New robots are set to help travelers decide where to shop, where to eat and how to get to know San Antonio.
After a long day of travel, there’s nothing better than receiving a warm welcome. Now that is guaranteed at the San Antonio International Airport. “Erin” greets you with a smile, and says “enjoy your time at some of our great restaurants!” She’s one of two interactive robots you’ll meet in the airport. Paul McManus designed her to be the ultimate service greeter for tired travelers.
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Interactive robots greet travelers in S.A. Intl. Airport New robots are set to help travelers decide where to shop, where to eat and how to get to know San Antonio.
Author: Savannah Louie Published: 5:20 PM CDT March 30, 2018 Updated: 6:25 PM CDT March 30, 2018 After a long day of travel, there’s nothing better than receiving a warm welcome. Now that is guaranteed at the San Antonio International Airport. “Erin” greets you with a smile, and says “enjoy your time at some of our great restaurants!” She’s one of two interactive robots you’ll meet in the airport. Paul McManus designed her to be the ultimate service greeter for tired travelers.
“It has where to shop and where to eat,” he said. “People can take selfies letting them know that they’re at the San Antonio airport having a good time.” Erin is bilingual. She speaks English and Spanish. She can move around and is expected to cheer up the grumpiest travelers with a touch of her screen. “San Antonio’s all about fun, and this robot is all about fun,” McManus said. She was constructed in six weeks. The short timeline makes San Antonio the second airport in the country to have this type of interactive robot. Airport executive Rich Stinson said she will make the Alamo City’s airport one of the best in the country. “This is going to take our customer experience here and just raise the bar for customers who come through,” said Stinson. “It creates distance between us and all other airports.” The timing couldn’t be better. Erin was given special features for NCAA Final Four weekend. “Different passengers can vote for who’s going to win the Final Four,” explained McManus. “It’ll keep a running tally and get a buzz of who everyone votes for.” The response from travelers has been positive. Within five minutes of Erin’s deployment in Terminal A, she was surrounded by a small crowd.
MAHB managing director Datuk Badlisham Ghazali said KIA’s cashless airport offers multiple digital payment options, which goes in tandem with the company’s digitalisation efforts. — Picture by Azinuddin GhazaliPETALING JAYA, April 2 —
Kuching International Airport (KIA) became the first cashless airport
in the country after an e-wallet app was introduced as part of the state’s digitalisation effort in collaboration with telco company Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd today.
Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said he wanted Sarawak to become a fully developed state in Malaysia and was delighted that operator Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) chose KIA to pilot its cashless airport initiative.
“We want to completely eliminate the urban and rural divide by 2030, however it will be impossible without the intervention of technology.
“Digital connectivity will be the means to achieve this and the success is dependent on the strong collaboration between the government and the private sector,” he said while addressing the importance of the state’s digitalisation efforts at KIA during the launch.
MAHB managing director Datuk Badlisham Ghazali said KIA’s cashless airport offers multiple digital payment options, which goes in tandem with the company’s digitalisation efforts.
“The organisation is undergoing a digital transformation with the use of big data analytics that would allow us to better anticipate foot traffic flows and reduce choke points at airports thus enabling a more passenger-friendly journey,” he said.
KIA registered a total of 5.1 million passenger traffic movement last year, a 3.6 per cent growth compared to 2016 with retailers enjoying higher sales per passenger growth of 5.2 per cent.
Badlisham said MAHB was confident the latest digitalisation initiative will also drive the local economy by boosting sales for the local retailers at KIA, with at least 70 per cent of retailers already on board.
“We wish to embrace the concept by extending our existing collaboration with Alipay to provide cashless convenience to Chinese passengers with other mobile payment platforms to accommodate a larger passenger base at all our international airports,” he said.
Digi’s chief marketing officer, Loh Keh Jiat said Digi was passionate about delivering convenience enabled by digital connectivity to their users, and this partnership showcases the corporation’s support towards the state government’s goal to capitalise on digital technology.
