AIRPORT WORLD 2013, ISSUE 05
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In the spotlight: Information Technology
Airports: Dubai, Las Vegas, Burgas & Varna
Interviewed: The FAA’s Michael Huerta
Plus: Security, retail & airfield safety
Digital age
Editor, Joe Bates, contemplates all things information technology, including the launch of a new ‘responsive’ Airport World website and app.
How did we get to October so quickly?
It seems like only yesterday I was planning our first issue of the year and now, I’m increasingly being asked for my editorial plan for 2014!
There will be plenty to look forward to in 2014, I can assure you, but we’re not there quite yet as there are still three major ACI events and inter airport Europe to go before year-end and, of course, this Information Technology (IT) themed October/November issue to read at your leisure.
When it comes to IT, it is almost impossible to overstate the impact that advancements in technology have had on all our lives over the past 30 years.
Who could have guessed in 1983, for example, that three decades later 75% of the world’s population would have [access to] a mobile phone (according to The World Bank), and little thing called the Internet would transform the way we live and do business.
Ever wondered why all those telephone kiosks in airport terminals have vanished?
No, well that’s exactly my point, as in this era of the ‘connected traveller’, nobody uses them anymore, as we all have our own mobile phones and often several other communication devices with us.
And as you can read in this issue, there is so much more to come in terms of aviation and the airport environment.
We discover more about the benefits of collaborative decision-making (CDM); mobile advertising; near field communication; and how IT can be used to excite the customer and boost retail revenues.
And to those airports out there that only update their websites once or twice a year, take a look at the feature on page 44 and see what some of the experts think about that!
We also have some IT news of our own, as we shall shortly launch a ‘responsive’ website for better viewing on smartphones and tablets, and by year-end, we’ll unveil the first ever Airport World app, which we hope will make it easier and more convenient for you to read your favourite aviation magazine – whether sitting in the garden at home having a coffee, waiting for a flight at the airport, or climbing Kilimanjaro!
So, if you are reading this online in November/December and finding it quick and easy to view the IT articles and other main features in this issue, please let us know.
The issue also contains airport profile features on Dubai World Central, Las Vegas–McCarran and Bulgaria’s Black Sea gateways, while our regular Airport Exchange column features Warsaw Chopin.
Finally, we learn more about Frankfurt Airport’s customer service programme; launching retail operations in emerging countries; perimeter security; and health and wellbeing.
It seems crazy now, but looking back to my teenage years in the late 1970s/early 80s, I can clearly remember being almost spellbound by the first TV remote controls, being dumbstruck by the invention of the digital watch and laughing out loud when someone suggested that we’d all have our own personal computers in the new millennium.
What’s that expression again? Time flies when you’re having fun!
In this issue:
Opinion
News
ACI News
View from the top
The Dubai phenomenon
Dubai Airports CEO, Paul Griffiths, talks to Sarah McCay about his plans for Dubai World Central–Al Maktoum International Airport ahead of the launch of passenger flights this October.
Bigger and brighter
Caroline Cook finds out how Fraport’s Bulgarian venture is boosting the performance of its Black Sea airports.
Headline act
What has new aviation director, Rosemary Vassiliadis, got in store for Las Vegas–McCarran? Alex Hannaford reports.
Future thinking
Assistant director for facilitation & IT, Arturo Garcia-Alonso, contemplates the importance of IT and the launch of ACI’s Airport IT Security Programme.
Enabling growth
Technology will be the key driver for the ‘airports of the future’, writes ARINC Asia-Pacific’s senior director for aviation and ground, systems solutions, Jeff Amiri.
Going mobile
Ever-inventive brands are using smartphones to connect with passengers at airports and on almost every stage of their journey, writes Jeremy Corfield.
Power to the people
Alaistair Deacon discusses the importance of enhancing the passenger experience through collaborative decision making.
Change for good
Eric Miart provides a progress report on Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) and discusses the reasons for its comparatively slow uptake outside of Europe.
Bank on data
Better analysis of sales data can help airports boost retail revenues and customer satisfaction levels, writes John de Giorgio.
Fast times
Does near field communication (NFC) hold the key to faster passenger processing and delivering the dream of seamless travel? Renaud Irminger shares his insights.
Web wonders
Barry Mansfield reports on the latest in airport web design. How can sites be improved to boost customer communication, the airport experience and operator revenues?
Thinking outside the box
Adopting a multi-channel approach to retailing will help concessionaires maximise sales revenues in the years ahead, write Andy Morrey and Sophie Albizua.
Airport Marketing Exchange
In the first of a regular series of exchanges, David McMullen catches up with Przemysław Przybylski of Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW) to exchange ideas and explain why maximising the social media potential of your airport begins with having a clear plan.
One vision
Airport World rounds-up the latest airfield safety news from across the globe.
Don’t worry, be happy!
Stuart Bowden discovers more about Frankfurt Airport’s innovative ‘Great to Have You Here’ customer service programme.
Lands of opportunity
Duty free expert Paul Topping provides some insight into the challenges and opportunities of launching retail operations in emerging markets.
Rest assured
From enchanted gardens to yoga rooms and health stations, Sarah McCay takes a look at the latest health and wellbeing initiatives being
introduced at airports around the world.
First line of defence
John Romanowich discusses best practices for airport perimeter security.
Relief effort
Dr Teo Babun and James Smith provide a special report on the success of an initiative designed to make airports in the Latin America & Caribbean region more resilient to extreme weather and natural disasters.
Project watch
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
ACI’s World Business Partners
Environment news
The last word
FAA Administrator, Michael Huerta, talks to Joe Bates about leadership, budgets, safety and the development of the US airport system.
ACI traffic trends