Parking at Australian airports exceeding plane ticket prices found to be fault of passengers

Karima Kouidri

A report has defended the significantly high cost of parking at Australian airports despite large volumes of complaints from consumers.

Despite masses of complaints from the public, the Productivity Commission has defended the cost of parking at Australian airports, which often exceeds the cost of an airline ticket.

A draft report released today claims consumers place too much value on “convenience” and the cost is justified.

“Many consumers resent the price of parking at a major airport because a few hours in a short-term car park close to the terminal building can cost more than an airline ticket,” the report read.

“(Airports) are the sole provider and there are no substitutes for people who want the convenience of parking within a short walk to the terminal.

“People value the convenience of parking close to the terminal buildings. The premium that users are prepared to pay for limited space close to terminals creates locational rents.”

The high cost of parking at airports affects many Australians; we are the nation with the highest number of domestic flight seats per capita in the world.

Airport operators hold a monopoly over parking stations next to terminals, but the report notes they are likely to “face greater competitive constraints in the market for at-distance carparking, provided the operators of independent car parks have access to airport terminals for their shuttle buses”.

The report released today said high prices were used to reduce congestion in highly sought after parking areas.

The report released today said high prices were used to reduce congestion in highly sought after parking areas.Source:istock

The report explains carpark pricing was used to “reduce congestion” at the most sought after parking spots. It said operating costs, including having CCTV cameras and “covered parking” that was “more costly to build and operate than open-air car parks”, added to the price.

The report dismisses the idea of airports exercising market power, saying the lack of market diversity is due to land being “scarce” as it’s used for other purposes including car rental businesses.

“Many consumers resent the cost of carparking at the monitored airports,” the report continued

“Carparking charges are not due to airports exercising their market power — the price of parking at-terminal can largely be explained by the value passengers place on convenience, the limited amount of land close to the terminal, and the need to manage congestion.”

The report said the cost could be compared to consumer spending on parking at hospitals, sporting venues and entertainment venues.

The report suggested consumers could use web-based apps to compare options to access airports, including Uber and taxis, before deciding to park on site to avoid being hit with “a nasty surprise”.

The Productivity Commission will deliver its final report to the Federal Government in June.

source : https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/parking-at-australian-airports-exceeding-plane-ticket-prices-found-to-be-fault-of-passengers/news-story/c5eba71ff37758f85c77441b82ca6c48

Sochi International Airport successfully trialed RFID Baggage Management System

Karima Kouidri



International Sochi Airport (IATA: AER), part of Basel Aero airport holding,  has experienced tremendous passenger and baggage growth since 2013 with all the numbers more than doubled since then and exceeded 5 million passengers per year.  Optimizing business process and making airports’ infrastructure use more efficient has become a priority for airport’s management to handle rapidly increasing volumes.
Sochi International Airport limited by existing terminals dimensions, it was not both physically and economically feasible to install fully automatic Baggage Handling System, and Airport’s management continued to search for a solution being able to enhance Baggage Operations and introduce Baggage Tracking according to IATA Resolution № 753 requirements.
Longest Chance has offered a possibility for Sochi International Airport to pilot new innovative RFID-based Baggage Management and Tracking Solution to confirm and measure productivity increase by introducing Baggage Management to airport operations.
Among key benefits of Longest Chance Solution identified by International Sochi Airport’s it’s necessary to highlight the following:
Longest Chance Solution is fully addressing operational challenges connected to Baggage make-up, Baggage Loading and Offloading on board of an aircraft, gathering full Baggage relate statistics;
Provision of Operational Baggage Dashboards, Statistics and Analytics;
Baggage Loaders productivity increase exceeding 35%;
Full Compliance with IATA Resolution №753 requirements;
Elimination of misdirected baggage incidents;
Cost saving on expensive Baggage Messaging distribution services subscription.
We encourage you to watch a short video report below illustrating Longest Chance system in action in Sochi International Airport.

Longest Chance and Sochi International Airport are looking forward to a full-scale production implementation of LC Baggage Management and Tracking later in 2018.

