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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.

Hamburg Airport Launches Self Bag Drop Solution

January 31, 2018
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Hamburg Airport Launch Self Bag Drop Kiosks | Airports NewsPassengers flying out of Germany’s Hamburg Airport with KLM, Air France and easyJet, will now be able to enjoy an enhanced travel experience with the introduction of ten Self Bag Drop kiosks, unveiled officially for use last week.

The Director of Aviation at the airport, Johannes Scharnberg, notes that the kiosks, provided by a German supplier, have already been a success and said, ‘Already after just a short period of operation, we can see that our passengers are not having any problems with the new equipment.  And we are very happy with the system’s stability. Many of our passengers have already discovered the benefits of the kiosks for themselves and given us very positive feedback.’

Self service applications are growing in popularity for airports of all sizes around the world, increasing efficiency, improving passenger experience and moving towards a seamless airport passenger processing system.

The Self Bag Drop kiosks will eventually serve more airlines, with common-use technology and the added benefits of cost-sharing. Airport operators can also optimise resource management within the entire airport environment using self-service applications.

More than 80% of airport check-ins now happen away from the traditional terminal counter, as more and more passengers use the online check-in facility offered by most airlines. Travellers are gaining greater control of their journey and can arrive later at the airport terminal than ever before. The use of Self Bag Drop means that passengers can simply arrive with a pre-printed boarding pass, which can be scanned and used within the kiosks to produce a baggage tag that the passenger can attach themselves and send the baggage through for security screening and automated transfer to the aircraft.

Rockwell Collins’ ARINC Self Bag Drop solution – ARINC SelfDrop – can process tagged bags in as little as 10 seconds, making a clear case for enhanced efficiency and promising to transform airport terminals on a truly global scale.

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.

New Duty Free Store Opens at Gatwick Airport in Time for Christmas

December 8, 2017
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new-duty-free-gatwickTravellers from Gatwick Airport will be able to enjoy a new shopping experience this year, as the operators opened a brand new duty free store.

Now, passengers can access the World Duty Free store as they leave security, giving them an opportunity to complete their seasonal shopping. The new retail area covers just shy of 2,000 square metres, and replaces the former store in a new location.

Much research has gone into the new duty free store, and this includes the use of some of the latest innovations in technology to help create a personalised experience for shoppers. The layout of the store has been carefully decided, to ensure shoppers have options to suit their own way of browsing. They will be able to find what they are looking for quickly under the new system, or equally, they will be able to browse at a slower pace to suit the time they have available.

Inside the new retail development is the addition of a dedicated beauty area measuring an impressive 628 square metres. The beauty area will feature new brands to Gatwick Airport, and a wide choice for shoppers with boutique stands from Chanel, Lancome, Clarins and Clinique to name a few. There are also make up, fragrance and skincare ‘zones’, stocked by some of the best brands in the world, and staffed with specialists to ensure a premium shopping experience akin to some of the world’s best designer High Street areas.

The selection of spirits in the retail area has also changed, as Gatwick embrace some of the UK’s best brands, such as the local ‘Silent Pool’ gin, distilled in Surrey, and local whiskies. The tasting bar is already proving popular to travellers, and the new digital signage offers the retailers the chance to entice shoppers through the doors with personalised content and dynamic updating.

The introduction of the latest innovations is opening up a new world to shoppers, who are able to interact with the technology to make their decisions, even including a comparison application for fashion that can be used with social media platforms.

With a massive selection of quality brands for toys, watches, jewellery, sunglasses, Fortnum and Mason hampers and more, passengers travelling from Gatwick will need to arrive early!

Frankfurt Airport Opens New Departures Hall for Christmas Holidays

November 20, 2017
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New Departure Hall B Opens at FRA | Airports NewsFrankfurt Airport’s new Departures Hall B within Terminal One has been completed and opened in time to give passengers a new departure experience over the Christmas holiday season.

Travellers will now be able to enjoy freshly-baked bread and pizzas around the clock in the new Airport Bistro, in addition to new, comfortable waiting areas, concept lighting and brand new information desk.

Airport operators, Fraport, are delighted with the new facility, and hope that passengers will enjoy the new meeting, waiting, eating and passenger information areas.

The new departure hall has the addition of careful planting, and the new areas have been created with an enhanced passenger experience in mind. Frankfurt Airport already offers an exclusive shopping experience, with many top designer stores on site, such as Versace and Pfueller, superb duty-free areas and a personal shopper service.

Find out more about Frankfurt Airport here.

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

October 23, 2017
Business Aviation News
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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.

Toronto Pearson International Airport to Get New Bag Drop System

October 20, 2016
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Improving Passenger Facilitation with Self-Service Bag Drop | Business Aviation NewsToronto Pearson International Airport has announced that it is to implement a new self-service bag drop system to improve operational productivity and passenger experience.

Canada’s largest airport, who saw 41 million passengers through its gates in 2015, look forward to automating the baggage handling process, which is set to give airlines greater flexibility, and improve the efficiency of the entire check-in process for passengers, who can use mobile devices to check-in online and download their boarding passes.

All over the world, international airports are seeking new, technologically-advanced methods to streamline the passenger processing systems; making the process easier and less time-consuming for travellers, while maintaining critical airport security and improving resource management.

Providers of airport passenger facilitation systems, such as Rockwell Collins, are driven by IATA standards, the need to increase passenger experience, and the use of biometric solutions to ensure airport security remains of paramount importance.

The automation of baggage handling systems in airports is the way forward, giving passengers greater control of their journeys, cutting waiting time and reliance on IT infrastructure, and improving passenger flow with identity management solutions.

With more than 80% of the world’s airline passenger traffic now checking in online, and arriving at the airport with pre-printed boarding passes, it is clear that automation, and the introduction of self-service bag drop features is set to change the way the public travel.