger numbers, increasing mandatory regulations and the surge in passenger expectation.

Birmingham airport has confirmed that additional staff will be recruited in key ‘front-of-house’ locations, and the latest in digital signage will be in place before the beginning of the busy summer season.

New Humanoid Staff Member at Munich Airport

February 22, 2018
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FMG,Pepper Roboter,Flughafen MünchenPassengers using Munich Airport at the moment will be greeted by its newest staff member, affectionately known as Josie Pepper. Josie is the first humanoid robot equipped with artificial intelligence, and Munich Airport and Lufthansa are very proud of her.

Josie Pepper stands just over a metre tall, and she is on duty in Terminal 2, greeting passengers as they arrive, and helping them with their enquiries. According to her creators, Josie has ‘sparkling round eyes and a pleasant voice,’ and is currently working within a test phase to gauge passenger reactions to her.

Josie has been hailed as ground-breaking, and she actually speaks to passengers, not just delivering pre-defined speech, but with a ‘brain’ that interacts with airport data via the cloud.

The idea is that she will ‘learn’ about airport systems and will gradually become more proficient with her answers to passenger questions. The system is believed to steadily improve as she learns more, which will lead to more detailed responses over time.

Josie was named by airport staff when she arrived, and was created by SoftBank Robotics, a French company. She speaks fluent English and is equipped with IBM Watson IoT artificial intelligence.

ACI Europe Concerns Include Brexit and Airline Protectionism

February 1, 2018
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ACI Europe concerns over Brexit and protectionism | Airport BlogACI Europe delivered an overview of its ‘burning issues’ last month in the annual New Year Reception in the European Parliament.

Although optimism remains high about traffic growth, and ACI Europe reaffirmed its support for more ‘Open Skies’, concerns remain in place about the potential impacts of Brexit and about airline protectionism.

Dr Michael Kerkloh, CEO of Munich Airport and President of ACI Europe, addressed the gathering to voice fresh warnings and concerns that also mentioned the ‘self-serving nature of [airline protectionism] the current campaign for more airport charges regulation.

Brexit concerns

Following the reception, ACI Europe’s board met with EC Task Force 50 to talk about Brexit impacts on the aviation industry across Europe. The first phase of Brexit negotiations have delivered a small sense of relief for UK and EU airports, who are glad that there appears to be some form of support of a transition period, but Dr Kerkloh remains concerned that the risk of a ‘no-deal’ scenario are still very real. He said, ‘For now, we still remain completely in the dark as to what will happen at the end of the transition. One thing is pretty clear though – the political dynamics shaping these negotiations are very much at odds with business interests.’

Dr Kerkloh added that ACI Europe has repeatedly stressed, since the beginning of the Brexit negotiation process, that there is a ‘need to keep the most liberal aviation regime between the UK and the EU – to safeguard air connectivity.  Anything more restrictive than the current Single Aviation Market will come at a cost.  There is just no winning alternative.’

Open Skies

ACI Europe has concerns over EU Regulation 868/2004 on unfair trading practices in European aviation. As staunch supporters of the Open Skies initiative, ACI Europe, according to Dr Kerkloh, ‘We are worried that some are trying to use the revision of Regulation 868 to advance a protectionist agenda.  Don’t get me wrong: Open Skies need to go hand in hand with fair competition and we do support the Commission proposal. But the rules must be crystal clear and specific – they should not be open to different interpretations.  Also, Regulation 868 should be triggered only when damage is demonstrated and only as a last resort – after all other applicable dispute resolution mechanisms have been exhausted.  These are essential safeguards to prevent abuses in the use of this Regulation and maintain trust with our trading partners internationally.’

Airport charges

Currently, the European Commission is evaluating the EU Directive on airport charges, and Dr Kerkloh unequivocally defined what needs to be at the very heart of this evaluation. He said, ‘These new market dynamics need to be at the core of the evaluation.  That means that the evaluation must resolve the contradiction in policy approaches between airport charges and State aid.  The Commission’s own State aid rules and the European Court of Justice have already acknowledged the reality of airport competition.  So, I have a very simple question: How can we be told that airports compete when it comes to looking at State Aid, but that airports suddenly no longer compete when it comes to dealing with airport charges?’

