MAHB managing director Datuk Badlisham Ghazali said KIA’s cashless airport offers multiple digital payment options, which goes in tandem with the company’s digitalisation efforts. — Picture by Azinuddin GhazaliPETALING JAYA, April 2 —

Kuching International Airport (KIA) became the first cashless airport

in the country after an e-wallet app was introduced as part of the state’s digitalisation effort in collaboration with telco company Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd today.

Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said he wanted Sarawak to become a fully developed state in Malaysia and was delighted that operator Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) chose KIA to pilot its cashless airport initiative.

“We want to completely eliminate the urban and rural divide by 2030, however it will be impossible without the intervention of technology.

“Digital connectivity will be the means to achieve this and the success is dependent on the strong collaboration between the government and the private sector,” he said while addressing the importance of the state’s digitalisation efforts at KIA during the launch.

MAHB managing director Datuk Badlisham Ghazali said KIA’s cashless airport offers multiple digital payment options, which goes in tandem with the company’s digitalisation efforts.

“The organisation is undergoing a digital transformation with the use of big data analytics that would allow us to better anticipate foot traffic flows and reduce choke points at airports thus enabling a more passenger-friendly journey,” he said.

KIA registered a total of 5.1 million passenger traffic movement last year, a 3.6 per cent growth compared to 2016 with retailers enjoying higher sales per passenger growth of 5.2 per cent.

Badlisham said MAHB was confident the latest digitalisation initiative will also drive the local economy by boosting sales for the local retailers at KIA, with at least 70 per cent of retailers already on board.

“We wish to embrace the concept by extending our existing collaboration with Alipay to provide cashless convenience to Chinese passengers with other mobile payment platforms to accommodate a larger passenger base at all our international airports,” he said.

Digi’s chief marketing officer, Loh Keh Jiat said Digi was passionate about delivering convenience enabled by digital connectivity to their users, and this partnership showcases the corporation’s support towards the state government’s goal to capitalise on digital technology.

“With the state government embracing financial technology, we believe e-wallet solution will be widely accepted by airport visitors in transforming the state’s economy and move Sarawak towards a cashless society,” he said.

The mobile payment application vcash features an enhanced layer of security in making payments, and can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

source : https://tinyurl.com/yd7q5j8l

It is a well-worn expression that travel broadens the mind and anything that makes travel better can only be a good thing.

Digital transformation is a huge opportunity, one that scares us and excites us at the same time. We are very passionate about this topic, because if done right it will benefit everyone.

I speak on a daily basis with airlines based in Asia Pacific, Russia, Turkey and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). One collective thread is digital transformation. Airlines span from those taking the lead to those that are waiting to see what happens and many are asking us for guidance. Big data, Internet of Things, machine learning, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality are no longer discussed at universities alone. They are now in our daily discussions.

We believe that the industry will only flourish if we put the traveller at the centre of everything we do. Travellers have already won their place at the centre of all processes and they are more demanding than ever and this trend will only continue. Eventually all airlines will feel the heat of the changes happening at a fast pace, and they know they need to benefit from this digital revolution.

I recently had the opportunity to present our recent whitepaper Embracing airline digital transformation: a spotlight on what travellers value to a prestigious group of aviation professionals in Russia, at ‘Wings of the Future’ held in Moscow. The report finds that for airlines the value is the sweet spot where travellers feel that the balance between product, service, and convenience is achieved. Each time a customer searches for a flight, they bring their individual values to the search and technology is the strong enabler and driver. But technology alone will not transform an airline. Many airlines are seeking to review their processes and how they approach all of their operations in a non-siloed approach to benefit from the technological advancement at a larger scale.

