Big data, AI, security and mobile technologies are driving market changes in every facet of global aviation
According to statistics compiled by the World Bank, nearly four billion people flew on airlines in 2017 – that’s four billion with a “b” – a number that’s nearly doubled in just the past decade. What’s more, the average increase in passenger traffic since the end of the recession in 2009 has hovered somewhere around 8 percent per year. At that rate, it looks like the number of air travelers could double again by the middle of the next decade; more than eight billion passengers, equivalent to the entire population of the Earth today.
With the Law of Large Numbers looming larger over the industry every day, commercial aviation is understandably keen on technology to solve the traffic and data management problems it faces in the coming years. The quest for more efficient operations at airports, especially large ones, to handle the growing number of passengers, increased baggage volume and flight information is pushing both governments and private companies worldwide to launch airport construction and refurbishment initiatives. Integral to these massive projects are improvements to airport data and technology systems.
A new forecast from Transparency Market Research predicts the global airport information system market will rise to nearly $47 billion by 2024, based on a compound annual growth of 7.2 percent between 2016 and 2024. Among the industry sectors that are receiving the most focus, TMR says baggage processing, which currently claims the lion’s share of the resources, is likely to continue to be the market’s largest segment for the foreseeable future.
However, flight information and passenger processing are predicted to expand at a faster growth rate. More advanced IT solutions to display crucial information related to changes in flight arrival/departure gates, passenger announcements, flight delay and baggage retrieval are among the airport and airline technologies that are continually undergoing refinement.
I, Robot In addition, fliers are increasingly being introduced to high-touch technology solutions, such as Leo, SITA Labs’ autonomous, self-propelled baggage robot which made its debut in Singapore and Hong Kong in 2016. Named after Leonardo Da Vinci, the automaton checks in luggage, prints baggage tags and transports two suitcases at a time.
SITA Labs has also introduced an intelligent check-in kiosk at Geneva Airport. The robotic kiosks, dubbed KATE, can monitor a variety of data sources to determine when and where additional check-in kiosks are needed, and move autonomously through busy areas in airports to help passenger flow during the check-in process.
While robots are filling in the gaps in personalized services at the check-in counters, a no-touch kind of technology is already taking a larger role in the passenger screening process. Airports and airlines are increasingly integrating facial recognition technology into security checkpoints, biometric boarding and immigration systems to help reduce lines, paperwork and the number of personnel required.
For example, Delta Air Lines has introduced its first biometric bag-drop stations at Minneapolis-St Paul International airport, requiring a facial scan at the self-service points to verify the passport holder. Dubai International Airport is introducing facial recognition tunnels that you walk through lined with cameras. It’s reported that the first tunnels should be in place at Dubai’s Terminal 3 by the end of summer.
Meanwhile, Orlando has equipped its airport as the first in the nation to use biometric screening technology for all international flights inbound and outbound. The airport worked with British Airways to test the facial recognition solution, rolling it out this past spring. BA was also the first airline to use self-service biometric boarding gates on international flights out of the US, starting with Los Angeles International.
The airline has been using biometric gates at London’s Heathrow Terminal 5 for domestic flights since March 2017. Amsterdam Schiphol airport and KLM are working on a similar solution, and at Boston Logan airport, JetBlue has been using facial scanning technology to replace boarding passes on their flights.
Customs and Border Protection is testing its Biometric Exit US at a handful of US airports such as Chicago O’Hare and Las Vegas McCarran, with plans to install it at every airport in the country within three years.
Digital FuturecastThe digital revolution in commercial aviation is already having a significant impact across all areas of the air transport supply chain. The resulting convergence in the industry is bringing together the technologies around such diverse areas as airport design and operations, people handling, cargo and baggage controls and air traffic management. The passengers, pilots and crew as well as airport ground staff will also see data-driven services enhance their experiences in air travel.
On the downside, the TRM report, entitled Airport Information System Market: Global Industry Analysis and Forecast 2016 – 2024, cites some challenges standing in the way of growth in airport information systems development. First, of course, is the high cost; advanced airport information systems are expensive to acquire, run and maintain.
In addition these sophisticated systems need continuous high speed connectivity, a digitally compliant airport infrastructure and other support systems to assure their security and reliability. Last winter’s disastrous power outage at Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson International airport is a prime example of what can happen when the infrastructure that supports an advanced airport system fails.
As a consequence, digital projects across the spectrum of the aviation ecosystem are going to require real-time systems monitoring, business intelligence and the timely analysis of big data. "As the aviation industry becomes more connected, we will see greater exchanges of data across multiple stakeholder groups. Increased data sharing will however, create more vulnerabilities and lead to continued investment in cyber solutions and data protection," notes Aravind Srimoolanathan, senior analyst aerospace at global consultancy Frost & Sullivan.
In a recent industry study, The Global Impact of Digital Transformation in Commercial Aviation, 2017, Frost & Sullivan analysts looked at both short term and medium term objectives for commercial aviation businesses. The immediate need the report found is for aviation to develop new revenue streams and adopt better analytics to enhance decision making. Longer term, the questions of interoperability, security, virtual reality and artificial intelligence will become the prominent areas for development."
Major airports are looking to incorporate AI into multiple operations such as personalized online transactions, ticket pricing, revenue management, and passenger flow management," says Srimoolanathan. "Additionally, the ability to accelerate passenger processing and enhance overall security is driving airports and airlines to embrace biometrics."
The Frost & Sullivan study finds convergence is the hallmark defining the air travel system of the future. “Connected aviation is the central theme around which digital transformation initiatives are evolving to achieve the competitive advantages and differentiate in new ways,” the report concludes. “Connectivity is becoming more prevalent in the commercial aviation ecosystem, enabling the rapid increase in experimenting with potential applications of artificial intelligence, big data analytics, cloud, IoT, cybersecurity, mobility and blockchain components, which are the key aspects of digital transformation across the aviation ecosystem.”