Acquisition of Rockwell Collins Overwhelmingly Approved by Shareowners

January 25, 2018
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Rockwell Collins Special Meeting Over Acquisition | Aviation NewsIt has been announced that Rockwell Collins shareowners voted overwhelmingly in favour of the UTC acquisition in the special meeting that took place earlier this month. More than 96% of the votes cast during the meeting were cast in support of the proposition, which represented over 72% of all shares of common stock.

Kelly Ortberg, President and CEO of Rockwell Collins said, ‘Shareowners have made clear their support for this acquisition, bringing it one step closer to reality. As Collins Aerospace, we’ll be a stronger company, with attractive aerospace product and service portfolios, and ultimately, better positioned for long-term success.’

Now the proposed acquisition will require regulatory approval, and customary closing condition will need to be met, but the transaction to create the new UTC business, Collins Aerospace Systems, is expected to be completed before the end of the year.

Maldives Airports to Deploy Rockwell Collins’ ARINC vMUSE to Improve Passenger Processing Experience

December 28, 2017
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Common Use Passenger Processing System in the Maldives | Airports NewsThe Maldives Airports Company Ltd (MACL) has announced that Velana International Airport and Gan International Airport (GAN) are now using Rockwell Collins’ ARINC vMUSE passenger processing platform in a bid to improve passenger experience and airport security in the region.

Velana renewed its existing contract with the aviation industry giant, and GAN has signed a brand-new agreement for the provision of the efficient, cost-effective check-in solution.

ARINC vMUSE is increasing check-in speeds and simplifying the entire process at airports of all sizes around the world. With the Maldives’ tourism industry growing even more busy, there has never been a better time to improve critical airport processes, and the Rockwell Collins Common Use Passenger Processing System (CUPPS) has a proven track record across the board, offering airlines cost-sharing applications, options for off-site check-in and more.

The M.D. of MACL, Mr Adil Moosa, said ‘We have embarked on the biggest project in the history of Maldives to develop MLE. More than a billion-dollar (U.S.) investment was made to improve the airport infrastructure. Tourism is the largest industry in the Maldives so our airports, and the experience our passengers have, is incredibly important to our overall economy.’

Using Common Use airport innovations, airport operators can strengthen and consolidate infrastructure without making additional investments in this area. With web-based, proven platforms and robust system architecture, Rockwell Collins solutions offer access to next-generation technological solutions, using existing hardware, or off-the-shelf peripherals.

Rockwell Collins Shareholders to Meet and Vote on Acquisition Proposals in January 2018

December 15, 2017
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Rockwell Collins Special Meeting Over Acquisition | Aviation NewsFollowing the recent announcement of Rockwell Collins’ proposed acquisition by United Technologies Corp., a special meeting of shareholders is to take place on January 11, 2018, when a vote will be taken on the proposals in connection with the deal.

The details are currently lodged with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the form of a definitive proxy statement and prospectus filed by the two companies at the beginning of December. All Rockwell Collins shareholders will be entitled to vote, providing they were on record by the end of play on December 8, 2017. This document will be sent separately to shareholders directly.

This special meeting will handle the shareholder vote only, and will not affect the scheduled Annual Meeting of Shareowners on February 1, 2018.

Border Control and Brexit – What Will Happen?

November 28, 2017
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passenger-processing

As the UK prepares to leave the European Union, uncertainty is still very much the biggest challenge for those speculating about the impacts of the decision.

The Brexit campaign centred on border control, and the promise that the UK would regain control of her borders, yet as the debates continue, the only certainty that remains is that the impact on border control will be determined by the UK’s position within the European Economic Area, and any decisions made on free movement of people and goods.

With little more than a year to go, the challenges that may be faced need to be addressed now, if major delays or flight cancellations are to be avoided.

Although a ‘business as usual’ approach is being discussed, it is impossible to judge the true impact until firm decisions have been made. Speculation states that the following additional measures and challenges may appear:

  • Additional clearance approval – this is likely to occur for UK citizens travelling throughout the EU
  • Visa completion – a likely addition for citizens on both sides of the border
  • Ground delays – these will be likely, as additional border control clearance processes are carried out
  • Longer queues – these are inevitable, at least during the early stages, as pressure increases on border control personnel
  • Increased security checks on cargo and goods – the removal of tariff-free trade agreements will inevitably increase the time spent on checks. Currently, paperwork checks are seamless and minimal under the EU guidelines
  • Longer waiting times for cargo trucks – an inevitable by-product of additional security and paperwork checks. Current infrastructure could struggle with additional pressure
  • Rising costs – again, inevitably, additional resources, time and regulatory approval will drive up the cost of moving goods and passengers around the UK and the EU

Although these challenges could pose major problems for the countries on either side of the UK border, the introduction of advanced technology and solutions could help to minimise the impact of additional security measures. The latest advancements and applications are designed to maintain maximum efficiency, while ensuring compliance at regulatory level.

