Technological Trends in Air Traffic Management & Airport Terminal Operators
Presentation by:
Dr. K. RAMALINGAM, ED(IT)
At International Conference on emerging trends on Air traffic Management
by AESI on 23.03.2002,
New Delhi
Airports Authority of India
INTRODUCTION
The recent innovations in Information Technology and
Telecommunications and its convergence will adorn human services. The services
will be cheaper, faster and mobile with time. The author in his own views
addresses certain issues on the technology trends in Indian Civil Aviation
Scenario. The paper focuses on the influence of Information Technology in
empowering for a paperless Office administration and IT-enabled Terminal
operations for efficient and cost effective services for the best customer
satisfaction. It also addresses on the communication advanced technologies in
Air traffic management and security services, which create new opportunities to
increase the productivity of the organization.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ASSURES ADMINISTRATION EFFICIENT
IT-enabled services through office Automation systems
assure efficiency in Administration. Certain areas of administrative functions
for automation are:
Establishing IT infrastructure with intranet / internet
system connecting all administrative offices.
Empowering staff with use of computers, file transactions,
Instant Messaging, peer discussion and administrative transactions through
intranet system with the main objective of paperless office.
Fast and instant message transfers from regions and
airports to corporate office through e-mail, Internet services and Video
Conferencing System. Automation in Personnel and Finance functioning with IT
softwares, which will increase the productivity of staff.
Automation and inventory management system in procurement
of equipment services and spares.
Empowering functional units with automated Airport
Information Management System that will increase productivity and improve
quality of service to users and equip decision-making processes faster,
accurate and efficient through statistical analysis of functional data
bank.
Creating and managing website with technical data of
airports with administrative information of the organization. The dissemination
of information to employee, decision-makers and users ensure customer
satisfaction, employee satisfaction and provides a quick data bank for
reference by Management.
Computerized Public Grievance Redressal and Monitoring
system. This system provides users facilitation to register grievances from
customers, employees and vendors to address their problems. This helps to
identify the weak areas for addressing the grievances effectively and improves
the customer satisfaction.
All employees including executives are trained in IT
related programmes with an objective of empowering all employees' technology
savvy.
Planning, Administration and Operations will be equipped
with IT tools to improve the productivity in Planning, Estimation, Project
Monitoring and budget control of the projects for faster infrastructure
creation.
The above IT- enabled services contribute to the following benefits :-
Reduce expenditure on tours of executives by way of
travel, stay and allowances.
The Instant Messaging, voice over IP services over
intranet will reduce the telephone expenses substantially.
Project proposals received from distant offices are
examined, discussed and decision communicated from Corporate office, by use of
Video Conferencing system, assuring speedy decision-making process.
Customer satisfaction and quality of services will
increase due to efficient administration.
IT-enabled services bring out cost reduction in providing
better services to Passenger Handling and Terminal Facilitation Services.
Information Technology and Telecommunication Services can provide the following
improved services
Providing Technical data of Airports, flight plan and real
time flight information in the Web site.
Customer Relation Management (CRM) applications with
speech-enabled technology with integrated voice and data for information and
value added services such as Flight Information, news, weather reports, stock
quotes, traffic reports and sports results which will create a new source of
revenue.
Long distance telephone services using VoIP through
intranet instead of PSTN (Public Switched Transmission Network).
Customer's call centers directly to the website and
interactive sessions with callers through voice processing applications.
Providing self-service kiosks at the airports with
facilities for voice- recognition, smart cards and e-commerce to help customers
make reservations, obtain e-tickets, check baggage or simply find information.
The kiosks shall have facility to access through wireless communication
services for journey travel plan, organize his schedule of travel, selection of
seat in the aircraft, terminal reporting time all over his personal area
network devices fitted with blue tooth devices. This facility shall help to
manage congestion in the Terminal building.
Providing hand writing recognition devices and optical
character recognition systems (OCR) available at a cost to busy business
executive to communicate his last minute directions to his office.
IT could provide facilities to see what customers
experience as they pass through the terminal. The Integrated CCTV system can
display passenger arrival, queue up at ticket counters, security checkpoints
and baggage carousets. These details are captured, documented and database
made, which will be useful for future planning, flight departure programme
etc.
The IT model with the impact of new technology opens up
statistical data for optimum investment plan such as.
Visualize dynamic relationships between customer service personnel and
information technologies.
Determine the impact of new technologies on traffic flow and customer
services levels.
Examine "what if" scenarios to streamline new processes before
implementing.
Improve customer satisfaction and cost effectively process more customers
through existing facilities without creating additional infrastructure.
Improve asset utilization and employee productivity.
Enhance Infrastructure planning for future increases in passenger
volume.
Unified Authority for all functions including airline
activities inside the terminal building through networking and virtual private
network for the following functions through single window with opportunities
for faster and efficient passenger handling:
Issue ticket for any airline
Issue Boarding Pass
Accept Baggage Handling
Clear Security
Clear Immigration
Clear Customs
Gate Check-in
Boarding control up to aircraft
Baggage is one of the major causes of irritation to
travelers. Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) technology is available
to improve baggage handling. IT-enabled Baggage Monitoring Services ensure the
following:
Tracks every bag as it moves through the airport by scanning each bag as it
passes various points in the baggage system and recording the location and
time.
Monitors the overall baggage system, providing both graphical and
text-based views of the baggage volume currently in the system, plus a forecast
of the expected volume of baggage in the immediate future.
Displays the track history of each bag, including the time taken to travel
between each location it visits.
Exports this baggage data to a data warehouse for off-line analysis.
The above information allows operational staff to anticipate capacity problems
and take preventive measures and enables aircraft dispatchers to make informed
decisions on departures based on real status of transfer baggage.
