air transport it review issue1 2013 0

NEW MINDSETGATWICK AIrporT

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THE GAME CHANGErCLoUD CoMpUTING

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ISSUE 1 - Q1 2013

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INTErVIEW

p 21WE TALK TO GATWICK CIO MICHAEL IBBITSON

Air Transport IT reviewAir Transport IT Review online and breaking news: www.sita.aero/air-transport-it-review

publishers: Arthur Calderwood, Brenda Flinter

Managing Editor: Terence Tucker

Editorial: Gerald Oliver, Paul Brock, Scott Handy

production Editor: Amarat Raval

Information is subject to change without notice. All trademarks acknowledged. ©SITA 2013

SITA 252-254 Blyth Road, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 1HA, UKTelephone +44 (0)20 8756 8000Enquiries to [email protected]

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The carbon emissions from this publication equal 1.2 tonnes. The emissions are being continually assessed and reduced, with the remaining emissions offset in a carbon reduction project.

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INTErVIEW

p 13THE DEMANDS OF TRAVEL 3.0 – ROB WATKINS, SITA

INTELLIGENT AIrporTS – MoVE WITH THE fLoW

p 24NEW TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS WILL ALLOW AIRPORTS TO CAPTURE AND ACCESS DATA IN REAL-TIME AT ALL STAGES OF THE PASSENGER JOURNEY.

CoNTENTS

3ISSUE 1: Q1 2013

NEWS Latest air transport industry news 4

fEATUrE Time to talk – industry players must work together 6

fEATUrE Ease the pain – IT will ease journey pain-points 10

fEATUrE Control the stress – passengers want empowerment 15

fEATUrE Big trends, big change in air travel by 2015 17

fEATUrE Data-driven travel – airlines must harness their data 19

fEATUrE Open the gates – getting closer to less intrusive checkpoints 27

fEATUrE BYOD – hype or reality? And BYOD in the air 29

fEATUrE The game changer – Cloud, as radical as they say? 35

http://www.sita.aero/air-transport-it-review

AIr TrANSporT IT rEVIEW4

NEWS


SITA WINS AT THE 2012 B2B MArKETING AWArDSSITA’s ‘Together We Can’ program won the ‘Best Brand Initiative’ Award at the premier business-to-business marketing event of 2012.

BEST BrAND INITIATIVE AWArD

SITA joined the company of other major brands including IBM, Fujitsu, SAP and Google.

This award recognizes the success of SITA’s repositioning program which started with extensive research back in 2010, internal engagement in 2011 and the launch of the global brand campaign ‘Together We Can’ in 2012.

From Atlanta to Beijing, air passengers worldwide are turning to self-service in their dealings with airlines and airports. This is one headline result of the SITA/Air Transport World Passenger Self-Service Survey.

Four out of ten passengers at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport use the internet to check-in, for example.

Add in self-service kiosk and mobile phone check-ins and 85% of passengers avoid airport counters and use self-service check-in. This is a jump of over 10% in just 12 months.

The pattern of change is evident across continents: 2012 saw a 17% rise in the number of passengers using self-service check-in at Abu Dhabi International Airport – almost double the previous year’s figure.

At Beijing International Airport, over 90% of passengers said they want to search for flights and receive flight updates and boarding passes on their mobile phones.

Similar results were recorded among passengers at São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport in Brazil: 90% would like to use self-boarding.

Flight transfers are a particular cause of stress at São Paulo… 86% are interested in using self-service kiosks to transfer flights, a jump from 65% last year.

The survey also covered self-service bag drop, the use of social media and the use of travel-related apps and services.

NEW HEIGHTS for SELf-SErVICE

All the trends,at the Hub

SITA’s online resource – the Air Transport IT Trends Hub – lets you download multiple data points from the SITA and Airline Business industry-leading surveys.

You can search key findings from the surveys and reports we carry out every year – including the Baggage report and the Airline IT Trends, Airport IT Trends, and passenger Self-Service Surveys.You can find the Hub at www.sita.aero/ittrendshub

SEE ALSO: p15-18

http://www.sita.aero/content/sita-world-sporting-events

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‘AIR TRANSPORT IT REVIEW’ –

COVERING THE HOT TOPICSSee all tablet issues of Air Transport IT Review for features focusing on Industry Insight Session topics, the Airline and Airport IT Trends Surveys, tablet use by crew and pilots, real-time airports, empowered passengers, better baggage handling, border management and biometrics, and much more.

www.sita.aero/air-transport-it-review

easyJet has embraced a fully-managed mobile solution enabling the airline to use its in-house applications on mobile devices at over 130 airports in Europe from which it flies.

As the UK’s largest airline, carrying more than 58 million passengers each year, easyJet will use the SITA solution across 190 countries,

providing cost-effective and seamless roaming for mobile usage.

The five-year agreement will initially include 100 devices deployed at six airports which will enable the boarding of around 55,000 easyJet flights. Additional airports will be considered. easyJet plans to have up to 1,500 handheld terminals at 130 airports across Europe. See page 30.

EASYJET GOES MOBILE ACROSS EUROPE

5ISSUE 1: JANUArY 2012 5ISSUE 1: Q1 2013

Mark your diary 18-20 June 2013 This year we’ll be looking at the full potential of collaboration across the industry, including our popular Industry Insight Sessions and SITA’s Annual General Assembly for members. If you missed out in 2012, read our Summit Highlights at www.sita.aero/content/download-center.

Call for speakersIf you’re a senior member of the air transport industry with a strong story to tell industry CIOs and other IT professionals, we’d like to hear from you.

Please send your ideas to [email protected]

2013 AIr TrANSporT IT SUMMIT

WE VALUE YoUr fEEDBACK Please complete our Air Transport IT Review readership survey at


‘Flying into the Future’ offers a ‘360° view’ across airports, airlines and passengers. It examines results from SITA’s annual industry research surveys, providing unique insights into trends and expectations from each point of view. It draws on the latest Airline and Airport IT Trends Surveys, Passenger Self-Service Survey and Baggage Report. See page 17.

IT ‘PIVOTAL’ TO TOMORROW’S TRAVEL EXPERIENCE

prEDICT THE fUTUrE

IT is pivotal to creating the travel experience of the future, says a new SITA paper, ‘Flying into the Future’.

It says the industry is committed to investing in much of the IT and communications infrastructure needed to enhance the passenger experience and meet rising passenger expectations.

The sky’s the limit for the air transport industry, says SITA CTO Jim Peters in his latest blog at www.sita.aero. All the big data floating around

the industry, historical and real-time, can help us predict the future. See also page 24 for more on big data and predictive analytics.

AIr TrANSporT INDUSTrY CoLLABorATIoN


Without extra investment airports face doing more with what they already have. Many airports are looking to IT as the savior.

CoMMoN ApproACHPaul Houghton, President of Americas for SITA, sat on the ACI conference panel. He’s seeing a new collaborative approach to airport operations, he says. “Today there’s much more willingness for the different airport players to work together.

“They’ve done all they can in terms of efficiency gains on their own. Now they recognize that going to the next level requires a common approach.”

The new mindset is driven by the possibilities offered by new technologies. Houghton’s speech focused on how to boost operational performance through IT, or in his words how to “harness the power of digital technologies.”

TIME To TALK

Collaboration featured high on the agenda at ACI’s Conference in Mexico. The region suffers from the common industry problem of insufficient investment in airport infrastructure to deal with soaring passenger demand.

COLLABORATION IN AIR TRANSPORT IS A HOT TALKING POINT. IATA AND ACI HAVE BEEN TALKING RAPPROCHEMENT. SO WHAT’S BEHIND THE INDUSTRY’S NEW ENTENTE CORDIALE?

“Today it’s not just airports and airlines using technology. Passengers also have mobile devices and other consumer electronics,” he says.

“This gives us the opportunity to connect with them, to automate or semi-automate passenger processes, or to provide and receive information, or even generate new revenue streams through marketing possibilities.”

SHArE DATAThe vision of the ‘intelligent airport’ – full of wireless and sensor technology to manage and control operations more effectively – has been around a few years. But central to achieving it is the need for close collaboration among the different stakeholders.

“The key is sharing data,” says Houghton. “Source data is owned by different entities at the airport. No one has the overall picture. If we can bring

it together we could develop much better insight into the dependencies and linkages in the industry’s operations.”

One example is streamlining the security process. Getting it right, he argues, benefits everyone. “Passengers face less hassle and stress. They get more time in airport retail areas while airlines experience fewer late arrivals at the gate.”

As the latest SITA/ATW Passenger Self-Service Survey confirms, queues at checkpoints are a major source of passenger frustration. Houghton believes a lot could be done to minimize that frustration if border agencies, airlines and airports shared data.

“Airports can have a good idea of the passenger numbers entering the terminals by generating data feeds from arrivals at their car parks and from public transport,” he explains.

7ISSUE 4 : DECEMBEr 7ISSUE 1: Q1 2013

ToGETHEr WE CAN. fIND oUT HoW To ACHIEVE MorE BY WorKING ToGETHEr. www.sita.aero/together

As Houghton says: “We can build the bridges between the different partners and develop a common approach using industry standard technology.

“With SITA at the center of many of the industry’s data flows we can also integrate the IT systems and turn it into actionable information. This will bring about the efficiencies and create new services for passengers and airport tenants.”


AIr TrANSporT INDUSTrY CoLLABorATIoN

TEAM EfforTBillions of dollars have been saved through IATA’s Simplifying the Business program. Now a fresh set of visions hinges on collaboration and innovation. SITA remains committed to helping make them happen.