“With the state government embracing financial technology, we believe e-wallet solution will be widely accepted by airport visitors in transforming the state’s economy and move Sarawak towards a cashless society,” he said.
The mobile payment application vcash features an enhanced layer of security in making payments, and can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
Cybersecurity in airports is a topic that isn’t going away;
in fact, it is only gaining in importance as the industry comes together to build more comprehensive cybersecurity programs. Aviation industry groups have recognized this need for both airlines and airports and are working on initiatives focused on preventing cyber attacks.
ACI World has seen a growth in the adoption of cybersecurity measures from highly regulated geographic regions and the topic has been a hot one in their executive meetings. We recently had the opportunity to connect with Antoine Rostworowski, Deputy Director General, Programmes and Services at ACI World for his thoughts on cybersecurity and airports.
Here is what he had to say:
Connected Aviation Editors (CAT): Tell me about the current state of cybersecurity in airports today.
Antoine Rostworowski, Deputy Director General, Programmes and Services at ACI World
Antoine Rostworowski, ACI World (Rostworowski): Cybersecurity measures vary from airport to airport. Many Europeans airports are heavily regulated by their governments regarding cybersecurity, so they have already developed and implemented a cybersecurity program. Other non-regulated airports have also implemented measures, yet it is based on their maturity-level and knowledge of technology.
CAT Editors: Have you found that ACI World members see cybersecurity on the list of top priorities?
Rostworowski: Cybersecurity is an important concern for airports and a top priority for ACI World. This topic was heavily discussed at last year’s ACI World Governing Board meeting in Mauritius. Board members requested ACI World continue to develop various airport cybersecurity support tools to help airports protect their assets and infrastructure against cyber-attacks.
ACI World has already developed certain support tools that are available to its members, such as the Airport IT Security Benchmarking Tool, as well as training. We are currently developing additional tools to continue helping airports in various ways regarding cyber threats. Such additional tools will include new training courses, workshops, and a cybersecurity handbook. In addition, ACI World has already signed an agreement with Munich Airport’s IT Security Hub to offer cybersecurity courses under the ACI Global Training Accredited Institute. As for the IT Security Benchmarking, this tool is available and ready for use by all airports.
ACI World is also working with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to align the Airport Cybersecurity Programme with other Aviation Stakeholders’ Cybersecurity initiatives.
CAT Editors: Are there currently any standards or resources in place to help airports bolster their current cybersecurity practices? Does ACI World have a role here?
Rostworowski: Although there are different cybersecurity standards (National Institute of Standards and Technology-NIST, and International Organization for Standardization-ISO), ACI World will leverage both, as they complement each other. That said, the Airport IT Security Benchmarking Tool is based on ISO 27002 standard.
CAT Editors: How do you see cybersecurity in airports evolving in the future?
Rostworowski: With the increasing importance and proliferation of digital, we believe cybersecurity is a key component for airports of the future.
Interested in contributing your expertise on Connected Aviation Today? Reach out to our editorial team here. You can stay up to date on the latest trends and best practices in connected aviation by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on Twitter.
Smart Airport Market, Growth, Shares, Size, Trends, Players, Technology and Applications with Forecast to 2017 – 2025
Smart Airport Market By Technology ( Security systems, Communication systems, Passenger, cargo & baggage ground handling control, Air/Ground traffic control ), By Location ( Terminal side, Land side, Airside ), By Application ( Aeronautics, Non-aeronautics ), By Service Type ( Smart Airport Processes, Smart Transport and Parking Services, Smart Retail, Hospitality and Entertainment Services, Smart Workplace Services ), Industry Trends, Estimation & Forecast, 2017-2025. In 2017, the Passenger, cargo & baggage ground handling control segment generated the highest revenue share in the global smart airport market. Among major regions, North America was the highest revenue generating market, holding nearly 35% of the market share, in 2017.
