INTERNATIONAL. Airports Council International (ACI) has released the first Airport Digital Transformation Best Practice document, designed to help airports adapt to digitalisation.
It was produced in consultation with the ACI World Airport InformationTechnology Standing Committee and launched at the ACI Airports Exchange Conference & Exhibition in Muscat. The document includes contributions from major airport companies including Schiphol Group, Changi Airport, Aéroports de Paris, Fraport AG and Munich Airport.
ACI said: “The Best Practice document is intended as a decision-making and implementation aid for airport managers who are responsible for evolving their companies into a digital world.” Key elements include: how and where to begin the digital transformation evolution; enabling technologies; areas of application; internal readiness; challenges; risks; opportunities and recommendations.
ACI has also developed a digital survey to aid member airports. This should help airports assess how well they are adapted to the digital world.
ACI World Director General Angela Gittens said: “Today’s airports are no longer just places where airplanes take off and land. Instead, airports are vital economic generators providing gateways to their cities, states, regions and countries. Airports operate in a competitive environment and in addition to providing safe and secure operations, must focus on increasing their community’s share of air travel and tourism and enhancing the customer experience. Now is the time for airport leaders throughout the globe to embrace the airport digital transformation, leveraging the use of emerging technologies and processes to achieve their business objectives. The Airport Digital Transformation Best Practice brings airports a step closer to digital-readiness.”
“Airports are natural interfaces between the analogue and digital worlds,” said ACI Europe President and Munich Airport CEO Dr. Michael Kerkloh. “It is therefore only logical that the advance of digitalisation is also turning the major passenger hubs into hubs for data traffic. For airports, it is essential to be more than just a venue for this process.
“Instead it is vital for them to play an active role in shaping it. If airports succeed in the efficient digital marketing of their analogue products and services, they will continue in the future to have a ‘home field advantage’ in the passenger business over other providers. The Airport Digital Transformation Best Practice helps us to establish a shared vision and best practices in our industry.”
“At Schiphol, we have always been an airport that dreams big,” said Royal Schiphol Group CEO Jos Nijhuis. “We want to be the most innovative. The most digital. The most connected. Travellers are increasingly using the available technological resources to prepare, book and experience their journey. Schiphol is preparing for its role in this changing world. Our goals are not small. They are enormous. We want to be the world’s leading digital airport. With smart airport operational processes, secure Application Programming Interface (API) data sharing and flawless efficiency. By effectively utilising digital contact moments, we will connect with and stay connected to travellers and be able to provide them even better service. The Airport Digital Transformation Best Practice is therefore very important to us.”
*The digitalisation of airport consumer services and airport retail was a key theme at last month’s Trinity Forum in Bangkok, co-organised by The Moodie Davitt Report, ACI and ACI Asia Pacific. Click here for coverage of the world’s leading airport commercial revenues conference.