“Aviation is a team effort. The value chain is complex. And to be successful, we must work together. It is the only way we can provide our passengers with the value they expect from their travel experience.”

IATA Chief Executive Tony Tyler was in no doubt as to the importance – and the purpose – of collaboration, when he gave the keynote address to IATA’s World Passenger Symposium in late 2012.

He gave equal prominence to the need for innovation, as the only way the industry will be able to handle the forecast increase in people travelling by air: “Next year, we expect about 3 billion people to travel by air. By 2030 we expect the figure to double.

“Serving that number of passengers will require innovation. Technology presents us with new possibilities almost daily. But choosing the best way to evolve the passenger experience is a complicated task.”

“At the same time, airlines could see the intensity of passengers using check-in kiosks and bag-drop transactions.

“Together you can get a good picture of the number of people who need to pass through the security checkpoint. If we combine that data with staff scheduling at security checkpoints, you can set up a sort of early alert system.

“This lets border management officials know they need more personnel to process people for the next hour to avoid excessive queue lengths.”

THE BIG prIzEOptimizing passenger flows through the airport is seen as the big efficiency prize, gained through closer cooperation among data owners at the airport.

Combining data about queue lengths at check-in and security with aircraft arrival times could provide accurate transit times for passengers to get from the car park to boarding the aircraft.

Passengers would then have a clearer idea of how long to spend in retail areas, while airlines could be alerted that a passenger will not make the flight, so their bags can be unloaded earlier.

Airport operations could also be fine-tuned to ensure a smooth flow towards the gates.

However, this will take time to play out, argues Houghton. “There are competing objectives in the way airports and airlines operate at the airport, which need to be put aside.

“Airports have favored keeping passengers spending in retail areas as long as possible. Airlines prefer to have passengers sitting at the gate so that boarding can be completed on schedule.

“We’re now starting to see airlines and airports reconcile these needs so that passengers arrive at the gate at the optimal time, depending on whether the aircraft is on time or late.”

To work, though, accurate information needs to be distributed to all stakeholders, including passengers. That means pulling together more complete data on what’s happening at the airport.

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE Houghton explains that by integrating the various airport IT systems owned by the different players, a single source of truth can be created. Business intelligence tools

can then be applied to develop a wide array of information services for both operations and passengers to use.

“From an airport perspective, by working together using new digital technologies, we can create an information driven airport,” he says. This will lead to improved forecasting, resulting in better quality decision making, which will bring substantial efficiency and cost benefits.”

BUILD THE BrIDGES Bringing the diverse set of airport-based partners together, as well as the different technologies, to achieve the efficiencies, is what SITA is working on.

“ AIrporTS HAVE fAVorED KEEpING pASSENGErS SpENDING IN rETAIL ArEAS AS LoNG AS poSSIBLE. AIrLINES prEfEr To HAVE pASSENGErS SITTING AT THE GATE So THAT BoArDING CAN BE CoMpLETED oN SCHEDULE.”

pAUL HoUGHToN prESIDENT of AMErICAS, SITA

AIrporT BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE, MATTHYS SErfoNTEIN, SITATo see the video, search for ‘Airport Business Intelligence’ at www.youtube.com/sitaonline

ExpLorE poTENTIAL“This is precisely what SITA is about,” says Violante. ”Our focus on working and innovating collaboratively with industry stakeholders plays a critical role in delivering StB.

“Being at the intersection of the industry, with a handle on many industry data flows, we’re constantly exploring the potential of collaboration in bringing efficiency improvements to air transport.

“This is backed by new generation solutions in the areas of passenger management, facilitation, border management and the ‘always-on’ intelligent airport environment.” (See pages 21-24.)

Welcoming the goals, Francesco Violante, SITA‘s Chief Executive Officer, said: “SITA has been at the heart of Simplifying the Business from the outset. We were founded on the principles of global standards, innovation and collaboration.

“We welcome this new vigor in adding value to meet the expectations of 21st century customers – and we will continue to work with all of our airline, airport and other customers and partners to deliver against IATA’s new goals.”

DoN’T STop...Great progress has been made in simplifying all passenger processes. However, while Fast Travel has been a “perfect win-win

9ISSUE 1: Q1 2013

NEW GoALS for STBA key focus for IATA’s Simplifying the Business (StB) program is how to maximize efficiency and value from infrastructure and processes, according to IATA’s CEO Tony Tyler. (See box ‘Team Effort’.)

Global standards are critical. “As with e-ticketing, bar-coded boarding passes, self-service kiosks and other innovations, agreement on a global standard gives us the possibility to innovate and deliver added benefit to passengers who criss-cross the global village that aviation makes possible,” says Tyler.

His remarks came against the background of a new IATA White Paper and Think Tank setting out the foundations for five new goals for StB projects and initiatives:

• Airline products

• Passenger data

• Real-time interaction

• Hassle free, and

• A seamless journey

“ SITA HAS BEEN AT THE HEArT of SIMpLIfYING THE BUSINESS froM THE oUTSET. WE WErE foUNDED oN THE prINCIpLES of GLoBAL STANDArDS, INNoVATIoN AND CoLLABorATIoN.”

frANCESCo VIoLANTE CHIEf ExECUTIVE offICEr, SITA

project” – the industry has only scratched the surface, according to Tyler.

“Our 2020 vision is for a fast, seamless curb-to-airside experience that is predictable, repeatable, secure and globally consistent,” says Tyler.

“(But) it will only happen if we agree to make it happen. That means integrating the many processes at the airport – including government process such as security and immigration – into a seamless experience.

“And it means powering the possibility of real-time information exchange with ubiquitous one click access to Wi-Fi. Joined-up thinking is absolutely critical.”

oUr INDUSTrY ECoSYSTEM


EASE THE pAINWHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE KEY TECHNOLOGY TRENDS IN THE AIR TRANSPORT INDUSTRY, THEY’RE qUICK TO MENTION ‘THE BIG THREE’: MOBILE, SOCIAL AND CLOUD.

Next are emerging trends such as big data and business intelligence. Too often overlooked, however, is what makes these trends so disruptive. In short, they are ‘better together’. That means it’s not how each stands on its own but how they link together to form a cohesive and powerful ecosystem.

This ecosystem has three major endpoints:

• Passengers

• Staff

• And what I call ‘stuff’. This ‘stuff’ is everything else you use to run your business, like planes, gates and catering trolleys.

Passengers carry smartphones and tablets, which they use to update their friends and family via social media. What they’re saying can be valuable to you on a brand and operational level.

“ EMErGING TECHNoLoGIES WILL CoMBINE To EASE THE pAIN-poINTS ACroSS THE JoUrNEY. AS THEY Do, THEY’LL CrEATE NEW opporTUNITIES.”

BY JIM pETErS CHIEf TECHNoLoGY offICEr AND HEAD of SITA LAB

Your staff bring their own devices to work or, increasingly, are given devices that help them do their jobs better.

VIBrANT: ApISInternal and external development communities are creating apps for both passengers and staff, leveraging application programming interfaces (APIs) coming out of the cloud and distributed in a variety of app stores.

The GPSs in these devices have spawned apps that track user locations and actions – what was done where and by whom – creating still more data, much of which is unstructured, or big data, that needs to be poured into databases and analyzed in order to create the much sought-after ‘business intelligence’.

IT ECo-SYSTEM & MoBILITY, JIM pETErS, CTo, SITA

To see the video, search for ‘IT Trends 2012’ at www.youtube.com/sitaonline

EMBrACE THE TrENDS – JIM pETErS, CTo, SITA

To see the video, search for ‘Embrace the trends’ at www.youtube.com/sitaonline

11ISSUE 1: Q1 2013

So, you can see a vibrant ecosystem where everything feeds off of everything else. Smartphones and tablets need apps. App developers need APIs and app stores. All of the data needs to be stored and accessed via the cloud, which is at the center of the ecosystem and feeds into your database that you use to extract business intelligence.

SHoWCASESITA Lab has created use cases that showcase the opportunities and challenges this new ecosystem presents for air transport. Here’s an outline of three of them.

pASSENGErS: E-WALLETS for SMArTpHoNESopportunities Smartphones equipped with near field communication (NFC) can be used as electronic wallets, or

e-Wallets, with the passenger’s credentials securely stored on the phone. The e-Wallet can be used to allow access to restricted areas.

It can integrate loyalty cards and processes to enable passengers to earn and redeem loyalty points during their journey, not to mention the associated merchandizing

Underneath the NFC is a whole new set of possible payment mechanisms. The air transport paid US$3 billion to Visa, MasterCard and American Express last year for credit fees in ticket purchases.

With NFC, we have the opportunity, through new payment technologies, to reduce or even eliminate these fees.

For example, there’s a company called Dwolla (www.dwolla.com) that provides direct debit services. They charge 25 cents per transaction –

not 25%, but 25 cents – and they’ll transfer money automatically between banks.

Challenges Agreeing who’s going to control what, and who will pay for that control, is leading to delays in the rollout of e-Wallets. Big players such as the mobile network operators, handset manufacturers, credit card companies, Apple and Google are wrestling over control and standards.

Apple announced their Passbook app for iOS6. Passbook can be used to hold boarding passes, event tickets or coupons. This is the first glimpse we’ve had on how Apple will approach the e-Wallet for the iPhone.

