Belgrade to utilise Amadeus technology to enhance operational efficiency

Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla Airport has turned to Amadeus to transform check-in and flight management operations with the deployment of its Altéa Departure Control for Ground Handlers solution.

According to Amadeus, the solution paves the way for new services to provide passengers with a tailored experience, key to restoring traveller confidence in today’s changed travel environment.

The move is part of concessionaire, VINCI Airports’ ambitious plans to develop the Serbian gateway.

Airport COO, Zarko Suvacarov, say: “Our goal is to make Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport the future hub in Southeast Europe.

“With a mix of full-service and low-cost carriers, we know we need to provide choice for a range of customers and support the services they want. We aim to significantly improve the level of service, comfort and variety of commercial offer at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport.”

The seven-year partnership will see Amadeus technology deployed at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport to streamline services and lay the foundations for greater automation to cater for the needs of different traveler types.

By automating key processes and guiding agents to follow best practice, it says, services can be personalised based on a passenger’s profile or airline policy and ensures last-minute revenue opportunities can be maximised.

Amadeus’ solution will enable an efficient single system approach, meaning ground handling agents do not have to waste time learning how to use multiple airline systems and resources can be deployed to focus on serving passengers.

Its flight management capability will be used to centralise load controlling to increase efficiency and ensure baggage is loaded in a way that optimally balances the weight of aircraft.

Meanwhile, airlines will soon be able to apply specific business rules and serve passengers in a tailored way at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport.

Suvacarov adds:  “The Amadeus solution provides a modern, reliable and widely-used system that can optimise our own internal processes and help us to provide more services to airlines and passengers. This includes supporting services which will allow us to quickly adapt to travellers’ needs.”

Yannick Beurnardeau, vice president of airport IT, EMEA, for Amadeus, notes: “VINCI Airports has exciting plans for Belgrade, which is set to become a key transport hub in the Balkans. With the support of modern, scalable systems, Belgrade can simultaneously offer the personalised services that today’s passenger expects, as well as prepare for a more automated future which will enable the airport to adapt to the new and urgent challenges posed by COVID-19.”

VINCI Airports signed a 25-year concession contract in March 2018 to finance, operate and upgrade the airport, with VINCI Airports assuming control in December 2018.

A key aim is to increase the number of passengers using Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport from 6.2 million per year to 15 million within its concession period.