More information about Baggage Solution available here

source :http://www.longestchance.com/sochi-international-airport-successfully-trialed-rfid-baggage-management-system/

REAL-TIME TRACKING OF SECURITY AND TAXI WAIT TIMES NOW AVAILABLE ON THE WEB FOR ALL PORT AUTHORITY AIRPORTS

Karima Kouidri

Date: Feb 04, 2019
Press Release Number: 17-2019

Current information is available on airport websites and terminal monitors for passengers traveling to JFK, LaGuardia, Newark Liberty and New York Stewart

Aids passengers in planning trips

Passengers at John F. Kennedy International (JFK), Newark Liberty International (EWR), LaGuardia (LGA), and New York Stewart International (SWF) airports can now access up-to-date Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and taxi wait times on the Port Authority’s respective airport websites.

The real-time tracking information is part of the Port Authority’s aggressive efforts to deliver an enhanced customer experience for passengers using its airports. TSA wait times at LaGuardia’s Terminals C and D went live on the LGA website this month, becoming the latest terminals to be activated. Wait time information also is available inside terminals.

Launched in phases beginning in late November, the tracking system allowed passengers in most airport terminals the opportunity to remotely check on TSA checkpoint wait times during the recent government shutdown. All 14 terminals across the agency’s four airports now have the capability, with the lone exception of United Airline’s Terminal C at Newark Liberty. United hopes to have its system go live later this year.

The Port Authority, in coordination with the TSA and other agency partners, has installed BlipTrack, a real-time measurement tool to track and display wait times at TSA checkpoint screening areas and taxi stands. The goal is two-fold: first, to provide this information so that travelers know what to expect and to enable them to plan their travels better and on a more informed basis; second to enable the airports to develop strategies and to target resources to reduce wait times.

“We are focused on enhancing the customer experience at our airports by providing this critical information,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “The installation of BlipTrack allows us to provide customers with the real-time information they need to plan their travels. Even more importantly, it provides us data to focus on how to reduce wait times going forward.”

“In today’s increasingly interconnected world, the passenger’s journey begins before they leave for the airport,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “With this real-time data posted on each of the airport’s websites, wait times are now readily available to help reduce passenger stress and enable travelers to plan based on the wait times they will encounter. At the same time, as we saw during the recent government shutdown, the information makes it easier for airport staff to monitor checkpoint wait times and call for additional resources to congested areas.”

With respect to taxi lines, the technology helps travelers make informed decisions regarding ground transportation, and also enables the airport to identify taxi shortages and bottlenecks, thereby enabling airport staff to request additional taxis when needed.

Contact:
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
212-435-7777

Founded in 1921, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey builds, operates, and maintains many of the most important transportation and trade infrastructure assets in the country. The agency’s network of aviation, ground, rail, and seaport facilities is among the busiest in the country, supports more than 550,000 regional jobs, and generates more than $23 billion in annual wages and $80 billion in annual economic activity. The Port Authority also owns and manages the 16-acre World Trade Center site, where the 1,776-foot-tall One World Trade Center is now the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere. The Port Authority receives no tax revenue from either the State of New York or New Jersey or from the City of New York. The agency raises the necessary funds for the improvement, construction or acquisition of its facilities primarily on its own credit. For more information, please visit http://www.panynj.gov.

source : http://www.panynj.gov/press-room/press-item.cfm?headLine_id=3068

Drone Sightings Stall Air Traffic at New Jersey Airport

Karima Kouidri

Air traffic at Newark Liberty International Airport was suspended for more than an hour last week after pilots reported seeing unmanned aerial vehicles nearby. The Federal Aviation Administration reports roughly 100 sightings each month nationally. by Thomas Gnau, Dayton Daily News / February 4, 2019

(TNS) — An incident at the Newark, N.J., airport last month has air safety experts and airport operators concerned about drone disruptions near airplane traffic.

Air traffic was suspended for more than hour Tuesday night at Newark Liberty International Airport after two pilots reported seeing drones nearby.