Will Passbook be expanded into a full-blown NFC-based e-Wallet in the next iPhone release? Only Apple knows for sure, but the pundits are saying “Get ready,

it’s coming!” And as their innovations have shown in the past, Apple is big enough to sway not just an industry but the world.

proof of concept SITA Lab launched a trial in France’s Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, installing the world’s first live use of SIM-based NFC in airports. It allows passengers to pass through checks, controls and gates using only their mobile phones.

The next step is to offer a boarding pass for seamless transition from landside to airside.

“ THE opporTUNITIES ArE EVErYWHErE: AUToMATING oLD BUSINESS proCESSES, ENHANCING CUSToMEr ExpErIENCE, AND GETTING MorE oUT of DATA.”

JIM pETErS CHIEf TECHNoLoGY offICEr, SITA

INSIGHTOur three examples give clear insight into how SITA Lab is researching the key technologies and emerging trends in our ecosystem. We’ve discovered it’s the inter-linkage between these technologies and trends that make them powerful.

The opportunities are everywhere: automating old business processes, enhancing customer experience, and getting more out of data.

But with opportunities come challenges. SITA Lab is meeting the challenges by prototyping and trialing new technologies for the benefit of the industry.

AIr TrANSporT IT rEVIEW12 AIr TrANSporT IT rEVIEW12


STAff: CABIN CrEW TABLETSopportunities Real-time information about flights, passengers, connections, meal requests, and previous comments will have a great impact on industry operations. Additional value lies in replacing numerous forms currently filled out manually for each flight.

In short, this is business process optimization, linking apps through the cloud base and back into the big data database. Business intelligence is extracted, goes back into the cloud, and back out to the users. It’s that cycle, that loop, that really generates the power.

Challenges How best to move data from the tablet to the back-end systems that process it, such as flight ops, engineering, catering and administration? It’s pointless moving from paper to tablet and then only print out the data later on.

Optimally, back-end processes would be re-engineered to integrate the data-flow from the tablet to the relevant systems.

One challenge being eliminated is the cost of devices. Tablets have come down in price significantly. Coupled with the increases in staff productivity and efficiency, we have reached a tipping point with cost. A clear ROI is now available to justify the investment.

proof of concept SITA Lab has done a trial where we put an app on iPads for cabin crew to access passenger information. It replaced the manifest, but it also included all the loyalty information.

We even pulled the passengers’ pictures off LinkedIn and Facebook, so crew can actually see passengers before meeting them. In this case, the app can potentially replace up to 40 manual forms per flight that the cabin crew may have to fill out.

‘STUff’: ApIS for INDUSTrY AppSopportunities APIs are a key element of the key trends ecosystem, powering the developers who create apps.

As an industry, we need ways to mine all the data available through our ‘stuff’, as well as through our passengers and staff. We also need standards for doing this and a common way to do it.

Challenges How best to get access to the right data at the right time, securely, while observing all the relevant data ownership and privacy issues?

proof of concept SITA Lab has created a new API platform, specifically for the air transport industry, called developer.aero.

The platform is designed to enable airlines, airports and other industry players to extend existing IT processes into apps for the industry and world travelers.

If successful, developer.aero will open the door for application developers to access vast amounts of industry data, in a secure and controlled manner, to create applications for use on multiple devices, including mobile and tablets.

We plan to have several APIs available on developer.aero. The first, which we’re trialing with airlines, is BagTrac. This API exposes data on the location of individual checked bags as they’re scanned during the journey.

Another in development is the Mobile Boarding pass. This API can be configured to work with any check-in application to create IATA (as well as US TSA) compliant two-dimensional boarding passes using the Aztec barcode standard.

BUILDING GrEAT AppS – JACK Loop, SITA

To see the video, search for ‘Developer.aero’ at www.youtube.com/sitaonline

JIM pETErS’ BLoG poSTS

www.sita.aero/content/big-data-and-predictive-analytics


13ISSUE 2: JUNE 2012 13ISSUE 1: Q1 2013

“ IN DESIGNING AND BUILDING AppS, A LoT of NEW THINKING IS GoING To BE CrITICAL.”

DAVID BULMAN DIrECTor of IT, VIrGIN ATLANTIC

ALWAYS-oN TrAVEL 3.0

We hear increasingly about the always-on Travel 3.0 environment. What are the implications for the industry’s IT infrastructure?

More data, more users of that data, an expectation of 24x7 availability and 100% reliability. Passengers expect to be able to book a flight, access details of a flight, sort out all the ancillary elements, check in and go – when and where it suits them. That’s through a desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet.

Everyone – whether passengers, staff or other service users – expects the interface to be accessible and simple. They expect information to be live and accurate.

At the same time, airlines and airports want to join up data sources to provide better intelligence, better security and the capability of delivering new advanced services.

And many agencies place demands on airlines and airports – such as security forces, governments, air traffic navigation bodies, cargo shippers or asset management companies. We talk today about ‘big data’. We probably need a bigger adjective than simply ‘big’ to describe how things are moving.


Of course, this imposes huge strains on the industry’s network and data infrastructures. Capacity, volume, speed and resilience are all being pushed to new limits.

What does that mean for CIos and IT directors?

Simple. They’re in the spotlight. It’s down to them to deliver.

They’ve got to provide an always-on network that’s closely interlinked and interdependent, with an ecosystem of multiple stakeholders who are facing their own challenges. They’ve got to keep global, regional and local infrastructures up and running, while managing a whole range of vendors and a dizzying array of applications.

So what should they look for when considering service and support requirements?

I see two sets of challenges. The first is how to ensure ease of use for consumers of their IT services, be they passengers, staff or colleagues. They expect simplicity and resilience, but not to have to understand the underlying complexity.

The trouble is that everyone in the industry is also struggling to achieve or maintain profitability, so investment in IT has to be tightly targeted and has to justify itself.

The vision of always-connected passengers, staff, crew and others involved in air transport is fast becoming reality. Managing IT 24x7 is now a strategic issue at the highest level. So says Rob Watkins, Senior Vice President, SITA Global Services.Some call it Travel 3.0. It’s essentially a third wave of innovation and technology based on an ‘always-connected’ vision and our 24x7 air transport ecosystem. The opportunities are plentiful. But so are the challenges for the industry’s IT infrastructure.

TrAVEL 3.0 – BEHIND THE SCENES

www.sita.aero/content/travel-3-0-behind-scenes

In SITA’s case, we’re introducing an enhanced portal to give customers these benefits. But there’s a lot more to it than simply telling customers what’s happening.

We’ve invested several million dollars in our new state-of-the-art Command Centers and Data Centers. They give us a central capability to provide a higher level of resource availability, infrastructure management and proactive monitoring.

So we can pick up and correct faults, in many cases before they impact a customer’s services.

for the full article including outsourcing and governance go to www.sita.aero/air-transport-it-review

AIr TrANSporT IT rEVIEW14 AIr TrANSporT IT rEVIEW14 AIr TrANSporT IT rEVIEW14 AIr TrANSporT IT rEVIEW14

The second challenge is what to expect from suppliers. There’s a trade-off to be made between competing concerns. Fundamentally, they expect value for money. But what does that mean? It’s a trade-off between cost, functionality and risk.

Budgets are tight, so clearly cost is a core factor. Yet the cheapest solution may not be the best solution – we all know that. Functionality is a must, but at what cost? And then there is risk. Zero risk may compromise functionality and will certainly entail more cost. Mission critical elements, involving safety for example, cannot allow for risk of downtime.

How do you handle that trade-off when dealing with air transport customers?

Every customer is different. That’s not a platitude, it’s true.Our challenge is to work with each customer in designing a service plan that fits their individual requirements in our new always on ecosytem. And those requirements will constantly change and evolve.

We need to be flexible and adaptable in producing the best value-for-money package that always provides the best economies of scale and financial efficiencies. But if it’s infinitely flexible or adaptable, the cost efficiency can be lost.

Does the cloud add extra complication?

The cloud has made a massive difference. It’s created a consumption-based world that marks a fundamental change from the old way of doing things.

Take desktop-as-a-service. Offering this to customers, we’ve taken full end-to-end responsibility for a service that previously split responsibility between technology providers.

We’ve transferred management of the complexity from the customer to SITA based on the company’s deep-rooted experience and expertise.

For the airline or airport customer, our offer becomes service-based rather than functionality-based – and that creates a different dynamic.

The other point is that cloud technology places a huge reliance on a resilient infrastructure with minimum latency and 24x7 availability. So anyone moving to Travel 3.0 needs to choose their partners with this understanding.

The advantage of a community cloud focused on aviation is that we have a unique understanding of the always-on criticality of the business. Whenever I come across a service issue that needs fixing,

my first question is: “What’s the business impact?” We can then respond swiftly in a way that ensures we hit the right priorities.

How can airports and airlines stay vigilant about the IT-driven services their passengers want around the clock?

The consumption-based world enabled by cloud technology means that you and I are more in charge of the services we use, any time of day and night, whether on a PC, a laptop, a smartphone or tablet.

We want to manage how we use cloud technology to suit our own circumstances. Well it’s the same for customers. While they expect their IT partners to manage the complexity and the functionality, they also expect to be able to self-manage their use of their services. They want a real-time relationship.


“ IT’S LIKE ANY rELATIoNSHIp. IT rEQUIrES BoTH pArTIES To HAVE AN INNATE UNDErSTANDING of THE oTHEr AND AN ABILITY AND prEpArEDNESS To CoLLABorATE WITH THE oTHEr.”