At Amadeus, we are best positioned to support this journey with our airline customers. Together with Navitaire, we are the technology provider of more than 200 airlines carrying 1.5 billion passengers a year, and we distribute more than 400 airlines through our distribution platform globally. Technology is in our DNA and we share the same journey with any airline that wants to be in the front line of digital revolution. Join us in this transformation Journey.

source : https://tinyurl.com/y88ntpy9

London City Airport has announced it is to become the first UK airport to build and operate a digital air traffic control tower, with a multi-million pound investment in the technology. Working closely with UK air traffic provider NATS, London City Airport has approved plans for a new tower, at the top of which will be 14 High Definition cameras and two pan-tilt-zoom cameras. The cameras will provide a full 360 degree view of the airfield in a level of detail greater than the human eye and with new viewing tools that will modernise and improve air traffic management.

The images of the airfield and data will be sent via independent and secure super-fast fibre networks to a brand new operations room at the NATS control centre in Swanwick, Hampshire. From Swanwick, air traffic controllers will perform their operational role, using the live footage displayed on 14 HD screens that form a seamless panoramic moving image, alongside the audio feed from the airfield, and radar readings from the skies above London, to instruct aircraft and oversee movements.

Declan Collier, CEO at London City Airport, said: “A pioneering new digital air traffic control system will enhance safety and improve resilience, setting a new standard for the global aviation industry to follow.

“With London City Airport’s plans to grow and an existing tower which is reaching the end of its operational lifespan, this cutting edge proven technology future-proofs London City Airport’s air traffic control for the next 30 years and beyond.”

The technology from Saab Digital Air Traffic Solutions, which is tried and tested and already in use at Örnsköldsvik and Sundsvall airports in Sweden.

The 50-metre digital tower was approved by the London Borough of Newham in December 2016, and construction will begin later this year, located in the airport’s long-stay car park, in line with the mid-way point of the runway, adjacent to King George V Dock.

Construction of the tower is due to be completed in 2018, followed by more than a year of rigorous testing and training, during which the existing 30-year old tower will continue to operate. The digital tower will become fully operational in 2019.

This year London City Airport, which is marking its 30^th anniversary, will also begin construction on its £350 million City Airport Development Programme (CADP). The major project will enable an additional 2 million passengers per year to use the airport by 2025 and add up to 30,000 permitted flights per year.

The plans for the only airport actually in London include; 7 new aircraft stands to accommodate next-generation aircraft, a parallel taxiway to maximise runway capacity, and a terminal extension to accommodate increasing passenger numbers.

source : https://tinyurl.com/mzw9k7j

How should the global aviation industry address the opportunities and challenges of digital disruption?

How can an industry that has historically struggled to be profitable harness the power of emerging technologies to move to a sustainable future?

These were the primary questions asked by the Financial Times at its inaugural Aviation and Aerospace summit held in London this week.

Debating those questions was an audience of 120 industry experts and insiders led in conversation by the FT’s Industry Editor Peggy Hollinger and Robert Wright, recent Transport Correspondent.

Setting the tone for what was to follow was keynote speaker and aviation futurist Rohit Talwar (@fastfuture) of Fast Future, who advised companies to consider three horizons in their strategic and tactical thinking.

The first of these is a 12 month span in which they should strive for operational excellence. This is followed by a 1 to 3 year period in which a search for growth should be prioritised alongside thinking about future planning and what a changing environment will look like.

Finally, there is a 4 to 10 year horizon in which the future inevitably becomes less knowable and secure. While thinking about this period, companies need to adapt a high level of flexibility in their thinking and their tools, giving them an opportunity to look for flexible solutions that will enable them to address a variety of potential outcomes.

Two other key messages from Talwar stood out. In the first, in a discussion about Artificial Intelligence, he recommended companies focus on ‘game changers’ rather than incremental improvements. Second, he discussed the need for leadership teams to embrace more feminine thinking in their innovation and operations, arguing that more empathetic and less process-oriented approaches could help companies better understand their customers’ needs. 

During much of the discussion that followed Talwar focused on two important factors: Big Data and how the industry can use its information to deliver better outcomes for customers and other stakeholders; and secondly, how important it is to ensure that organisations maintain both the culture and skills within their workforce to deliver digital innovation.

Most speakers acknowledged that the industry was still in the relatively early stages of development of data solutions and strategies that could unlock value, but a number of real and impressive achievements in the area were highlighted by companies including Ryanair and Dublin Airport.