There is little doubt that the aviation industry, travellers and manufacturers will feel the initial effects of Brexit, taking a hit to infrastructural demand. It remains to be seen whether decisions can be made quickly to enable operators to put the solutions in place in time.

TSA Approves First ACSTL Trace Detection System

November 13, 2017
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Trace Detection System Approved by TSA | Airport Security NewsIt has been announced that the TSA has approved the first trace detection system on the Air Cargo Screening Technology List (ACSTL).

The portable system has been designed to detect tiny quantities of explosives within moments, in addition to the capability of detecting trace amounts of narcotics like fentanyl.

The flexible trace detection system has the ability to operate using batteries to enable seamless operation within a dynamic environment, and is perfect for screening cargo ‘on-the-go’ kerbside.

Plans are now in place to submit the trace detection system for testing and approval at other airport checkpoints, further improving security screening. The new system has been designed to operate in a similar way to previous versions, reducing the training time needed for the new devices. The provider also suggests that the units are easier to maintain, and will save time and resources over their lifespan.

Physical security in airports of all sizes around the world is increasing, and the pressures are growing for operators with mandatory regulations. Operators are looking towards the latest airport security technology to improve operations, increase efficiency and flexibility, while maintaining the highest levels of security within the airport environment.

Proven systems and solutions need to be in place to enable operators to rise to meet the challenges the latest security mandates and security threats place on the aviation industry. A wide range of security measures must be met, including:

  • Access management
  • Intrusion detection
  • Biometric identity management
  • Vehicle and personnel identification
  • Explosive detection
  • Narcotics detection
  • And much more.

Physical security solutions providers are embracing the latest technology to ensure airport operators can achieve maximum security at every level, and meet the mandatory requirements without creating undue ground delays that can result in fines and a reduction in passenger experience.

Solutions such as the trace detection system can help airport ground handling personnel to confidently expedite cargo, while maintaining efficiency and operational productivity.

New Security Measures for US Airports

October 29, 2017
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airport security measures UKThe US has begun a series of new security measures this week, which will focus on the threat of hidden explosives.

Passengers and their devices will be given extra attention at airports across the US operating commercial flights into the country, which could spell security checks and interviews during the departure process.

Passengers planning to fly to the US have been advised to attend airports up to three hours before departure to allow for the additional security measures.

Earlier this year, the US government announced a temporary ban on electronic devices larger than a phone carried in cabin baggage from eight specified countries. This latest move is much wider, and follows fears that an attack by terrorists could be likely, using an explosive device concealed within an ordinary laptop or other electronic device.

Manchester Airport Transformation Program to Keep Passengers Dry and Maximise Turnaround Management

October 23, 2017
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Global Airports News | Manchester Airport ImprovementsManchester Airports Group (MAG) will install new passenger bridges to enhance and improve aircraft boarding and turnaround management as a part of its plans in the Manchester Airport Transformation Program – a project that will see around £1 billion in investment.

The plan for the new passenger boarding bridges will roll out gradually over 2018 and 2019, and are set to deliver greater flexibility and efficiency to the airport turnaround management. Additionally, passengers will receive welcome relief from the UK weather, being completely protected within the new bridges, which will be enclosed with glass sides.

Aircraft turnaround management is a critical process, which can lead to expensive ground delays if not handled to its greatest effect. Many global airports employ a turnaround system in real time, and some have mobile capabilities, such as Rockwell Collins’ ARINC AirTQM, for example.

MAG’s grand plan for Manchester Airport, which will continue until 2020, will give the airport greater capacity to handle 45 million passengers annually, almost 20 million more than it can today.

Airports across the globe are focussing increasingly on passenger experience and customer service. A seamless airport experience is being worked towards all over the world, and is challenging for airports of all sizes, particularly in the current climate, with security at the top of all priority lists. Delays and queuing are constantly monitored with passenger experience high on the agenda.

The new passenger boarding bridges at Manchester Airport are expected to increase efficiency initially at Pier one of Terminal two, and should, once the project is completed, help Manchester Airport to achieve greater efficiency and enhance productivity considerably.