KEEpING IT ALL ToGETHEr, BY DAY AND NIGHT

www.sita.aero/content/sita-data-centres


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pASSENGEr ExpErIENCE

CoNTroL THE STrESSFLYING CAN BE STRESSFUL. SO GIVE US MORE CONTROL, SAY PASSENGERS.

What causes the greatest stress with flying? quite simply, it’s ‘not knowing or not being in control’. That’s one of the main findings of the SITA-Air Transport World Passenger Self-Service Survey, carried out at airports across the world.

By far the greatest cause of stress is loss of time – and particularly the fear of missing a flight due to long wait times and queues. As many as 44% of passengers cited this as the top contributor to stress.

Other top contributors are unexpected changes, according to 11% of passengers, followed by lack of control (8%) and lack of information (7%).

It’s no surprise that these stresses apply to the crunch points at busy airport times where we still experience queues and long wait times:

• Security and passport checks (31%)

• Check-in and bag-drop (12%)

• And transfers to other flights (16%)

But it’s also where things can go wrong, or where passengers need to rely on accurate and quick information to make the right decisions. So when it comes to technology usage, these are the top drivers of passenger priorities.

JoUrNEY-WIDE ITAcross the entire journey, passengers are positive about using technology. Almost all welcome flight status updates on their mobile devices, as well as self-boarding gates and kiosks for flight transfers.

In short, they embrace any queue-busting self-service solution, particularly if it’s intuitive and easily accessed.

Many believe that self-service bag-drop stations, mobile boarding passes and other mobile related services can also help them overcome stresses when travelling.

popULAr SELf-SErVICESelf-service is ever popular. More than two thirds had used a self-service channel for check-in on the day of the survey – such as a website, kiosk, mobile device, call center or social media. This is much higher than the 55% figure of 12 months ago.

It’s often said that baggage hampers self-service adoption – particularly for passengers needing to check-in baggage at a counter. Unassisted bag drop can solve this problem and can reduce stress.

The survey shows that the higher the stress levels about the check-in/bag-drop process, the greater passenger interest in unassisted bag drop.

MY CHANNEL, MY CHoICEThe explosion in smartphone use raises an important question: how will it impact existing self-service contact points like kiosks or Web check-in?

The answer seems to be, that for self-service check-in at least, multi-channel interaction has become commonplace. Almost 80% of passengers already use websites or kiosks to check-in regularly or occasionally – with mobile check-in growing fast.

Passengers welcome flexibility. They may vary channels from journey to journey, depending on circumstances. But they want the choice.

It’s clear that at every stage of the journey mobile technology will improve passenger interaction. The industry recognizes the opportunity. Nine out of 10 airlines and airports are investing in smartphone apps for passenger services.

SEE ALSO:

To see the passenger Self-Service Survey

Go to

www.sita.aero/surveys

Such opportunities are critical, as the industry adapts to changing market conditions and new trends.

Technology offers support. In recent years, e-commerce, online check-in and self-service kiosks have changed the face of travel, giving passengers control and decreasing stress levels.

Now we face the tipping point of a new disruptive trend in passenger interaction: the mobile and social media revolution in travel. The latest Passenger Self-Service Survey provides some hard-hitting evidence of the rewards – and the risks.

28%

54%

70%

2010 2011 2012


Passengers value mobile check-in, thanks to the convenience of mobile boarding passes and flight status updates. Some 40% of airlines and airports have introduced these functions in their mobile apps. The rest are quickly following suit, with 80% global deployment by 2015.

ADVErTISING? So how about bookings through the newer sales channels, such as smartphones, kiosks and social media? These now account for a combined 5% of sales. By 2015 this is expected to be 12% and growing.

With websites accounting for 74% of sales, will the growth in newer sales channels be at the further expense of legacy channels, such as the physical shop and telesales?

New channels provide airports and airlines with hope for further commercial gain – this time through advertising. Yet passengers don’t necessarily agree, even though 75% of airports and airlines plan to use it.

The survey says that almost half of passengers don’t want to receive mobile advertising – and mobile promotions are ranked lowest in terms of technology attractiveness.

With such a gap between the high ambitions of the industry and low desire from passengers, airlines and airports will need to find a mobile strategy that overcomes passengers’ ambivalence to mobile advertising.

Among passengers who said they don’t want advertising, 61% would change their mind if given more control over the content they receive.

Specifically, they would agree to mobile advertising if they could:

• Pull the information when they want it, rather than having it pushed to them.

• Control the frequency of the messages.

• Tailor messages and content towards their preferences.

If mobile advertising addresses these concerns, the survey says acceptance can be increased to 85% globally. This means that ‘personalization’ will need to become a central pillar of mobile strategy.

SoCIAL MEDIA’S pLACEHarnessing social media for travel is in its infancy. But already it’s impacting all aspects of customer interaction.

The survey found that 62% of passengers interviewed are active on social media; 80% of these passengers were aged between 18-24, compared to 39% of those over 55.

The sheer number of passengers active on social media represents a significant opportunity for travel providers and passengers to communicate in new ways at different stages of the journey.

pASSENGEr ExpErIENCE

of respondents had used self-service check-in on the day of travel – such as a website, kiosk, mobile device, call center or social media.

of travelers do not want mobile advertising “under any circumstances”.

of people are stressed at the airport due to concerns over loss of time.

of people find security the most stressful part of the passenger journey.

of travelers aged between 18-24 use social media.80%

35%

68%

31%

44%

YOUR ADHERE

pASSENGEr SELf-SErVICE SUrVEY WEBINArWatch our webinar on the survey, including presentations from SITA and commentary from two senior executives of Abu Dhabi Airports Company.

Go to http://tinyurl.com/auphnjfSmartphone penetration

among passengers

SITA’s new paper, ‘flying into the future,’ offers a ‘360° view’ across airports, airlines and passengers. It examines results from SITA’s four annual industry research surveys,1 providing a unique insight into trends and expectations from each point of view.

It is clear that by the end of 2015, the way we travel will have changed significantly. Air travel will be impacted by what the paper identifies as four major trends shifts. It says that by 2015:

Buying behaviour will have changed. Look out for the increasing impact of the web, smart mobile devices and social media, says the paper.

We’ll also see a strong airline and airport desire for revenue generation over smart phones, as well as passenger demands for functionality to remove the stress for journeys (see page 15). Personalization and context-sensitivity will be paramount.

17ISSUE 1: JANUArY 2012 17ISSUE 4 : DECEMBEr 17ISSUE 4 : DECEMBEr 17ISSUE 1: Q1 2013

BIG TrENDS, BIG CHANGE TODAY’S BIG IT TRENDS WILL DELIVER BIG CHANGE IN AIR TRAVEL BY THE END OF 2015.

In 2016, airlines will carry 3.6 billion passengers. That’s an increase of about 800 million on 2011, say IATA.

The good news is that the air transport industry is already planning programs of IT investment to address the capacity issues this will bring.

It is also embracing what some call Travel 3.0 – a third wave of innovation based on the always-connected vision offered by consumer mobile technologies. (See page 13.)

Trends like these are driving passenger expectations and radically changing the passenger experience.

Mobile devices in the hands of travelers promise to be the single greatest influence impacting the travel experience in the future. The capabilities of these devices are advancing fast with permanent connectivity to the internet via 3G, 4G or Wi-Fi, coupled with GPS and sensor technologies.

pASSENGEr ExpErIENCE 2015

IT IS pIVoTALIn creating the travel experience of the future, IT is pivotal. The industry is committed to investing in much of the IT and communications infrastructure needed to embrace the Travel 3.0 environment, enhancing the passenger experience and meeting rising expectations.

It is also focused on IATA’s new Simplifying the Business (StB) initiatives. This too places IT at its center. Its concept of the future airport is one where the experience is swift and seamless: with self-service options, from kerb to boarding, eliminating hassle.

fLYING INTo THE fUTUrE What’s interesting is to look at airport and airline plans in relation to what passengers say they want. What exactly are their expectations of the future and do they align with what airports and airlines are doing, or intend to do?

“ GroWING pASSENGEr NUMBErS WILL pUT INCrEASING STrESS oN THE AIr TrANSporT INDUSTrY.”

1 Airline IT Trends Survey and Airport IT Trends Survey 2012, released in September 2012 (both in association with Airline Business); Passenger Self-Service Survey, released in October 2012 (in association with Air Transport World); and the Baggage Report, released in April 2012

Better business and customer intelligence will be essential. Business and customer intelligence is on the rise, with airlines and airports focused on the best ways to embrace them, bringing benefits to all stakeholders.

for MorESITA’s paper ‘flying into the future’ combines results of SITA research across the industry. Available at www.sita.aero/flying-future

MoBILE DEVICES IN THE HANDS of TrAVELErS proMISE To BE THE SINGLE GrEATEST INfLUENCE IMpACTING THE TrAVEL ExpErIENCE IN THE fUTUrE.