Both airlines and airports, as well as technology providers such as Amadeus, agreed that the industry would benefit from a more collaborative approach to information and data sharing while acknowledging that critical issues including data ownership, privacy and security continued to present challenges.

John Dabkowski, VP, Airlines at Amadeus, highlighted two of the key issues:

“So with data you ask the questions: who owns it? where has it come from? how can you get it in a way that is seamless? Once we have the data and more importantly, how can we communicate this in an understandable way? Because that’s not good in many areas at present.”

Dabkowski also keyed in on an area discussed by many speakers: people.

“Technology can solve a lot of problems, it can create a huge number of opportunities, but any system is only as good as the people who are using it, and we really need to make sure we bring them along and have them trained and able to make a difference for passengers and the industry.”

source :https://tinyurl.com/kpplkoo

Unlike Bremen Airport, which recently selected FLIO to become its official airport app, Nice Côte d’Azur already has its own app. It said it had made a strategic move to employ FLIO as a complementary service.

At Nice Airport, FLIO users are now able to book parking, purchase fast track access, purchase lounge access, and find airport information.

Other standard features of the FLIO app can also be used. These include airport layout maps, weather forecasts, flight information and easy access to free airport Wi-Fi.

“We met FLIO a few months ago and with the launch of our Digital LAB we took the opportunity to propose their app to our international passengers and offer to them the services of our own app,” said Aéroport Nice Cote d’Azur Chief Commercial Officer Filip Soete.

“This reinforces our aim to digitalise passengers’ pathway and increase their satisfaction.”

Source: https://tinyurl.com/km2kf2u

Roland Gallo, founder of Airiane: “Flight schedules are generally regarded as a key information service on an airport website. We transform this strong expectation into a powerful customer acquisition tool for airport marketing and retail managers.”

Roland Gallo, founder of Airiane, contends that customers have increasingly become an asset for airport management. That is why Airiane proposes a set of solutions designed to boost airport returns on their customer assets. “These solutions not only bring a real added value for the customer through the entire journey, they are also easily integrated into an airport web ecosystem,” Gallo explains.

The company is already working with 15 airports, including Lille, Pau, Paris, Beauvais, Caen, and Perpignan, and anticipates unveiling new partnerships soon.
So, how does it work? Airiane uses existing airport web traffic to leverage customer revenue and data, with the intention that airports and retailers automatically develop customer relationships, loyalty and revenue with very little investment.
“Mass marketing is dead, but it’s not sad news,” says Gallo. “The challenge is now automatically sending the right message to the right person, at the right time, through the right channel, and this, all the way through the entire customer journey. It’s a key issue for improving sales, cross-sales and loyalty.”

Airiane’s Airport Data Management Platform allows airports to develop and automate their promotions in a simple, intuitive way. “The customer checks flight schedules and availabilities, then books and receives an invitation to book extra services such as hotels and car rental,” Gallo adds. “A few days prior to departure, the customer is emailed a reminder to book their car park, together with a voucher to use in the airport shopping zone. A great leverage on business.”

source : https://tinyurl.com/l4ermbc

During this years Passenger Terminal Expo in Amsterdam, airports shared their progress towards a seamless journey eased by automation processes and digital innovations.

Seamless walkthrough at Schiphol

Charles Hendriks, digital architect for the Schiphol Group, discussed the benefits and challenges of introducing passenger biometric ID. The airport is in the process of designing a Seamless Passenger Walkthrough, integrating all travel checkpoints so that passengers only have to identify themselves once.

“What we’ll have to do is find a way to implement this new way of handling passengers within our existing classically designed terminals and our classically deigned processes. You can’t go for a big bang. It won’t work. We have to find a more harmonious agile way, an incremental approach [to adoption].

“With a minimal footprint, and starting with minimal technology you can move slowly in steps.

“This technology works great in the lab. That is why you should put it into a productive environment, with real passengers, to see how it performs in the real world.

“You can start with boarding. Brisbane is starting with check-in and boarding. If you’re really not afraid, you can go for border control but you could also go for access control, as Abu Dhabi said it would.