“Smart airports are not just intelligent infrastructures, rather they are the amalgamation of airport operators, airlines, ground handlers, passengers, authorities and regulators, who can connect and collaborate by removing the barriers to information flow. However, the real challenge that arises during the implementation of smart airport concept is to provide a hassle free seamless experience while shifting from one channel to another, rather than just providing multiple channels.”
Request sample copy of the report@ https://www.esticastresearch.com/market-reports/smart-airports-market/request-sample
Evolution of airports is revolutionizing the aviation industry by enhancing operations, value and experience
The surging growth of the aviation industry has dramatically evolved the business models and operations carried out at the airports. Airports are no longer just a venue of waiting and passing through to board the flights. They provide passengers the feel of being in the city with areas reserved for entertainment, gathering, and information portals. The evolving family of airports is witnessing a business drift from B2B to B2C, by exploiting the power of emerging and maturing technologies at its full extent.
Smart airports are creating new revenue streams by transforming their business models
The declining airline economics has propelled airport authorities to divert their focus from aeronautical operations to non-aeronautical operations. The income generated from the non-aeronautical operations such as advertising, Wi-Fi, real estate, lounges, duty-free shops, food & beverage providers, and retail shops among few others is high as compared to the income generated by the aeronautical operations. The airport authorities are fusing creativity and digital technology with their business sense, in order to create huge revenue pockets. This is propelling the growth of non-aeronautical application segment in the global smart airport market.
To know more about the report, visit at https://www.esticastresearch.com/market-reports/smart-airports-market
Asia-Pacific to witness an impressive growth rate of 13.8% during the forecast period, owing to surging air passenger volume
Asia-Pacific market is expected to witness high growth rate during the upcoming years, due to the surging number of air passengers travelling to-and from the region. According to IATA, Asia-Pacific is expected to emerge out as the biggest hub for the surging passenger growth. The region is anticipated to host more than half of the new passengers during the upcoming years. China is expected to become a leader in the global aviation market, by displacing U.S., whereas India is expected to replace UK for the third place in the aviation market. Airports in the region are expanding their size and becoming smarter, in order to cater to the growing air passenger volumes. In India, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), is ready to move forward on its way to become a smart airport.
SMART AIRPORT MARKET SHARE BY APPLICATION, 2015-2025
KEY FINDINGS OF GLOBAL SMART AIRPORT MARKET, 2015-2025
• The market would attain a size of around $25 billion by 2025. • In 2017, North America led the global smart airport market in terms of revenue, holding nearly 35% of the total share. • The APAC region would emerge as the largest market by the year 2023. • The airside segment is expected to witness an impressive growth rate of 14.6% during the forecast period.
ASIA-PACIFIC SMART AIRPORT MARKET SHARE BY LOCATION, 2015-2025
Some key market players are Amadeus IT Group SA, Cisco Systems Inc., Honeywell International Inc., International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), QinetiQ Group Plc, Sabre Corporation, Siemens AG, Rockwell Collins Inc., Thales Group, T Systems International GmbH, and SITA.
Read more market reports on defense & aerospace@ https://www.esticastresearch.com/defense-and-aerospace-market-research
RFID Baggage Tracking System for Airlines and Airports. Fully compliant to IATA Resolution 753.
IATA approved Hand to Hand RFID Baggage Tracking System (HHRBTS) for Airlines and Airports, Innovative baggage tracking process fully compliant with IATA Resolution 753.
Hand to Hand RFID Baggage Tracking System provides:
• 99.99% reliability of end-to-end baggage tracking • Faster and safer baggage operations • Reduced baggage mishandling by 25 – 50% • Improved customer experience and confidence • Ability to track baggage of alliance partners
through our events, media and thought leadership efforts we like to stay focused on the future, but as part of our ongoing efforts to help airports and airlines keep on top of the latest products in the marketplace, we were on-site at Passenger Terminal Expo in Stockholm last week, where we were on the lookout for solutions that can improve today’s airport experience.