BUYING BEHAVIOUR FOR TRAVEL SERVICESWILL HAVE CHANGED

of airlines will sell tickets via mobile appsby 2015

89%

SELF-SERVICE WILL HAVE COME OF AGE

Over 50% of airports/airlines have plans to implement transfer and self-boarding kiosks

+50%By 2015, 90% of airlines will offer mobile check-in

90%

of passengers say

NO to sharing personal data

55%

53%of airlines will be sharing data with airports

80%of airports will be sharing data with airlines

80%of airports/airlines will invest in business intelligence solutions in the next 3 years

THE INDUSTRY WILL HAVE HIGHER QUALITY BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

PASSENGER INTERACTION FOR CUSTOMER SERVICES WILL BE BOTH MOBILE AND SOCIAL

will implement flight status updates via social media

58%of airports

70%of airlines

YOUR FLIGHT NO.654 WILL LEAVE FROM GATE 10

89% of passengers want mobile fight updates, only 65% do via social media

GATE 12 By 2015...of airline executives believe that mobile apps willbe an equally dominant saleschannel

70% GO TOGATE

12

Self-service will have come of age. Mobile app innovations like Apple’s Passbook and the rise of Near Field Communication will join advances in baggage systems and automated gates to streamline the travel process.

Customer services will be mobile and social. Airlines and airports are looking hard at bringing the might of mobility and social media to new ways of providing customer services.

All the trends,at the Hub

SITA’s online resource – the Air Transport IT Trends Hub – lets you download multiple data points from the SITA and Airline Business industry-leading surveys.

You can search key findings from the surveys and reports we carry out every year – including the Baggage report and the Airline IT Trends, Airport IT Trends, and passenger Self-Service Surveys.You can find the Hub at www.sita.aero/ittrendshub

pASSENGEr ExpErIENCE 2015

www.sita.aero/ittrendshub


BUYING BEHAVIOUR FOR TRAVEL SERVICESWILL HAVE CHANGED

of airlines will sell tickets via mobile appsby 2015

89%

SELF-SERVICE WILL HAVE COME OF AGE

Over 50% of airports/airlines have plans to implement transfer and self-boarding kiosks

+50%By 2015, 90% of airlines will offer mobile check-in

90%

of passengers say

NO to sharing personal data

55%

53%of airlines will be sharing data with airports

80%of airports will be sharing data with airlines

80%of airports/airlines will invest in business intelligence solutions in the next 3 years

THE INDUSTRY WILL HAVE HIGHER QUALITY BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

PASSENGER INTERACTION FOR CUSTOMER SERVICES WILL BE BOTH MOBILE AND SOCIAL

will implement flight status updates via social media

58%of airports

70%of airlines

YOUR FLIGHT NO.654 WILL LEAVE FROM GATE 10

89% of passengers want mobile fight updates, only 65% do via social media

GATE 12 By 2015...of airline executives believe that mobile apps willbe an equally dominant saleschannel

70% GO TOGATE

12

NEW GENErATIoN pASSENGEr DATA

DATA-DrIVEN TrAVELIN THE NEW ERA OF AIR TRAVEL, DATA IS KING. THE FUTURE OF ANY AIRLINE DEPENDS ON HARNESSING DATA, IN REAL-TIME, WITH GREAT ACCURACY.

That means taking a whole new look at how next generation passenger systems are designed, so that airlines can access and interpret the torrent of rich information generated within their systems and at all traveler touch points.

The latest SITA Passenger Self-Service Survey shows more travellers wanting to use web-based, social media and mobile technology along the whole journey – from booking to check-in and boarding (see page 15). In short, they increasingly expect seamless and personalized service on demand, at any stage of their journey, anywhere and everywhere they travel.

BI CorNUCopIAThe upside for airlines is that these trends produce massive amounts of data that can be used to improve processes, drive out costs and enhance the passenger offer.

This cornucopia of business intelligence includes contact, passport and payment information, customer preferences, past experience, spending, loyalty data, entitlements, customer service indicators and much more.

Raise the accuracy and clarity of this data, and there is massive scope for improving services to passengers, as well as improving decisions and processes that impact the bottom line.

BLACK ArTBut barriers exist. For many airlines, access to this level of interaction is compromised. Many IT systems only cope with older modes of distribution and customer service.

Introducing middleware software alongside legacy systems has helped. But getting to the core data has been something of a black art, leading to extra complexity, extra expense. If anything, at a time when the pace of change across the industry has quickened, this has held back innovation and evolution.

“We need to take away the constraints of old passenger management systems and build on new foundations,” says Allison O’Neill, SITA Vice President, Passenger Solutions. “By weaving the new wealth of business intelligence into the fabric of the passenger management system it will be easier to implement and exploit.

WE NEED To rEMoVE THE CoNSTrAINTS of TrADITIoNAL pASSENGEr MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND BUILD oN ENTIrELY NEW foUNDATIoNS.

SEE ALSO:

read our paper: Next Generation Data Model

Go to

www.sita.aero/content/harness-power-your-data

This approach not only addresses today’s needs for improved operation. It also provides the foundation for continuous innovation well into the future. That gives airlines radically better results – including improved customer service, greater efficiency, more upselling, and better precision with pricing and availability decisions.

“Radically redefining passenger management is not done by copying or wrapping traditional systems and processes,” says O’Neill.

“It’s achieved by combining passenger management expertise with the latest technology and future proof design. And it’s done through a new passenger data model, unleashing the data and business intelligence needed to drive a new era of travel.”

‘NExT GEN’ ApproACHIn line with next generation system development, from the outset the approach to new generation passenger management must be designed to set free the way all components across the passenger management portfolio interoperate and share information.

For example, there must be no copies of databases held in different applications and modules; no caches or stored proxy data; and data updates must be applied in one place only.

That means a single source for schedule, seats and customer trip information. As a result, the user knows information is accurate and up-to-date.

At the same time, the growing number of business functions fed by this data have a full 360-degree view of customers and their travel products.


NEW GENErATIoN pASSENGEr DATA

“Airlines of all sizes will be able to maximize their use of accurate and complete data, turning it into better service, greater revenues and actionable intelligence.”

NEW foUNDATIoNS“It’s vital to re-engineer the way data is stored, accessed and distributed across the airline enterprise and beyond,” she says.

“This is what we’re doing with SITA’s Horizon, to help airlines provide more channels, more personalization and more precision for the passenger. We’re also offering a platform for the airlines designed for future innovation.”

New techniques such as grid-computing are being incorporated into a layered architecture to deliver service oriented business processes that can be re-used across the portfolio, based on open standards and modern data structures.

NExT GENErATIoN prINCIpLESFind out more about how SITA’s Horizon adopts next generation principles for data sets, PNR, customer profiling, data sources, market conditions and real-time availability.


This includes historical as well as current transactions. So it provides a long-term view of the customer that can be used in real-time while business processing.

Information is then readily available for passengers, airline personnel and operational systems wherever and whenever needed. You can view customer preferences at every touch point – and the full value of data can be unlocked for use in all business management processes.

rADICALLY BETTErAir travel today demands new thinking and a completely new approach to passenger management systems. Any new generation portfolio must be built on a highly reliable infrastructure in an open architecture using an in-memory data grid for extreme performance, effectively bypassing older system limitations. And it must embrace the next generation data model.

WHAT YoUr DATA IS TELLING YoU, HELEN porTEr, SITATo see the video, search for ‘What your data is telling you’ at www.youtube.com/sitaonline

“ AIrLINES WANT To proVIDE MorE CHANNELS, MorE pErSoNALIzATIoN AND MorE prECISIoN for THE pASSENGEr. THEY ALSo NEED A pLATforM DESIGNED for fUTUrE INNoVATIoN.”

ALLISoN o’NEILL VICE prESIDENT, pASSENGEr SoLUTIoNS, SITA


21ISSUE 2: JUNE 2012 21ISSUE 1 : JANUArY 21ISSUE 4 : DECEMBEr 21ISSUE 1: Q1 2013

INTELLIGENT AIrporTS

NEW MINDSET IT at the airport is all about innovating for the customer, investing for sustainable future growth and doing things differently. So says Michael Ibbitson, CIO at London Gatwick Airport. Moving front-of-house has required a change of mindset, he says, ensuring we maintain our focus on the customer.

You’ve been in the post at Gatwick almost one year now after a similar role at Abu Dhabi Airports Company. It has 33m passengers a year, two terminals and the world’s busiest single-use runway. Abu Dhabi has nearly 13m passengers a year, three terminals, and two runways. What key differences have you noted?

I greatly enjoyed my time at Abu Dhabi – there was enormous ambition, a real determination to grow the role of Etihad and the success of the country. New routes were being introduced almost on a monthly basis.

There was room for expansion, as well as the resources and determination to achieve it. It was a full service five- star environment – and it was good to be part of that growing success.

Gatwick offered a new set of challenges when I joined. The airport had moved to new ownership 18 months previously – after the breakup of British Airports Authority and a period of under-investment. A new focus was put on improving customer service, a culture of innovation – and doing things differently.

I was impressed by their understanding of the role of technology in making this happen. For example, Gatwick became the first UK airport to introduce security lanes (South Terminal) dedicated entirely to families, and those who might need extra support, complete with automated biometric gates.

To make this work, a number of retail sites were removed. I liked the way that security had been turned into a customer service exercise rather than a time consuming stressful part of the journey.

Gatwick is already hugely successful, but has even greater potential. It’s already got the fastest journey time into Victoria and the financial heart of central London and it’s the best connected by rail across London.

Bear in mind that Gatwick was the world’s first airport with a direct railway link (opened in 1935!) and the first to combine mainline rail travel, trunk road facilities and an air terminal building in one facility.

MICHAEL IBBITSoN, CIo, GATWICK AIrporTMichael Ibbitson was appointed as Chief Information Officer in May 2012, responsible for the information technology program, operations and information security. Previously he was leading the IT team at Abu Dhabi Airports Company where he managed a centralized team to design and implement systems for the airport and its development program.