“Once that works, you can start to connect your touch points. Then, you can create a biometric route through your terminal. Either arrival passengers leaving through your gates, or transfer passengers; it all depends on your services. Then, you should scale up. After you’ve reached something that you show can work and you can prove your business case.

“For the back-office systems of stakeholders, don’t start with all your airlines at the same time. Start with one airline, with one flight, and slowly expand from there.”

Standardisation

Schiphol uses facial biometrics, encoded through an algorithm to generate a long numeric ID to identify passengers. It does not capture an image of the face and the code cannot be used to recreate the face. This ensures privacy.

Still, Hendriks believes that there is still a lot of coordination needed between airports and authorities to create a universal standard for this type of identification, both in how it is configured and how the data is protected.   

“We would like to have international agreement on how you do this process. We’re going forward in the best way we think is possible.

“Privacy should be on the top of the list. We must make sure that our passengers’ data are only used in the circumstances that we have agreed with that we will use it.

“We create an architecture with privacy in mind. There are also a couple of agencies in the Netherlands and in Europe and we are closely aligning with them, having audit our systems, but it would be if there were international standards that we can say we adhere to these international standards.”

With regulatory and airport groups already discussing the process, Hendriks expects international standards may be available to guide airport adoption of biometric journeys as soon as two years from now.

Streamlining processes at Cologne

Ulrich Stiller, director of marketing and sales at Cologne Bonn Airport, believes airports need to look at eliminating the many manual processes of the airport experience and replacing them with more efficient, automated or digital solutions.

“Manual interfaces at the airport create time-consuming processes. For instance, you have arrival in parking, you have the check-in area, the passport control, the extra security check, the boarding area—all of those things.

“Manual processes create hurdles along the way from the parking area to the aircraft.”

The airport has deployed a number of programs which aim to automate or eliminate these legacy hurdles.

Stiller believes ultimately automated parking could speed the journey, but in the interim, by encouraging passengers to pre-book their parking on-line with a discount, the airport has eliminated the delays of finding a spot and can better predict parking space utilization.

Since introducing the parking reservations scheme, Cologne has seen adoption rise to 50% of passengers who would park cars.

Airlines already encourage passengers to check-in at home, which, Stiller says, has helped Cologne forecast passenger traffic and demand on counters.

Luggage still needs to be checked, but Stiller expects automatic and digital bag tagging coupled with automated bag drops will improve the process in future.

He also hopes the industry will move to standardize baggage loading and unloading, moving away from outdated baggage handling practices.

“We need standardization. All the different suitcases have been handled the same way for 40 years. If you look at the shipping industry, it is all containerized and standardized.”

As airlines conform to IATA Resolution 753, this could become easier.

Radio Frequency Identification chips in bags could eliminate the need to scan each bag individually and might allow bags to be identified by proximity, even when stored in containers.

It’s not all digital.

Some analogue solutions can also help improve the journey. Cologne is working to reduce queues through a process re-design inspired by the trusted traveler program. It simplifies security for those who travel often.

“We are working on easy security where you can overtake inexperienced passengers. It’s on a test-phase at Cologne and the process is much quicker than before.”

Mobility as a service at Munich

Anita Neudeck, senior manager, innovation and partnering for Munich Airport presented a new “mobility as a service” platform which offers door-to-door transport information service to passengers, from the city centre all the way to the gate.

It combines transport services and traffic information with airport way-finding and flight updates and gives passengers a full view of their journey, according to the transport method they select.

“We are implementing a service where you, as a passenger, just type your locations and also put in your flight number, select the mobile transport options: car sharing, or public transport.

“Or, if you go by your own car, we can tell you what the situation is on the road. You can search and you get a list of options to get you to the airport. We include how much it will cost and how long it will take.”

Neudeck believes this type of solution will be attractive and very relevant to modern digital travellers who simply want to get there and have little patience to spend time searching.

“Transportation has become intermodal. Seventy percent of Millennials are using multiple ways of getting around cities and the suburbs. People don’t want to think about what transport to use. They just care about the destination and they care about time and costs.”