Before arriving in Sweden we expected some key trends to dominate the expo – including biometric-enabled processing and the use of mobile technology and apps to simplify the passenger experience – and we weren’t disappointed. Here we highlight a selection of the most eye-catching products and services that we found around the show.
Vanderlande’s baggage handling revolution
Koen Evers, FLEET – General Manager, Vanderlande; Ryan Ghee, Editor, Future Travel Experience; and Mark Elliott, Director, Products & Partners, Vanderlande.
Future-proofing baggage handling is a hot topic for airports, especially as the number of passengers and bags being processed continues to rise. Vanderlande has a revolutionary (and we don’t use that term lightly) solution: FLEET. The flexible baggage logistics solution utilises intelligent automated guided vehicle (AGV) technology, which replaces the need for fixed conveyors and sorting systems. Each vehicle within the fleet carries a single bag and determines the most optimal route through the airport for that piece of luggage. A vehicle can also be given priority, which can help to guarantee the on-time delivery of bags to where they need to be.
Here at FTE, we are always on the lookout for solutions that can redefine the way passengers and bags are processed through the airport and FLEET certainly grabbed our attention. Rather than making minor upgrades to existing legacy airport infrastructure, Vanderlande is proposing nothing short of a re-write of the baggage handling rulebook to support the demands of 21st century airport operations. FLEET is already starting to gain buy-in from airports. In fact, Rotterdam The Hague Airport and Vanderlande have just announced a joint innovation project, which will see the Dutch airport host the first live FLEET baggage handling operation.
Huawei’s ICT expertise to support smart digital transformation
Future Travel Experience was invited to the Huawei Global Aviation Summit 2018 in Stockholm, Sweden.
“Huawei wants to bring digital innovation to this industry,” declared Yuan Xilin, President of the Transportation Sector, Huawei. The Chinese company, which has joined IATA’s Strategic Partnerships Program, outlined how it will use its advanced ICT innovations and expertise to help develop smart airports and airlines. Huawei, whose ICT products and services have already been adopted by more than 50 airports, airlines and ATC authorities, clearly has big ambitions in the airport/airline sector. During a dedicated briefing the company disclosed its plans to become the “best partner for aviation digital transformation by providing one-stop ICT solutions to help customers enhance services and create a seamless passenger experience”. Huawei showcased its full suite of ICT solutions, covering aviation hybrid cloud, airport agile network, and airport visualised operations. Rachad Nassar, Business Development and Marketing Manager, added: “We are an enabler…we are providing the nervous system for the smart digital transformation.”
ICTS Europe was showcasing InnerEye, a unique EEG (electroencephalogram) solution designed to facilitate real-time threat analysis of visual data by analysing brainwave activity.
Providing the highest level of security while keeping queues as short as possible is a conundrum that every airport can relate to. During a visit to the ICTS Europe booth, FTE had the opportunity to preview InnerEye – a unique EEG (electroencephalogram) solution designed to facilitate real-time threat analysis of visual data by analysing the brainwave activity of X-ray screeners. InnerEye allows screening staff to view up to three images per second – 15 to 20 times more than current screening methods, explained Uri Antman, CEO of InnerEye. This combination of human visual perception, classification of brainwaves and computer vision algorithms speeds up the process of viewing X-ray images and identifying potential threats, and can therefore significantly enhance efficiency at the airport security checkpoint.
Biometric bag drop
FTE Editor Ryan Ghee met with Rockwell Collins’ Tony Chapman, Senior Director Marketing, Product Management and Strategy.