More than 40 flights were delayed while others were left circling aloft.

(TNS) — An incident at the Newark, N.J., airport last month has air safety experts and airport operators concerned about drone disruptions near airplane traffic.

Air traffic was suspended for more than hour Tuesday night at Newark Liberty International Airport after two pilots reported seeing drones nearby.

More than 40 flights were delayed while others were left circling aloft.

The Federal Aviation Administration says it receives more than 100 drone-sighting reports monthly, including some at two Dayton airports.

FAA data examined by the Dayton Daily News found several cases in past years at the local airport.

On Oct. 14, 2017, the pilot of a Cessna 172 reported spotting at least one drone about 400 feet above while the pilot was approaching a Dayton International Airport runway, according to an FAA sighting report.

The report said the pilot took no evasive action, and Vandalia police were notified.

“In addition the tower also observed another drone in the vicinity of runway 24R,” the report stated. “Airport operations, CMH (John Glenn International Airport), airport police and Vandalia police all notified.”

The pilot of a Piper aircraft at 3,000 feet, east of Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport south of Dayton, reported spotting a UAS beneath the Piper on July 29, 2017.

That report was corroborated by a second aircraft, the FAA said.

“No evasive action taken,” the report said. “Montgomery County sheriff notified.”

The most recent quarterly drone sightings report by the FAA — covering reports from April to June 2018 — tracks more than 780 reports of sightings nationally.

‘Wow, that was close’

The upheaval at Newark illustrated how vulnerable the air-travel system is to the proliferation of inexpensive drones that can weigh as much as 50 pounds and are capable of flying high and fast enough to get in the path of commercial jets, experts on aviation safety and drone technology said. It also raised questions about whether airports are prepared enough to identify drones and prevent them from paralyzing travel and leaving passengers stranded.

“This is a really disturbing trend,” said John Halinski, former deputy administrator of the federal Transportation Security Administration. “It is a real problem because drones are multiplying every day. They really pose a threat in a number of ways to civil aviation.”

Pilots fear drones because tests have proved that they can cause the “take down of an aircraft,” Halinski said. Although technology exists that can detect and deter drones, it is not used at most major airports, he said. “I can’t think of a major airport with anti-drone type of capability,” he said.

On Sept. 23, 2017, a helicopter pilot flying 3.5 miles southeast of Dayton reported a drone passing below the ‘copter at 200 feet. Dayton police were notified, the FAA notice said.

Beyond Dayton, on June 24, 2018, above Bluffton, Ohio, a Piper PA-32 pilot reported seeing a drone passing 200 feet below, while flying at 8,000 feet.

“Wow, that was close. A drone larger than one foot in diameter passed just below us about 200 feet, black in color,” the pilot reported, according to the report.

According to Popular Mechanics magazine, a European drone hobbyist apparently flew a DJI Phantom 2 to a record 11,000 feet up in 2016, taking about three-and-a-half minutes to reach that altitude.

The operator of that drone most likely had to disable software controlling altitude restrictions on the vehicle, the magazine said, adding that in Europe, the regulated limit is 500 feet, while in the U.S., it’s 400 feet.

‘We’ve watched with growing concern’

The University of Dayton Research Institute has performed some limited research on drone-aircraft damage. A video shows UDRI researchers launching a 2.1-pound DJI Phantom 2 quadcopter at the wing of a Mooney M20 aircraft.

“The drone did not shatter on impact, but tore open the leading edge of the wing as it bore into the structure, damaging its main spar,” UDRI said.

“Drones are similar in weight to some birds, and so we’ve watched with growing concern as reports of near collisions have increased, and even more so after the collision last year between an Army Blackhawk helicopter and a hobby drone that the operator flew beyond his line of site,” Kevin Poormon, group leader for impact physics at UDRI, said in the September 2018 post.

Adam Lisberg, North American spokesman for DJI Technology Inc., a manufacturer of small drones, acknowledged that there have been cases where drone operators have made mistakes or have committed malicious acts.