Prior to joining ADAC he led an IT team at Mumbai International Airport, and was part of the Bechtel teams at New Doha International Airport and the Iraq reconstruction program.



We’re the best-connected short haul airport across Europe. Gatwick has also always been a base for charter airlines – it’s first charter flight was back in 1950.

So there’s a fantastic pedigree and a real opportunity to ensure it becomes the best airport for customer service in the country. From an IT perspective we have to ensure that, even if you’re flying a low-cost airline, you have the opportunity to have premium service at the airport.

How are you using IT to make a difference to the way you run the airport and interact with passengers?

A key focus for me at the moment is how to improve integration of the massive amount of data and IT services we have available to us. This is so we can offer a better service to passengers. Let me give you two examples.

First, we’re working on airport collaborative decision making tools, involving the ground handlers sharing information. This will help us to improve the timing of turnarounds and the sequencing of aircraft movements.

And it will enable us to get an average of 55 movements an hour. For a one-runway airport, that is extraordinary!

We’ve also extensively refurbished the disruption suites, including integration through tablets such as iPads. It means our staff can liaise across the airport as disruption is assessed and dealt with.

Armed with the right levels of live information, management can better deal with any kind of disruption more effectively.

Second, we’re looking more widely at how the passenger uses the services of an airport from the outset of their journey. For example, the way passengers book their tickets.

Increasingly the airlines are encouraging people to book directly via their own websites, moving away from the consolidators. You can often only book a low-cost trip through that airline website, and they don’t offer transfer products.

Suppose a passenger has a multi-leg journey to plan: say Bordeaux to Gatwick and then an onward flight to Ho Chi Minh City? We’re looking at how we can help the passenger link sectors together – including the crucial element of baggage transfer.

The key to making an airport centric transfer product a success will be how we take it to market, an offer through our own website won’t reach a large enough market.

This is where the consolidators will have a role to play in helping us join together non-interline sectors. As we have 197 destinations already the ultimate goal is “any to any” transfers. This would make us the biggest hub in the UK and very attractive to long haul carriers trying to enter the UK market.

How important is mobile technology?

There’s no doubting the importance of mobile technology – and we’ve noted that many airports are now introducing their own apps for consumer use. However, we have to ensure that it represents the best use of resources. You must have it available on a range of platforms.

You have to issue regular updates as the operating system is itself updated. That represents a significant investment and once the genie is out of the bag, you must keep feeding it!

Instead, we’re exploring how we can work with others, to share data so that people can still obtain the best travel experience, but without having to download and manage an exclusive app.

For example, Google Now is a self-learning app for Android systems. It answers questions, makes recommendations and takes actions, passively delivering information based on user-initiated search habits.

How can we get the full benefit of this technology? It makes sense to make the connection, since Android has a 65% share of the global smartphone market.

How about other evolving technologies, such as Near field Communication (NfC) and biometrics?

We already support NFC payments in our retail and food outlets and actively encourage our retailers to roll it out further. We see the queues reducing at the checkouts for payment of newspapers or bottles of water. Wireless payment cards are speeding things up and give the customer a better experience.

But how do we extend the use of the technology to really make a difference? How can we standardize the technology so that it can be used for boarding cards? Apple’s new Passbook app allows you to pull together boarding cards, concert tickets and more in one place, but it’s still based on barcodes.

We want manufacturers to be clear on their plans for NFC chips in mobile phones, so we can be confident investing in readers in key locations such as check in, security and boarding gates.

There are standards questions, including the issue of reprogramming the chip for different boarding cards, but it’s worth the battle to achieve something so simple but so effective.

In the same vein, we’re also looking deeper into biometrics and how they can be used to enhance the passenger journey. For example, we’d like to install ‘at a glance’ biometric recognition: walk past a camera and it will identify you against a pre-registered biometric signature such as your face or iris.

It means that the non-stop walk from kerb to aircraft gets closer – the camera and biometrics can link check-in, passport, security and boarding pass and verify them as you walk through the airport.

Once these technologies are in place, advertising becomes truly personal. You’ll even be able to use your smartphone or webcam to record your biometric signature at home. Arrive at the airport and your face will open the gate to premium parking.

How else can technology help in the terminal building?

As long as you remain focused on improving customer service, offering the best possible levels of convenience and care, then more and more opportunities can be picked off.

For example, we’re challenging the norms for check-in, partly because we’re running out of space. We’re assessing whether we go over to a true common user system so that we manage the process.

It will mean a passenger can go to any check-in desk. That’s a major challenge to the IT infrastructure and systems, but it will mean a smoother start to the terminal experience.


23ISSUE 2: JUNE 2012 23ISSUE 4 : DECEMBEr

We’re also seeing how we can better use the technology to provide better baggage sortation systems. We’d like to get back to offering check-in for baggage at Victoria Station.

So many ways of doing things were radically changed after 9/11. Many of the previous low security processes had to be abandoned. What we’re now able to do thanks to technology is bring back more of the ease of passage through the airport that older passengers will remember, but without sacrificing any of the security that remains so essential.

What are your core challenges looking ahead?

When Stewart Wingate became CEO of Gatwick Airport under the new ownership in 2009, he moved IT from back-of-house to front-of-house. It is recognized as one of the key drivers of change at the airport – change directed to improving

customer service at every level, raising standards and introducing a robust premium service.

Our strategy is to develop the IT team to become great at integration and customer service, utilizing Software and Infrastructure-as-a-Service wherever possible to reduce costs and maintain flexibility.

We have to be naturally good at building and operating service provider class networks that reach every part of our campus. To do that requires the right technology.

It means aggregating the right kind of information and using collaborative decision-making tools with all stakeholders to ensure every journey through Gatwick is successful.

Moving front-of-house has required a change of mindset, ensuring we maintain our focus on the customer. But we’re enjoying the change.

Another area of emphasis that is tied into collaboration is ensuring we are at the top of our game with contracts and service level agreements. Our partners and stakeholders need to have confidence in our ability to deliver and need to know our suppliers can meet that expectation.

Contracts and SLAs must be fair but they must also be tightly put together so that everyone knows where they stand and what’s expected of them.

Gatwick’s future development will be impacted by the UK Government’s Independent Commission on Airports. How do you see the airport in years to come?

Whatever the result of the Commission and the future shape of the airport, we are confident that Gatwick will continue to provide better and better customer service, enabled by smart technologies.

Of course, we believe that a second runway would be a good choice for customers and for airlines. The fact that we already have the road and rail infrastructure in place is a great plus.

We’re always working hard with new technologies to reduce our environmental impact. That includes working with NATS to find ways of improving routing. We introduced a 10-point sustainability plan in 2010 – with 10 issues to be dealt with over 10 years. Year on year, we’re reducing our carbon footprint.

So my view of the future is not about what IT system we’ll be using, or how the network will be configured. It’s about what we have to do to deliver better services for our passengers in the broadest possible sense. If we do that well, everything else follows.

23ISSUE 1: Q1 2013

“ IT IS rECoGNIzED AS oNE of THE KEY DrIVErS of CHANGE AT THE AIrporT – CHANGE DIrECTED To IMproVING CUSToMEr SErVICE AT EVErY LEVEL.”

MICHAEL IBBITSoN CIo, GATWICK AIrporT



MoVE WITH THE fLoW

It’s the same pattern every day. And every day, the airport infrastructure has to be in working order. Movable assets must be in place ready for use where needed. Thousands of staff will be focused on making the passenger experience as straightforward as possible.

MANAGE THE UNprEDICTABLE?Balancing service provision against cost and unexpected consequences is a complex task. It’s made more difficult because of the inability to predict accurately how a mass of people will behave from minute to minute – let alone day to day.

Most passengers are channelled as soon as they arrive at the airport – through check-in, security and passport control, for instance. A lot of that is predictable because of timetables that help to manage capacity and flow. But in the detail, much can – and does – go wrong.

AIRPORTS ARE GOING TO BECOME A LOT SMARTER ABOUT KEEPING PASSENGERS MOVING FREELY.

rEAL-TIME ANSWErSIntelligent airports will resolve this. They encompass a set of business intelligence and other tools so that airport staff can track, manage and share real-time information about assets, passengers and other key elements.

The intelligent airport, being developed by SITA, sees all stakeholders empowered to make better decisions more quickly, such as:

• Should we deploy more resources to reduce passenger wait times at security?

• How can we persuade more passengers to use retail?

• Should we off-load bags or wait for passengers?

• Many of these decisions are familiar. But they’ve tended to be made on instinct or through simulation modelling.

On an average day, 60,000 passengers will pass through an average airport. They all have their own journey plan, their own concerns and expectations. Some will be in a hurry. Others will arrive at leisure to enjoy a meal or drink, or some shopping.

pASSENGEr fLoW MoNITorING VIDEo

To see the video, search for ‘passenger flow Monitoring’ at www.youtube.com/sitaonline

25ISSUE 1: Q1 2013

“ THE GrEATEST BENEfIT of INTELLIGENT AIrporTS LIES IN THE QUALITY AND VoLUME of DATA THAT’S ACCUMULATED – WHICH CAN forM THE BASIS for INTELLIGENCE-BASED SErVICE EVoLUTIoN AT AIrporTS.”

MATTHYS SErfoNTEIN Vp AIrporTS, SITA

“But perhaps the greatest benefit lies in the quality and volume of data that’s accumulated – which can form the basis for intelligence-based service evolution at airports.

