The fast-paced, intricate world of airports leaves leaders grappling with increasingly complex challenges: ineffective communication and siloed data. AeroCloud’s recent Getting on the Runway to Growth report has underscored this as a prevalent barrier to operational efficiency in the industry, with 48% of worldwide airport leaders citing poor communication as a key challenge.
Understanding Communication Complexities
Communication hurdles within airports are multifaceted. These facilities are complicated ecosystems where multiple teams across various areas must collaborate with internal employees and external stakeholders, such as airlines and contractors. Check-in staff, ground handlers, catering staff and cleaning crews all play pivotal and overlapping roles in ensuring smooth operations. Clear lines of communication with passengers are also essential to provide the best travel experience possible.
Furthermore, airports’ physical enormity adds another layer of complexity to communication. Larger, busier airports face even greater communication issues, as highlighted by our research, with 62% of airports grossing more than £1 billion per year citing communication as a key operational challenge.
The dynamic, ever-changing nature of an airport exacerbates the communication challenge as constant comings and goings necessitate rapid adjustments at short notice. Since the pandemic, flight delays have become ‘the norm’, with the Civil Aviation Authority reporting that 32% of flights from UK airports were cancelled or delayed in the first five months of 2023. Without a singular source of truth, something not provided by legacy airport management systems, information accuracy diminishes rapidly, leading to slow and disjointed collaboration among stakeholders.
The Current Landscape
Despite rapid digital transformation in other sectors, AeroCloud’s research reveals a surprising reliance on basic programmes within airports. Two-fifths (40%) are still using Word and Excel to store and manage critical operational information, such as for gate management and remain overnights (RONs).
This outdated approach to storing, managing and sharing means that vital and complex information is out of date as soon as any small change occurs and margins for human error are introduced. Furthermore, antiquated tools increase the risk of disruption due to miscommunication or lack of communication as stakeholders may be excluded from accessing the data they require as they need it. The lack of visibility of information can be especially challenging for staff members that don’t work at a desk, as it is generally only accessible from computers and not mobile devices.
As well as business becoming more digitised, passengers themselves have also undergone rapid digital transformation. They expect accurate, up-to-date information, whether this is on flight information display screens (FIDs), or via more advanced technologies such as push notifications to their phones. This is especially important when watching for changing flight information.
Democratizing Data with the Cloud
Our research exposes an apparent disconnect among leaders in their perception of the scale of the communication issue and the knowledge of how to solve it. While 60% acknowledge that failure to invest in technology has a significant risk to future growth and operational efficacy, just 30% say that cloud-based airport operations management software could significantly improve operations. This awareness gap among stakeholders is possibly due to limited proven value of such platforms on the market.
To create and maintain smooth operations and effective communication channels, all stakeholders, including bag handlers, check-in desks, gate planners, retail concessions and airlines, call for access to accurate, real-time data. The most effective way to achieve this is a cloud-based single source of truth fed by live data. Through these platforms, leaders, airport employees and third parties can all access data, receive notifications of updates to flight operations and effectively communicate between themselves.
Marcus Session, Vice President of Information Technology Services at Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, which runs Tampa International Airport (TPA), said that before switching to a cloud-native operations platform, tenants and ground operators had to look at flight information displays (FIDS) to know about changes. Now they are immediately alerted to irregular operations and diversions through the platform, giving more insight and time to plan effectively around scheduling changes.
Unified cloud-native operations platforms offer an ideal, viable solution for airports. They centralise processes and enable real-time data sharing, extending permissions as far as external contractors. Airport operations software enhances the visibility of operational data from any device anywhere in the airport, supporting better decision-making powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Cloud hubs act as the brain of the airport, storing crucial information on flight schedules, gate management and more, ensuring workforces have the data they need at their fingertips.
With this data, airport leaders across all teams can plan and adapt, managing operational efficiencies and therefore costs by having the right number of people in the right places at the right time. This subsequently delivers exceptional passenger experiences for those travelling through the airport.
Communicating Through Chaos
Cloud-based platforms simplify the day-to-day management and communication for airport leaders, but the technology has proved to be truly invaluable in the face of major disruptions that lie outside of the airport’s control. A prime example of this is extreme weather events and the case of Sarasota-Bradenton Airport (SRQ) is a model instance.
When Tropical Storm Elsa unleashed rain and flooding on Florida in the summer of 2021, many airports in the region were forced to close and divert inbound flights to assure passenger safety. With an average of around 450 flights inbound to SRQ each day, the task of tracking flight diversions and cancellations and subsequently communicating this internally and with customers could have been monumental.
However, the airport had recently invested in cloud-based airport management software. As air carriers began cancelling flights in and out of SRQ, the system simplified tracking these changes making it easier for staff to answer passenger inquiries about flight status, which is one of the most challenging pre-storm issues that airports encounter.
Evan Knighting, Senior VP and Chief Information Officer at SRQ said, “Compared to last time something like this happened, communication was so much better, and we saved so much wasted time. People didn’t need to chase down information, and we didn’t have passengers and tenants waiting around for any updates.”
Sharing the Power of Data Analytics
Due to the intricacies of airports, leveraging data analytics through the integration of AI and ML presents a significant opportunity to improve airport operations, but these insights are most powerful when they can be used by all relevant members of the workforce. Cloud-native solutions informed by data give access to crucial information and empower every member of the airport to contribute to operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
For instance, harnessing AI to optimise the allocation of aircraft to gates and stands by analysing real-time flight data. Through cloud-native platforms, information about where aeroplanes will be and when is immediately available to stakeholders such as gate managers and baggage handlers allowing agile decision-making and smoother operations. With access to these insights, every associated member of the workforce can play a role in ensuring efficient aircraft movement to reduce delays and enhance overall performance.
Passenger forecasting is another area where new technologies are supporting airports to streamline their operations as passenger volumes can be predicted taking elements such as seasonality into account. Lynden Pindling International Airport (LIPA) in the Bahamas originally implemented cloud-based technology so the operations team could allocate gates 90 days in advance, rather than three, but democratising this data among other stakeholders, including customs and immigration, retail, food and drinks concessions and airlines, has brought additional benefits.
Jonathan Hanna, Vice President of Operations at Nassau Airport Development Company which runs LIPA, said, “With better access to real-time and future information, our airport partners can plan more effectively and adjust operational hours or staffing levels as information is received.”
The democratisation of data through cloud-based platforms represents a transformative opportunity for airports worldwide. By embracing technology and prioritising real-time data accessibility, airports can overcome the communications and operations challenges that are currently stunting growth. This can proactively enhance overall operational efficiency, ultimately providing passengers with smoother travel experiences, as seen at LIPA and SRQ. They show how embracing cloud-based solutions equips airports with the tools needed to navigate day-to-day operations, as well as unforeseen disruptions, effectively and deliver exceptional service in an ever-shifting landscape.
Uri Guterman joined AeroCloud as VP of Product in October 2023 to drive product strategy and innovation, enhance the company's offering and help scale its expansion into new geographies. Uri oversees AeroCloud’s portfolio of cutting-edge solutions, including AeroCloud Optic, which provides valuable insights into passenger behaviour for airport leaders across the world to identify and address operational challenges.
