The aviation industry was heavily disturbed by the pandemic. Now that business is resuming steadily, and there is a need to consider safety more than ever. For everyday business operations post-covid, it is essential to invest in appropriate technologies that support the worldwide effort to make the world go back to normal.
Airports have to find solutions to reduce costs, become more efficient, minimize loss of experienced staff, and find ways to reinforce cyber security. There’s a global effort for airports to adopt new tech, including digital transformation and automation. This is to ensure safety, efficiency, and customer experience.
Solutions to consider for safe operations include:
Touchless solutions
There’s no better time to embrace touchless solutions at the airport than now. The pandemic has highlighted the need for people to avoid touching various surfaces wherever they go. No amount of disinfecting and cleaning can guarantee that surfaces touched by multitudes of people can be clean. An excellent solution is not to touch the surface at all.
Touchless applications are the way to go to ensure the safety of everyone at the airport. Some wonderful solutions include biometric technology, voice control, crowd monitoring, and Artificial Intelligence for luggage tracking. A good idea is to team up with the most promising aviation service provider for solutions that ensure a contactless experience at the airport.
Regular updates regarding safety guidelines
Today, travelers rely on accurate and timely updates regarding safety guidelines. This is very important, especially during long-haul flights. Apart from the World Health Organisation guidelines, every location might have safety guidelines regarding the situation present. So, travelers really need to stay up to date with safety guidelines on their stopovers and in their destinations.
It is essential to know the present restrictions and other requirements such as proof of vaccination and quarantine on arrival. Additionally, it is very important to know which countries have high infection rates, and going there is very risky. COVID requirements are ever-changing. There is a need to keep reassuring passengers that it is safe to travel.
Improving cyber security
With every business depending heavily on its online presence, there has been a surge in cybercrime. Although airport traffic dropped, there is a need to ensure cyber security protocols are in place for seamless operations. Airports depend heavily on operational tech for baggage handling, security scanners, passport controls, and fuel pumps.
Cybercrime is the most concerning risk for every business today. Airports are at risk of attacks from anyone across the world. This comes with problems such as service disruptions and terror threats. A cyber strategy is required to offer appropriate protection while eliminating any chances of cyber threats.
Creation of data hubs
Airport operating processes are very complex and interconnected. So, a data strategy is essential to streamline operations. Data is in various formats from various stakeholders. To ensure quality and consistency, a centralized data hub is a great asset. This allows pulling data from multiple processes to enable staff to correlate different functions for efficient operations.
Other benefits of airport data hubs include:
- Allowing efficient management of deployment and integration
- Applies to various domains across multiple departments
- Guarantees highest data security standards
- Optimizes IT operating costs
- Boosts collaboration from multiple stakeholders
Improved automation
Airport automation relies on IT to manage various processes and tasks, including passenger processing, security, and traffic facilitation. Intelligent automation at the airport boosts productivity, lowers costs, and improves efficiency. Automatic processes limit spending on training, hiring, and costly equipment.
With airport automation, passengers move throughout the airport with limited physical interaction to maintain safety. Passengers can use their mobile devices to go through various airport processes, including dropping their bags, self-checking-in, gate information, and boarding.
Increasing non-aeronautical revenue sources
With a drop in traffic, airports today are no longer the basic transport infrastructure for airlines. Airports facilitate airline operations and pursue revenue sources capitalizing on the traffic. To keep in business, the airport should focus on non-aeronautical revenue. This requires having a digital business plan that emphasizes digital transformation, including strategies like virtual shopping, lounge system, meet and assist.
Airports today are marketing entities for diversified incomes through non-aviation activities. Revenue from non-aeronautical activities is essential for an airport’s performance and a significant determinant of its economics. Every airport should have a portfolio of unique non-aviation activities to address demand while capitalizing on airport traffic.
Bottom line
The pandemic has been a great learning experience for every business. In aviation, it has encouraged the need to improve safety through strategies such as touchless amenities and AI. To counterbalance the drop in traffic, airports need to have unique non-aviation sources of income. Achieving this requires teaming up with professional aviation service providers with the right equipment and experience.