“For example, it’s been shown that an extra five minutes spent in security can reduce average passenger retail spend by 30%. Using data from passenger flows, airport layouts can be planned or amended to maximize the return on investment for retail areas.”

Data such as this also enables real-time information to be passed on to passengers, such as queue times. This reduces the potential for frustration and dissatisfaction, particularly at peak times.

Monitoring capabilities can be put to other uses, including tracking assets such as cleaning equipment, wheelchairs and vehicles for helping passengers with reduced mobility – and ensuring they’re in place as and when needed.

rESULTS-DrIVENAirports face increased passenger numbers and a squeeze on space. But by understanding passenger flows – by having the ability to respond in real-time and even anticipate concerns and requirements – airport managements can turn passenger movement into valuable information that generates tangible results.

4. Increased non-aeronautical revenues from better understanding of passenger behavior and delivery of location-based marketing.

5. Enhanced passenger experience from being better informed on waiting times.

ENABLErSSo how exactly are these benefits enabled? What capabilities need to be in place to deliver them?

The first relates to validation. Security officers need to scan both paper and mobile bar-coded boarding passes; then they need to validate passes against travel documents and flight information, simply and quickly. (This is enabled by SITA’s Airport iValidate.)

Second, bar coded boarding pass information must be easily collected. The data includes commonly requested information such as the time the last passenger checked-in for a specific flight and how much time passengers spent in the airport. (SITA’s own Airport iTrack enables this task to be performed.)



CopENHAGEN TrIAL In 2011, Copenhagen Airport took part in a dwell time analysis trial to gather statistics on how much time people spend in various parts of the airport and identify the most common routes passengers take through the airport.

View our video at: www.sita.aero/content/back-location

SEE ALSO:

Watch the Apple passbook Demo

To see the demo, search YouTube for ‘Mobile Boarding pass ApI - Apple passbook Demo’

SEE ALSO:

Watch BagTrac in action

www.developer.aero/page/ watch-bagtrac-action

prEDICTIVE ANALYTICSNow, ubiquitous tools and technologies such as Wi-Fi, real-time data and predictive analytics can drive more effective decision-making. In particular, new passenger flow monitoring capabilities will allow airports to capture and access data in real-time at all stages of the passenger journey.

pASSENGEr fLoW It’s thanks to these new passenger flow monitoring capabilities that intelligent airports are able to deliver five game-changing benefits:

1. Reduced wait time at security through the automation of boarding pass validation.

2. Reduced queue lengths through predictive staff scheduling and better deployment of resources.

3. Increased operational efficiency from analyzing passenger dwell time patterns and passenger flow.

Third is passenger tracking. Based on Wi-Fi, this will monitor passenger location and movements through configurable zones – allowing real-time and historical data analysis.

Trialed at Copenhagen Airport by SITA Lab, in cooperation with Cisco Systems, this capability allows airports to monitor and prevent potential pain points using data obtained from passengers’ mobile phones.

It doesn’t matter if a person’s device is in use or not, triangulation calculations between three or more access points identify passenger positions. At no stage is the device’s MAC address associated with the person – helping ensure that the individual remains completely anonymous throughout the process.

fourth, the intelligent airport must be able to measure passenger queue wait times. It needs to detect, report and flag queue overflows. And it must have the ability to display a predicted wait time to passengers, all in real time.

MAxIMIzE rETUrNIn making the intelligent airport a reality, SITA is introducing all of these capabilities, and more.

“These passenger flow capabilities will create a smoother process for passengers in real-time,” according to Matthys Serfontein, VP Airports at SITA.

In Europe, that day came a step closer with the announcement by SITA and NEC to jointly provide a solution for the European Union’s (EU) Automated Border Control (ABC) initiative.

opEN THE GATES

27ISSUE 1: Q1 2013

BorDEr MANAGEMENT

THE DAY WHEN BORDER CONTROL CHECKPOINTS HARDLY FEEL INTRUSIVE TO PASSENGERS DRAWS EVER CLOSER.

MorE BIoMETrICS Such automated systems will be everywhere in the future. “Increasingly we’ll see them verifying passenger identity using biometric recognition technology to identify intrinsic physical traits, be it face, iris and/or fingerprint, according to a country’s or region’s requirements,” says Sean Farrell, Director, Biometric Services at SITA.

Only a few years ago biometrics at the airport were the exception. As few as 18% of airports worldwide used biometric technology for some part of the passenger journey through the airport in 2008, according to SITA’s Airport IT Trends Survey.

Today it’s much higher. The recent survey puts the figure at 28% and since then a growing number of countries, such as Dubai, have started to follow suit.

Its sophisticated biometrics technology can be used for automated border gates at immigration control points throughout European airports, as a critical part of the EU’s shift towards self-service border control.

The ABC initiative will see new facial recognition equipment, fingerprint verification systems and other biometric data verification equipment being installed at immigration checkpoints in the airports, allowing passengers to avoid lengthy queues and go through immigration checks by themselves.

In another partnership – with leading biometrics company AOptix Technologies – SITA is bringing iris recognition and other advanced biometric solutions to the air transport industry. It too is focused on delivering automated solutions for fast, accurate and effortless identity screening to expedite passenger flows at airports and borders.

pASSING THroUGH SECUrITYEasy as ABC. SITA and biometric technology leader NEC Europe joined forces to cut the security queues at European airports, with a solution for the EU’s ABC initiative. The result is an automated border control (ABC) gate that incorporates sophisticated biometrics technology that can process passengers at immigration control points in 10 seconds or less.

Iris recognition e-gates. Through a partnership with AOptix Technologies, leading developer of advanced biometrics-based identity solutions, SITA provides iris recognition and face biometric technology to airports, airlines and governments. It offers the ability to deploy automated solutions that deliver, fast, accurate and effortless identity screening to expedite passenger flows at airports and borders. In seconds the systems take ISO-ICAO quality iris and face images to ensure the most reliable matching accuracy.

SITA iBorders BioThenticate solves the challenges of manual checking of identity documents by integrating biometric identity checks into each step of the passenger journey, including check-in, bag drop, security screening, and boarding. It enables automated, repeatable, highly reliable and cost-effective checking of identity documents.

HoW To TACKLE BorDEr MANAGEMENT END-To-END To see the video, search for ‘End-to-end Border Management’ at www.youtube.com/sitaonline

“They can also automate access to reserved areas such as airport lounges.”

pUBLIC ACCEpTANCEIndications are that public acceptance of biometrics use for air travel is increasing, with privacy issues that dominated the early debate now being addressed. The 2012 IATA Global Passenger Survey found that 77% of passengers would be comfortable using biometrics for airport processes.

With passengers giving the technology the green light, biometrics look set to become an integral part of the flying experience.

BorDEr MANAGEMENT


Bahrain, for instance, has allowed its citizens to enter and leave the country using automated, biometric immigration procedures at Bahrain International Airport since 2009.

Meanwhile, the US routinely collects the biometrics (face image plus 10 fingerprints) of every inbound foreign national before they enter the country, as well as fingerprints from the same group when departing.

CUT To SECoNDS“The benefit of automated border gates for passengers is considerable. Waiting times at immigration checkpoints can be reduced from hours to seconds,” says Farrell. “Passengers can be processed through automated border gates in seconds.”

It’s not only passengers who want a hassle-free experience. Airports and airlines also stand to gain. Less queuing equates to more time for passengers to enjoy the amenities and reduces the number of late-shows at the gate, keeping airlines on schedule.

Such are the benefits that IATA is championing its ‘Checkpoint of the Future’ built around a combination of risk-based intelligence and advanced technologies for verification and screening at the security checkpoint. (See Air Transport IT Review issue 3, 2012.)

According to Farrell: “Biometrics are an integral part of the IATA vision. They enable accurate identity verification of low risk trusted travelers. Crucially they can link risk-assessment using advance passenger data to the physical person crossing the checkpoint.”

Tests have been conducted at Geneva and Heathrow airports with more than a dozen other airport trials planned for 2013. The aim is to make today’s stressful experience a fading memory by 2020.

SECUrE SELf-SErVICEWhile today’s focus is on using biometrics for border management, airlines and airports believe the potential goes much further.

Self-service innovations, while convenient, have cut the number of contacts that passengers have with airline staff, removing one of the layers of security.

“Biometrics can make self-service far more secure by confirming the identity of the passenger at the different steps in the journey, such as check-in, bag drop and boarding,” explains Farrell.

“ BorDEr CoNTroL GATES ArE rECoGNIzED AS A poTENTIAL SoLUTIoN To THE CoMBINED GoALS of IMproVING THE pASSENGEr JoUrNEY AND INCrEASING BorDEr SECUrITY.”

DAN EBBINGHAUS Vp, GoVErNMENT SoLUTIoNS, SITA

TACKLING THE TrENDS – TABLETS

The boom in tablet computer sales brings to the fore a new mega-trend in IT called bring-your-own-device (BYOD). With more and more employees eager to bring their smartphones and tablets to work, companies are examining how to utilize these devices in the enterprise.

BYoD – HYpE or rEALITY?

The key questions for airlines, airports and ground handlers are these: “What does BYOD in the air transport industry look like?” Which applications and processes will be impacted by this trend? And crucially, how can CIOs plan for this change?

For the air transport industry, there are two areas of impact for BYOD:

• Passenger-owned devices

• Employee-owned devices

pASSENGEr: TIppING poINTPassenger-owned devices are already being used independently for in-flight entertainment. This trend is set to expand. Imagine being able to do everything from purchasing your ticket and checking in to ordering food and starting your in-flight movie while still at the gate – all on your iPad, Android or other device.