Biometrics was also a key theme on the Rockwell Collins stand, where the company was showcasing its own biometric-enabled bag drop solution, as Tony Chapman, Senior Director Marketing, Product Management and Strategy, demonstrated. He explained that interest in biometric processing has spiked, largely because the company can now provide tangible use cases. “With the biometric-enabled bag drop, there’s an immediate use case there – we’re doing passport validation on the kiosk and then facial validation on the bag drop so it’s completely self-service. I think everybody’s woken up to the fact that there is a real, immediate use case there,” he said. Chapman and the Rockwell Collins team also revealed that the company has renewed its long-standing partnership with Las Vegas McCarran International Airport. The agreement focuses on Terminal 1 and covers the refresh of more than 170 common use self-service kiosks, self-boarding gates, a local departure control system and ARINC BagLink. A trial of self-service bag drop including RFID bag tag activation is also ongoing.
Stephen Challis, Product Development Lead, SITA, demonstrated the benefits of biometrics.
From biometrics to beacons, SITA showed FTE a raft of products and technologies that can make a positive impact in the airport terminal. Biometric-enabled, self-service bag drop – integrated into the wider single token travel experience – was on show, and Stephen Challis, Product Development Lead, provided FTE with a live demo. “Airlines and airports around the world have invested in self-service and now they can see how they can upgrade to this new level of capability,” he said. The integration of biometrics into self-service touchpoints can help to make air travel more “simple, fast and secure”, he explained. SITA was also showcasing the capabilities of beacons, which could track passengers (who have opted in) in the airport environment and help deliver efficiency benefits to airports and airlines. For example, if a gate is due to close and the airline can see that the passenger is still 20 minutes away, the carrier can make an informed decision as to whether to wait for the passenger or unload their bag and close the flight.
Vision-Box: consistency and modularity
Vision-Box has worked with a gaming company to develop bespoke virtual assistants to help guide passengers through their airport experience.
Vision-Box’s portfolio of self-service, biometric processing solutions now features virtual assistants, which have been developed to help simplify the passenger journey and bring a level of consistency and familiarity to the airport experience. The touchpoints feature digital screens with specially designed characters that can help to guide passengers through the document/biometric check process. “Modularity” is also an important term for the Vision-Box team. A handful of standardised modules can now be freely combined to build versatile biometric touchpoints for any passenger processing purpose, from check-in and bag drop to border control and boarding. “This modularity is very important in order to easily support future updates and upgrades for our customers,” said Aaron Beeson, Director Business Solutions.
Virtual reality airport
Materna has embraced virtual reality technology to help showcase its self-service capabilities.
Selecting new equipment for an airport terminal is one thing, but envisioning what it will look like and how it will affect the passenger experience is a rather different matter. To address this, Materna now offers a virtual reality (VR) showcase, which allows people to experience its self-service solutions in a virtual airport environment and experiment with different options. For instance, you can experience the difference between a one-step and two-step bag drop process, and experiment with various scanning and printing options. As Jana Eull, Senior Marketing Manager, explained, the customisable VR solution can be tailored to the needs of any airline or airport. During our visit to the Materna booth, we also got to experience a new self-service bag tag printer that is being trialled by Lufthansa and is successfully speeding up the bag tag printing process. Also on show was “on the move” biometric technology, which speeds up biometric checks and removes the need for passengers to be stationary while the validation process is undertaken.
Robot concierge
The “robot concierge” solution is being trialled by Deutsche Bahn and Fraport.
On the Scarabee booth, Swedish robotics startup Furhat Robotics introduced FTE to its social robot, which can provide assistance to passengers in the airport terminal. The multi-lingual “robot concierge” can provide information on things like departure times and directions to specific areas within the airport. In fact, the company has just announced a partnership with Deutsche Bahn and Fraport to trial “FRAnny” the robot concierge at Frankfurt Airport. Alexander van Rijn, Brand Manager, Scarabee Aviation Group, explained that Scarabee sees potential in the solution, which could also bring some value to the airport security experience, where travellers often have questions about the process.
Augmented reality airport applications
LocusLabs displayed its augmented reality (AR) wayfinding solution in Stockholm.
