ACI’S WORLD BUSINESS PARTNER NEWS
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The latest news from ACI’s World Business Partners
The punctuality league
OAG senior analyst, John Grant, explains why the on-time performance of airlines matters to airports.
Being punctual means different things in different cultures. In some, being 15 minutes late is perfectly acceptable and isn’t something to be punished for. Whilst in others, being late for a meeting is the height of bad manners and a real cultural mistake.
Fortunately, across the aviation industry, our cultural measurement has always been within 15 minutes, regardless of nationality or indeed sector length. This in some cases appears to be a slight inconsistency.
For airports, punctuality is part of the DNA. It can create positive consumer perceptions or equally damage reputations that have been worked on for years.
Over the last five years, OAG’s On-Time Performance report has possibly become the most eagerly-awaited piece of analysis in the first week of January.
With over 58 million individual flight status records captured each year and global coverage of airport on-time performance from the very smallest through to the mega airports, on-time performance is increasingly something that commands attention both within the industry and travellers. It’s no wonder the Punctuality League is the most downloaded OAG report all year round!
Ultimately, an airport’s perception in terms of punctuality is in many cases an extension of the reputation that operating airlines have, and to that end, it’s no great surprise when an airline such as COPA achieves top spot and that Panama Airport also ranks highly in OAG’s analysis.
Tokyo Haneda achieves an OTP of 85.6% while both All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines are in the global Top 20 airlines.
The combination of airport and airline punctuality creates considerable confidence, especially when that airport and airline has a high dependency on connecting traffic.
For someone travelling from Montréal to Santiago via Panama City, for example, knowing that you have a 64-minute connection takes away a lot of doubt and travel stress.
Furthermore, knowing your planned arrival time when travelling on business to let’s say, Tokyo Haneda, allows for those important cultural elements of doing business in countries like Japan to be one less worry.
For airports, particularly those where capacity is limited, ensuring that their airline customers can deliver award-winning levels of on-time performance is in their best interest.
Maximising asset use is something every business wants to achieve, and airports are no different. It may be a “cause or effect” element, but we have seen some great examples of detailed operational analysis and change as OAG’s data has become increasingly used around the globe.
Thinking outside of the box, some airports have sought advice from other industries, including one airport looking closely at Formula One pit-stops, whilst others have completely changed their boarding processes and invested in biometric technology to improve their performance.
All of which is either coincidental or just in time for IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) initiative and the increasingly self-connected passenger!
The concept of NDC allows airlines to offer more than just a seat through the development and sale of both ancillary inflight products and other travel-related products.
Travellers will benefit from having a clearer understanding of what they have purchased before they travel, and consideration of on-time performance will undoubtedly form part of that selection process.
And with online travel agencies now publishing data on the punctuality of airlines and even specific flight numbers, the self-connecting traveller has even more information from which to make their choice.
Consequently, this highlights that monitoring on-time performance has become a key area for airports and airlines in their competitive measurements and positioning to the market, with the trend set to continue.
Clients are already developing on-time performance dashboards using OAG data and are sharing that information across both airport groups and other key stakeholders and suppliers, which of course means that the whole area of OTP has become a key part of the industries DNA. Now that really is cultural!
Visit https://bit.ly/2GPL1Ht to download a free copy of OAG’s Punctuality League 2019.
MIA embraces facial recognition boarding technology
Lufthansa passengers flying out of Miami International Airport are now able to board their flight with the quick click of a camera instead of a boarding pass and passport, thanks to the airport’s launch of biometric exit technology.
The initiative is the result of a partnership between MIA, Lufthansa, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and global air transport IT provider SITA, and is already proving popular with passengers, as the verification process takes less than two seconds and enjoys a 99% matching rate.
SITA and MIA have partnered on a number of innovative travel experience solutions, including Mobile Passport Control and MIA Airport Official, the airport’s mobile app.
“This is another great success at MIA where we have teamed up to improve the passenger experience through innovation,” said Diana Einterz, SITA’s president for the Americas. “We have worked closely with the US CBP, airlines and airports to design a seamless biometric exit solution that meets the needs of all parties. SITA Smart Path is based on industry-standard common-use gates so it can be used by any other airline at MIA.”
Next step for ADB SAFEGATE
ADB SAFEGATE has completed its acquisition of Ultra Airport Systems the global provider of airport IT systems and data analytics solutions, effectively creating the foundation for a Total Airport Management (TAM) solution provider.
According to ADB SAFEGATE, the acquisition will allow it further apply integration and automation technologies, advanced data analytics and deep airport operations expertise to offer TAM.
It is confident that the move will mean greater operational efficiency, sustainability and safety for airports and airlines through integrating systems across the entire airport.
Operating under the name ADB SAFEGATE Airport Systems, the former Ultra Airport Systems team will gain the support of ADB SAFEGATE aviation specialist resources to help it better serve its existing airport and airline customers and accelerate its growth.
The new business unit will also expand its portfolio of operational performance, flight information display, billing, baggage management and situational awareness solutions by adopting and helping to further develop ADB SAFEGATE’s software and advanced analytics products and services.
It notes that advanced analytics provide airports with increasingly powerful ways to optimise operational efficiency and improve their traffic handling capacity.
ADB SAFEGATE’s CEO, Christian Onselaere, says: “As airports everywhere strive to meet growing demand, our newly combined solutions, expertise and reach will help them, and airlines, adopt emerging digital technologies.”
WBP Profiles
CHS Engineering Services Limited
Location:Chelmsford, UK
Contact: Susan Crane, business development executive
E: suzie_crane@chsservices.com
W: www.chsservices.com
CHS deliver quality services, products and solutions utilising expertise and knowledge gathered from years of wide-ranging experience. CHS operates a flexible, reliable collaborative approach with the ability to offer cost saving solutions and a focus on return on investment. The remote monitoring product, Foundations Connect, has been proven in reducing downtime and unplanned outages by predicting early warning signs of failure of critical assets such as screening machines, reclaim carousels and server rooms. CHS has developed a range of test baggage specially selected and equipped to sustain the technical and physical demands of the most intensive baggage system and security test programmes.
CGH Technologies Inc
Location: Washington DC, USA
Contact: Cindy Troutman
W: www.cghtech.com
CGH Technologies is an information engineering and management support company headquartered in Washington, DC, with satellite offices in VA, NC, FL and a workforce spanning 50 states. We have over 25 years of experience with federal and international government agencies as well as commercial and private sector organisations.
Elenium Automation
Location: Tullamarine, Victoria, Australia
Contact: Rico Barandun, head of strategy
W: www.elenium.com
Elenium is focused on developing and producing the world’s most efficient and effective automation systems for airports and airlines. Our suite of check-in kiosks, automated bag drop and self boarding gates have been designed to significantly increase the flow of passengers through the airport. Our bag drop can process a passenger’s luggage in as little as three seconds. Our goal is to make the airline passenger experience seamless using technologies such as cloud, artificial intelligence, computer vision and natural human interfacing while providing products that are simple to use and understand. Elenium products are currently used in seven major airports that collectively handle over 207 million passengers annually and are tailored to each customer.
