December 14 2020  |  Airline & Terminal News

Virtual Expo panel ponders pace of airport development

By Rick Lundstrom


Clockwise from top: Antoinette Nassopoulos-Erickson, Senior Partner, Foster + Partners, Mike Byrom, Vice President of Airport Services at Spirit Airlines, David Blackwell, Executive GM Technology and Innovation at Adelaide Airport Limited and Chris Forrest, Vice President Airports and Unmanned Aerial Systems at Collins Aerospace

Before the COVID-19 virus struck the industry, the airport environment was undergoing changes that were transforming the passenger experience. Now, those changes may be accelerated or take on new forms, as discussed by a group of panelists discussed at FTE APEX Virtual Expo.

The session, entitled What will the next generation of airport facilities look like post-COVID-19, and what technologies will they utilize?, four panelists discussed future technology, passenger confidence and comfort, and airport operations. Moderating the session was David Blackwell, Executive GM Technology & Innovation, Adelaide Airport Limited. Panelists were Mike Byrom, Vice President, Airport Services, Spirit Airlines, Chris Forrest, Vice President, Airports & Unmanned Aerial Systems, Collins Aerospace and Antoinette Nassopoulos-Erickson, Senior Partner, Foster + Partners, an architectural firm.

One of the challenges on which all the panelists could concur is needed is a worldwide airport environment that is more uniform in its approach to technological advancement for passenger handling. At Spirit Airlines, Byrom said his airline's management embraces technological change and was a pioneer, establishing the first passenger self-baggage drop at LaGuardia Airport. The airline has employed biometrics where passengers that opt into the automated system will be asked to scan a photo ID. The hardware will then use facial recognition to match the passenger to the ID and compare the information to that person's flight reservation. Testing on the system began in September.

However, Byrom added that much of the airport infrastructure across the United States is lagging behind facilities in other parts of the world. “Within the domestic US there hasn’t been a framework to push the innovation of self-bag drop forward,” he added.

Cooperation and partnerships will be important to pushing the solutions forward, Byrom added. He said approximately 80 percent of Spirit’s passengers make use of self-serve features, the remaining passengers will always need help with things like international documentation or unforeseen issues encountered during travel.

Forrest said he sees a number of important features forming a “technology foundation” in the airport.

  • Cloud-based data hosting that enables real time data sharing across airport partners allowing for collaborative decision making.
  • Open data communication across airports, passengers, airlines and baggage and ground handlers for improved airport operations.
  • Secure identify biometrics for a seamless passenger journey.
  • Prescriptive and predictive analytics that help optimize airport operations and improve decision making processes.
  • Automation that enables cost savings and increased utilization of existing infrastructure.
  • Increasing connectivity throughout airports that increases the importance of cybersecurity solutions.

While airlines and airports around the world are moving toward rapid COVID-19 screening, Forrest said it is not a complete solution and limited approaches such as temperature checks only cannot identify pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic passengers.

“While rapid testing may help get passenger numbers back up, if we want to get to 2019 levels and beyond in terms of passengers that is just not viable economically from an airport process,” he added.

While technology can be used to help operations and streamline efficiencies, architectural firms like Foster + Partners design airports from Mexico City to Kuwait City to create a calming and comfortable environment for the tens of millions that pour through the concourses in a normal year. Making the technology work and getting back passenger confidence is also in the hands of designers of the spaces, says Nassopoulos-Erickson.

In the near term, passengers will feel calm in an area that can be navigated with the least amount of touches necessary, she said. Features such as natural ventilation and a terminals built with health and wellness as part of the design will move airport environments to the next level.

Biometrics is important, said Nassopoulos-Erickson, but the technology might demand more space or different types of space. Bometrics is an opportunity to optimize space as well, combining flows to reduce actual demand, and increasing use of robotic technology, minimizes demand on space. But to make it work, an architectural concept known as “universal design” developed in the United States could give airports around the world a common foundation for users.

“If you could get technology sorted out and get that commonality we know it could potentially improve everybody’s experience.” she said.

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