LocusLabs, whose information-rich indoor location platform is already in use in over 100 transit hubs, highlighted the benefits of augmented reality (AR) technology to FTE. The first use case relates to wayfinding and involves using AR to provide passengers with turn-by-turn directions through the airport. Campbell Kennedy, CEO and Co-founder, revealed that LocusLab’s AR wayfinding is currently being trialled in major international airports. The second use case is signage translation. The technology allows passengers to view a translated version of airport signage simply by holding their smartphone camera up to the sign – a great tool for passengers who don’t speak the local language.
AR continued…
Cherrypicks also highlighted to FTE how the use of beacons and augmented reality technology can simplify the passenger experience in the airport environment. As Hollie Yeung, Business Analyst, demonstrated, the Starbeacon solution, which has already been deployed at Hong Kong International Airport, allows passengers to navigate their way through the airport with the help of turn-by-turn, augmented reality-enabled wayfinding using their smartphone. Travellers can also translate airport signage into their native language in real-time, thanks to the use of AR technology.
All-in-one app
Monument Tracker has worked with Paris Aéroport to create a bespoke app for people travelling to Paris.
Today’s travellers expect an airport app to provide more than just the latest flight information. With this in mind, Monument Tracker, which is already working with Paris Aéroport, provides airport information, city guides, and booking functionality for everything from airport lounges to destination tours in a single app. The Paris Worldwide app, developed for the operator of Paris-CDG and Orly airports, allows travellers to plan their trip, shortlist places of interest in the city, book tickets for activities like the theatre and city tours, and reserve airport parking, for instance. As Jean-Jacques Lottermoser, CEO of Monument Tracker, explained, the company already offers destination-specific content for 200 cities around the world.
Introducing MYVIA
FTE Editor Ryan Ghee met with Confidex’s Paul Broekhuizen, VP Sales & Marketing and Head of MYVIA, to find out more about the new solution.
Following the official launch of MYVIA by Confidex, FTE caught up with Paul Broekhuizen, VP Sales & Marketing and Head of MYVIA, to find out how the platform can deliver benefits to passengers and staff. The solution, which makes use of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons, provides passengers with wayfinding guidance and supports proximity marketing in the airport terminal. Airports can also benefit from real-time tracking of passengers and assets across the airport. Broekhuizen explained to FTE that MYVIA is a win-win solution because it provides a platform to deliver a more personalised passenger experience and can also boost concession revenues and enhance operational efficiency.
Sleeping solution
Esko Koikkalainen, CFO and Founder of GoSleep, explained to FTE that the company will receive funding from European Innovation Council.
Buoyed by the news that it will receive over €1 million from the European Innovation Council’s fund to support entrepreneurs and small companies, the GoSleep team explained to FTE how its sleeping pods are helping to improve passenger comfort at airports around the world – from Amsterdam to Xi’an. The GoSleep pod provides a private space for passengers to get some rest in the busy airport environment. Travellers can pay by the hour for access to a pod, which provides a fully flat bed, space to store hand luggage, USB port, and a retractable shade to keep out the light and sound from the surrounding environment. “I love the fact that our product can help everyday passengers,” said Esko Koikkalainen, CFO and Founder of GoSleep.
‘Amazon of airport services’
National Aviation Services’ (NAS) Information Technology Project Manager, Mohammed Kettaneh, told FTE that the company has plans for its FastTrack.aero platform to become “the Amazon of airport services”. The platform allows travellers to purchase fast track services at airports around the world, book Meet & Assist, and pre-pay for lounge access. Kettaneh explained that services can be booked at more than 100 airports already – including the likes of Abu Dhabi and Dubai International – and discussions are ongoing to add more airports to the network. For airports, the platform provides a double boost in the sense that it can provide passengers with easy access to services that can improve their experience, while generating revenue from services that passengers may otherwise have overlooked.
One look, two biometrics
Among the innovations on show on the Idemia stand was the new OneLook solution.