Munich Airport is collaborating with Hamburg Airport, Düsseldorf and Münster/Osnabrück to offer passengers a single “Passnger App” which gives travellers all the information they need for their journey.

One of the motivations behind the collaboration is that Neudeck agrees with others in the industry who have questioned the usefulness of single airport apps.

She believes passengers are more likely to download and use the “Passnger App” because it offers something more valuable than terminal information alone.

“The idea is for all of the airports to come a bit closer and provide one service to all passengers. This channel gives us the opportunity to offer real door to door service.”

Munich Airport has partnered with Siemens, which supplies the framework of the mobility platform. 

“Siemens has all the connections to public transport companies and car sharing, and they also get traffic information from the road. There is one interface to our IT at Munich.”

As the mobility as a service digital platform grows and matures, Neudeck believes it could become a revenue builder for airports, offered to airlines as a B2B service. An API would let airlines give their passengers the same door-to-door, multi-modal transport information, and terminal way-finding, all within their branded app.

“For that, we have to make the first step, try it out for ourselves, and gain some experience. If we are able to integrate one more airport to the ‘Passnger App’, I think it will be important. It would become very relevant. That would be a very good thing for switching to a B2B model.”

source: https://tinyurl.com/kst3wla

On the heels of CES’ tech takeover of Las Vegas, Lufthansa Airlines and its subsidiaries yesterday converged at Frankfurt Airport, transforming the hub into a forum on digital aviation.

“I think, by now, we all agree that we live in a digital world,” said chairman and CEO Carsten Spohr, who lauded the airline’s reputation for being “the most digital airline.” The goal for 2017, Spohr says, is to become “the most digital aviation group.”

Digital innovations on display included Avegant Glyph headsets, an artificial intelligence-driven chatbot named Mildred and one of five Inmarsat GX radome-equipped Airbus A319s, ready for take off. Lufthansa’s FlyNet Internet service, powered by Inmarsat Ka-band satellite connectivity, is now online and will be available to customers in three service packages: FlyNet Message, FlyNet Surf and FlyNet Stream. Delegates from the press tested streaming capacity on the service’s inaugural flight, watching a live ground-to-air teleconference.

With four days downtime required for radome installation by Lufthansa Technik on each aircraft, Lufthansa aims to have 10 A320s equipped by the end of the first quarter and 100 aircraft by spring, completing the full-fleet roll out in roughly 15 months. Austrian Airlines has also launched its service, and will have 31 aircraft equipped by April this year, while Eurowings plans to begin installation early spring and equip its 69 aircraft by end of summer.

But for Spohr, who shyly admits preferring to disconnect while he’s flying, passenger connectivity is just a piece of Lufthansa’s sweeping digital strategy. “When we think about marketing, it truly has changed from communication only in non-digital environments to being present in a digital world via various channels,” he says, adding that the airline’s head of Marketing now spends at least 50 percent of his time devoted to cultivating the airline’s digital presence.

Lufthansa Group’s SMILE program, which takes its name from the cheerful acronym for “Surpass My Individual Lufthansa Experience,” focuses on using customer data to provide personalized marketing and services. “We’re using a multitude of different customer data points, and we’re using a lot of market research, which we’ve always done, but we’re matching that very deeply with ethnographic research,” explains David Doyle, SMILE’s program director.

“We don’t believe that digitalization will create job losses.” — Carsten Spohr, Lufthansa

A recent SMILE initiative involved deploying 200 Bluetooth beacons at Munich Airport that can read digital boarding pass data as travelers pass by, and send offers for lounge access, via Lufthansa’s app, to those who have more than 65 minutes before departure.

Spohr affirms that the group’s digital ambitions will not threaten jobs, adding that the group will add 3,000 personnel over 2017, including 2,200 flight attendant positions. “It’s not either or,” he says. “We don’t believe that digitalization will create job losses, but rather we believe that it will create additional jobs because it will make Lufthansa bigger and more successful.”

source: http://tinyurl.com/z96e2e8