Biometric passenger profiles system facilitates quick
check in, faster security check and passenger traffic analysis of frequent
flyers and their personalized airport services. This will improve quality of
service and customer satisfaction. More than that, the congestion of passengers
in terminal lounges is managed well by dynamic creation of space within the
existing infrastructure. This allows handling more passengers without
additional investment on infrastructure building.
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY EMPOWERS AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
The technology advances in communication services add to
the following improved facilities to empower Air Traffic controllers and Pilots
for better and accurate decision-making in Air Traffic Management.
Text to speech technology is used for conversation from
ATC tower to pilots.
Speech Recognition applications are used in Airline Flight
Information Services.
Voice portals in websites will be useful to pilots to
access technical details on Airports, Weather conditions of en-route etc.
through information-rich web site.
Display of Digital Map of Accident Prone Zone of Airports
and its terrain conditions through web site to facilitate Accident Rescue
Operations and disaster management.
0 Statistical details of ATM operations in an Airport and
access to instructions on procedures on landing & take off.
Added and accurate information on data and operation
services through ADS, SPS, GNSS and SATCOM services.
Use of Satellite Navigation (SATNAV) system with GPS and
GLONASS for precision approach and landing.
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) with SBAS and
GBAS to augment GPS signals.
The coverage of SBAS would extend much beyond designated
Indian airspace, which will overcome the current limitations of the existing
ATC system.
Implementation of CNS / ATM Transition Plan in consonance
with the ICAO Transition Plan.
The SATCOM network connecting major airports will serve as
a backbone for transition to the new communication system.
Progressive implementation of ATN replacing existing AFTN
services.
Changeover from HF voice transmission to HF data
transmission.
Implementation of ADS and CPDLC systems to replace voice
communication between air traffic controller and pilot by data
communication.
Introducing AIDC system using SITA Communications
Services.
Networking of Radars to get an integrated picture of the
total airspace and restructuring of Indian air space for safe and economic air
route.
TECHNOLOGY ENSURES CONFIDENCE IN SECURITY SERVICES
The post-September 11 scenario calls for stringent
security measures, which create irritation and delay in passenger handling. In
view of the impending security threat perception, certain hard security
measures are necessary. However, technology driven devices and procedures
simplify the security checks but with sure of security of the passengers and
aircraft movements. The following technology enabled systems add value to
security services:
Installation of CCTV cameras and microwave sensors along
the perimeter wall.
Biometric process for check-in, security-check etc
Color X-ray baggage machine for screening baggage.
Radio frequency identification device (RFID) for baggage
movement monitoring
Bluetooth technology for boarding card and passenger
tracking.
Encrypted communication links between aircraft, satellites
and ground-based users to provide real time information on aircraft, weather,
air traffic flow and air traffic conditions.
Provide 3D model of an aircraft integrated with
information of various security systems and models of passenger flow.
Provide and analyze weather, chemical, biological on
nuclear events throughout the transportation system.
Synthesized variety of information on airplane position,
altitude, speed and intended flight path into a unified graphical
representation, which will be used by ATC to predict future plans to avoid
congestion.
IT- ENABLED SERVICES INCREASE THE PRODUCTIVITY
IT-enabled services can increase the productivity of the
Organization. The areas of target to increase revenue through technology driven
services are:
Aviation experience is unique, and is highly experience
specific. The problem faced and solution techniques followed to a particular
situation is knowledge. The unique experiences are received, documented,
analyzed and made available for future generations. The Knowledge Management
modules (KM) on such experiences could be well used as a new source of revenue
earning.
Marketing through website for preferred routes with short
air travel distance, comfortable flight levels etc. may attract more over
flying flights through India.
Providing SATCOM to local and International Communication
backbone for airline operations.
India could be a leader as Air Traffic Service Providers
in Asia pacific region with the knowledge potential available with the
experience-rich executives through consultancy.
Revision of IATA tariff structure periodically to link up
with distance weight formula, facility based services, safety based technology
upgrades used for Air Traffic Management.
Improving the efficiency of decision-making processes
through IT empowered infrastructure. Paperless and travel less administrations
through Intranet, Internet mailing and video conferencing.
Integrating all terminal operation of services including
that of Airline operators and Govt. Regulatory units inside the terminal
building through single window services to the passenger from Unified Authority
by using Common Use Terminals and single database with virtual private
network.
Diversification to IT-enabled personalized services to
frequent flyers and notified passengers for e-CRM as a new source of
revenue.
Empowering the high quality HR potential of technology
executives and competent administrative executives for better work culture and
high productivity with training on multi skill development and restructuring on
a sound re-engineering process.
Procedural simplification on project infrastructure
planning, execution, and IT based project management to reduce cost and time
over run. Faster expenditure on infrastructure building with quality
construction and reduced project cycle. This is a major area where investment
process and early return on investment process will increase the revenue
earning.
Expenditure audit and energy audits to control expenditure
on services and tax-adjusted investments, such as R&D and air safety
related projects, by using statistical database.
Land utility plan for exploiting potential revenue earning
through extending the scope of business processes to specialty hospitals,
budget hotels, entertainment spots, commercial service centers, call centers
etc.
Better Resource utilization and redeployment strategies to
provide consultancy on areas of strength through MOUs with aviation expertise
starved countries like Afghanistan, Gulf countries, East Asian Countries
etc.
CONCLUSION
The technology forecast and the recent innovations in
Information Technology and Telecommunication services assure value added
facilities to air travelers. The advanced Technology innovation on convergence
of IT and Communication systems provide services for efficient administration,
safe and secured air traffic management for better customer satisfaction. The
technology advances create new areas of diversification of business, which will
increase the productivity in airport operations and air traffic
management.