“There will always be a very small number of knuckleheads who do things wrong,” he said.

But he contends that the actual number of bad incidents is “remarkably small.” The number of close-call encounters that are truly dangerous is smaller than widely believed, he said.

“Drones have a pretty good safety record,” Lisberg said. “We think there is an awful lot of hysteria about drone sightings that we think is just unwarranted.”

DJI vehicles come with built-in altitude limitations, and he acknowledged that some operators have figured out how to “hack” around those limits.

But he’s skeptical of many of the FAA sightings reports. In some cases, a pilot may mistake a bird or a bat or a balloon for a UAS, Lisberg said.

The Associted Press contributed to this story.

©2019 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio). by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

source : http://www.govtech.com/products/Drone-Sightings-Stall-Air-Traffic-at-New-Jersey-Airport.html

Oneworld rolls out tech upgrades ‘to stay relevant’

Karima Kouidri

Chief executive officer of Oneworld Rob Gurney speaks at the 20th anniversary of Oneworld airline alliance in London on Friday. (Bloomberg photo)
– +
The global alliance which represents heavyweight airlines Cathay Pacific, British Airways, American Airlines and Qantas has rolled out customer service upgrades to try and stop frequent fliers defecting to rivals.
Technology improvements and information sharing to enhance the user experience aim to persuade 225 million customers of the 13 member airlines in the Oneworld alliance to stick with those carriers.


Travellers flying with more than one airline in the same journey will only need to check in, obtain all boarding passes and access their itinerary from one carrier online to simplify the experience.
Eight million customers embarked on a multi-ticket journey in the past year.

Oneworld is also working on improvements to the customer experience at major airports, which will include alliance-branded lounges. Chief executive officer Rob Gurney described the changes as a relaunch of the alliance on its 20th birthday.
Trips involving more than one airline were previously a hassle as passengers commonly needed to use multiple airline apps to access details of each flight. The tech upgrades will mean Cathay customers being able to use the company’s website or app to access any booking with a Oneworld partner, doing away with the need for login details with each airline.
Oneworld is formed of 13 airlines and 30 affiliate carriers and celebrated its 20th birthday in London on Friday, where it unveiled a raft of changes.
The grouping is one of three global airline pacts. The others are Star Alliance, which counts Singapore Airlines as a top member and includes Thai Airways International, and Skyteam, which has Delta Air Lines.
“We are effectively relaunching Oneworld, and it’s designed to have relevance for stakeholder groups, our customers and our member airlines,” Gurney said.
Cathay and Qatar Airways are the first pairing to have started using new digital functions that enable the upgrades.
Cathay CEO Rupert Hogg told an audience in London that Oneworld was on the right path to keep the grouping relevant and contemporary. The three alliances have increasingly become less important as airlines prefer to partner with carriers outside their alliances where it makes sense for business. Questions have been asked about their future with the strength of budget and non-alliance airlines.
These problems were acknowledged by Willie Walsh, CEO of International Airlines Group, the parent company of British Airways.
“For this alliance to stay relevant in an ever-changing world, we have got to change and evolve,” he said.
Oneworld-branded lounges are also being planned — at least three by 2020 — to boost the alliance’s appeal, especially at airports where there is no home carrier with the alliance. Proposed locations are being narrowed down to airports where the grouping and its members have proposed sharing check-in desks to improve service quality.
Oneworld said the new Beijing Daxing International Airport, due to open later this year, was a good opportunity. Ten members currently fly to Beijing operating 175 flights a week.
“We’ve been engaged in discussions with the Chinese authorities and the airport operators about co-locating in the new airport. Not every airline will be there. But we believe we will have a critical mass of Oneworld airlines,” Gurney said.
The alliance’s members currently serve 1,110 airports in 180 territories, with 14,000 daily flights carrying 550 million passengers annually on a fleet of 3,500 aircraft.

source : https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/world/1622886/oneworld-rolls-out-tech-upgrades-to-stay-relevant