Idemia, whose trusted biometric identification and authentication solutions can be found in Changi Airport’s self-service-centric Terminal 4, highlighted its new OneLook solution. OneLook enables seamless face and iris capture on the spot, providing fast, two-pronged biometric trusted identification. “One look, two biometrics” is how Idemia’s Pierre Bonjour summarised the product to FTE. Also on show were the MorphoWave and MorphoFace solutions, which use fingerprint and facial recognition technology respectively to secure and expedite passenger processing.
DIY processing
FTE caught up with the ICM Airport Technics team, who off the back of the recent announcement that its self-service bag drop system is now live in Sydney Airport’s Terminal 1 International, were showcasing the bag drop portfolio. During the show, Heathrow Airport revealed its own plans around self-service bag drop, for which it has also partnered with ICM. The London hub will deploy as many as 255 self-service bag drop units across terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5, as well as more than 350 self-boarding gates.
Digital revenue streams
Heathrow also revealed that AOE’s OM³, or Omnichannel Multi-Merchant Marketplace, platform is now live. This allows the airport to digitalise its non-aeronautical revenue streams, and 300 luxury brands can now share their products with Heathrow’s passengers, providing greater choice within the current Reserve and Collect service. The OM³ platform is also being utilised by Frankfurt and Auckland airports, as well as Singapore Airlines.
Artificial intelligence has been around for a long time.
However recent advances in machine learning and access to cloud computing have allowed organisations to implement effective AI solutions. In 2016, Dan Olley, famed CTO of Elsevier said: “If CIOs invested in machine learning three years ago, they would have wasted their money. But if they wait another three years, they will never catch up.” In the airport sector AI bots have a wide variety of valuable uses from reserving and paying for parking, to delivering micro-targeted marketing messages. Download ebo’s whitepaper to discover how AI Bots can revolutionise customer communications, cut costs and drive growth for airports.
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has expanded its agreement with air transport IT provider SITA that will allow the company to install its baggage management solution, BagManager, at 15 airports across India.
Once installed, BagManager will provide the airports with real-time data on the status of passengers’ baggage, reducing the possibility of baggage mishandling.
The 15 airports where baggage handling systems will be installed are Trivandrum, Calicut, Mangalore, Tirupati, Chennai, Madurai, Kolkata, Goa, Lucknow, Jaipur, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Trichy and Ahmedabad.
Under the terms of the expanded agreement, the AAI will also install SITA Airport Management Solution at Goa and Lucknow airports, bringing the total count of Indian airports using this technology to 12.
Airports Authority of India chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra said: “As passenger traffic increases across India, we need to be smarter in the way we manage our airports and smart technology is the answer.
“SITA’s experience in India and its solutions make it possible to manage our network of airports in a more efficient and effective way, delivering a better service to our passengers while accommodating rapidly rising passenger numbers.”
Featuring a suite of integrated software applications, SITA Airport Management Solution supports and enhances airport operations from landside to airside and throughout landing and take off.
The latest move follows the implementation of SITA’s BagManager at Kolkata and Chennai Airports in 2015. The deployment of the baggage solution will also enable AAI’s customer airlines to comply with IATA Resolution 753 by tracking bags across important points in the journey.
The AAI, which manages 126 airports, continues to invest in new airport infrastructure and technology across the country to meet increasing passenger traffic.
Wondering when and where you can legally fly your drone?
The Federal Aviation Administration has set up a site with answers as well as links for registering drones and applying for a Remote Pilot Certification.
The FAA requires the certification for people who want to fly drones as part of their work or business and, in some circumstances, if they fly them recreationally. Drone operators have to register their Unmanned Aircraft Systems regardless of whether they’re flying them for fun or profit. People who already have a pilot’s license can complete an online course to get their remote pilot certificate. Everyone else has to take a test at one of the FAA’s approved testing sites. Locally, that mainly comes down to two sites at the Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin. A complete list of testing sites is available on the FAA site. The site also includes a study guide and sample questions to help people prepare for the test.