EMpLoYEE CoMproMISE?Recent studies show that companies around the world are embracing some form of BYOD. Globally, 89% of IT

29ISSUE 1: Q1 2013

BY 2016, 370 MILLION TABLETS WILL BE SOLD. WHAT DOES THAT IMPLY?

leaders support it to some extent; 69% view BYOD ‘somewhat’ or ’extremely’ positively. A straw poll at the 2012 Air Transport IT Summit suggested similar support in the air transport industry.

“We’re definitely seeing more employees using their own devices at work,” says Paul Boyle, Portfolio Director Mobility, SITA.

”Email and calendar access are now fairly common. But interestingly we’re not seeing heavy adoption beyond these applications. Company devices remain the norm for operational processes and the majority of airlines plan to stay with this model for the near future.”

BEST of BoTH WorLDS?Allowing employees to access enterprise applications via their own smartphones or tablets undoubtedly offers many benefits to the company and the employees. Among them are:

• Increased worker satisfaction – employees are using the devices they know and love.

SEE ALSO:

read our ‘Digital Cabin Crew’, ‘Time for Change’ and other mobile workforce papers.

Download from

www.sita.aero/mobile-workforce




• Up-to-date devices – BYO devices are typically more cutting-edge than IT-issued ones, allowing the company to reap the benefits of the most modern features, capabilities and upgrades.

• Higher productivity – familiarity with their devices means employees spend less time accomplishing tasks and responding to requests.

Some airlines are seeking a ‘best of both worlds’ scenario. That’s a compromise between full ownership and BYOD. Airlines are retaining ownership of devices but giving employees ‘a sense of ownership’ by allowing personal apps for music, e-mail and movies.

This personal content allows employees to feel they own the device which in turn leads to fewer faults and higher satisfaction. Blurring between actual ownership and sense of ownership can deliver real operational benefits.

CoNCErNSWhether IT departments like it or not, the trend to employee-controlled IT is already common. Yet despite the obvious potential many challenges exist.

A disconnect was captured in a recent study by Blue Coat Systems. It said nearly twice as many employees (71%) reported accessing their corporate network with their personal device than IT administrators believed were doing so (37%).

Allowing employees to add their own content also highlights security concerns. While 88% of employees believed their mobile device was “somewhat or very secure,” only about 22% of IT professionals categorized the risk of malware spreading from employee devices to the corporate network as “minimal” or “no risk.”

Not surprisingly, far more IT staffers (37%) than employees (12%) wanted to impose restrictions on the type of sites or content employees could access.

JUMpING HUrDLES Whether companies are providing devices or implementing BYOD policies the Blue Coat Systems study highlights some of the challenges and concerns in increasing employee control:

• Security – how do you secure and control data on devices that need updating every 18-24 months?

• Data privacy – especially in enterprises that span geographies, as data privacy laws are determined locally and vary from market to market.

• personal vs. professional use – trying to set policy on the use of tech gear is a sand-trap, especially if users include board members or C-suite executives.

AIrLINE ApproACHESThe most common method of overcoming these hurdles is to use a solid Mobile Device Management Platform. One way, of course, is for the enterprise to retain ownership of the devices.

Emirates Airlines has decided to do just that. In a recent announcement, Emirates said it’s issuing a new tablet to crew that’s light, attractive and has a long battery life – ideal for non-stop flights.

The device, produced by HP and available to customers in January, is built specifically for business users.

American Airlines is providing its onboard staff with Samsung tablets during flights to help improve customer service. The trial program also aims to improve pre-flight activities, ultimately reducing the frequency and number of delayed flights.

Emirates and American are just two airlines looking to capitalize on the benefits of workforce mobility while avoiding the risks of BYOD.

TABLET TrIALSThere’s no doubt that mobile devices are changing the air transport industry a radical way. The growth in tablet sales and their use as operational devices, combined with cloud computing, offer great promise and potential benefits to air transport.

Today’s tablets are allowing airlines and airports to start mobilizing a raft of new business processes. Consider the impact and potential for crew processes, check-in and boarding and electronic flight bags.

Showcasing the promise and potential are many tablet and cabin application trials by SITA Lab with several airlines.

“ AT EASYJET IT IS ALL ABoUT fLExIBILITY. WE NEED To BE AGILE AND MoBILE, proVIDING THE SAME GrEAT SErVICE To oUr pASSENGErS AT, AND WITHIN, ANY AIrporT To WHICH WE CHooSE To fLY. WE’VE DEVELopED oUr HALo AppLICATIoN To proVIDE EMpLoYEES WITH A rANGE of AppLICATIoNS VIA MoBILE DEVICES.”

TrEVor DIDCoCK CIo, EASYJET

EASYJET GoES MoBILE ACroSS EUropE • When easyJet wanted to deploy an innovative mobile

services solution it decided to use company-owned rugged devices.

• SITA provides easyJet with Motorola Solutions ruggedized mobile computers that have built-in barcode scanners, WLAN and WWAN capability, and chip and pin readers. These devices help easyJet provide full passenger services from anywhere in the airport.

• The airline now runs its in-house applications on these mobile devices at over 130 airports in Europe from which it flies.

• easyJet’s rollout of mobile services uses a fully-managed solution from SITA. It includes 3G and wireless connectivity across 190 countries. It offers cost-effective and seamless roaming for mobile usage.

• The airline will use SITA’s services to access its in-house Halo application, which allows the airline’s airport agents to be fully mobile using handheld computers.

Standard MDM solutions provide remote ‘over the air’ features such as application distribution, configuration management, security and more.

For many airlines, tablet management is part of the complete end-to-end mobility solution and they are already outsourcing to mobility integrators in the same way as they work with third parties to manage their networks.

Passenger-owned BYOD is likely closer to the tipping point, as customer-driven apps are already flooding the market in other industries.

As consumers become more accustomed to using their tablets and smartphones to access everything from their accounts and stock portfolios to their favorite TV shows and movies, they’ll expect this level of connectivity in the air. (See ‘BYOD in the air’page 32.)

Whether or not the industry adopts widespread BYOD at the enterprise level, there will be a strong need for Mobile Device Management (MDM).

31ISSUE 3: 2012 31ISSUE 1: Q1 2013

The rise in industry trials like this suggests we’re close to a tipping point en route to widespread acceptance.

No oNE-SIzE fITS ALLBut before we cross that tipping point, airlines, airports and other industry players need to make a decision: whether to provide employees with these devices or simply allow them to use their personal devices to access enterprise systems and applications.

It’s a complicated question that won’t have a universal answer: there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

“ CoMpANY DEVICES rEMAIN THE NorM for opErATIoNAL proCESSES AND THE MAJorITY of AIrLINES pLAN To STAY WITH THIS MoDEL for THE NEAr fUTUrE.”

WorKforCE MoBILITY VIDEoS, WHITE pApErS, DEMoS AND MorE AT:www.sita.aero/mobile-workforce

A NEW NECESSITYMobile Device Management has become a critical must-have. Optimize functionality and security but minimize cost and downtime:

Find out more at www.sita.aero/air-transport-it-review

THE LAST BARRIER TO ONBOARD CONNECTIVITY.




BYoD IN THE AIr


BYoD IN THE AIr

The Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) trend is breaking through the last barrier to onboard connectivity. Passengers accessing in-flight entertainment from their own devices are already invading the aircraft. At the same time, airlines are beginning to look at crew accessing enterprise applications from their personal tablets.

CABIN CrEWAirline cabin crews, in particular, face many inefficiencies in their day-to-day operations:

• High volumes of time-consuming paperwork.

• Manual onboard sales and inventory management, leading to revenue loss.

• Limited passenger information on paper lists.

• Double data entry, data errors and delayed information.

• Heavy reliance on reference paperwork that is unwieldy.

Replacing manual, paper-based processes with digital, mobile ones can alleviate operational inefficiencies, while improving customer service and satisfaction.

ADopTIoN“That’s why we’re hearing weekly of yet another airline rolling out tablets to their crews,” says Jim Peters, Chief Technology Officer at SITA. “Airline crews are using them for everything from electronic flight bags to customer service in the cabin.”

Paul Boyle, Portfolio Director Mobility, SITA, agrees: “Many paper-based processes are being replaced by tablets in the cabin and the cockpit and at the airport.

“Right now the majority of airlines are issuing company-owned devices but we’ve seen some initial discussions around BYOD for specific applications.”

Not surprisingly, cabin crew is one of the key areas of adoption.

“By using digital passenger lists airlines are getting critical information into the hands of the crew who need it in order to meet their passengers’ needs,” Boyle says.

“Not only is this improving crew productivity and efficiency, it’s also improving the passenger experience, increasing customer satisfaction, driving repeat business and ultimately growing profits.”

Such benefits are impossible to ignore. “Even for airlines that decide not to invest in supplying devices for their crew,” Peters says, “there will be support for BYOD, where employees use their own devices to access enterprise applications.”

DUAL fUNCTIoNSThe BYOD phenomenon will likely be supported by virtualization technologies that enable dual functions on the same device: one for ‘work’, one for ‘play’.

The dual function allows security, data, usage policies, device management and so on, to be split between the enterprise and the end-user. Access to enterprise VPNs, for instance, would be allowed only in the ‘work’ mode, ensuring security for apps and assets.

SITA is looking at how different tiers of devices – enterprise-owned devices through to subsidized devices to personal BYOD – impact app development for air transport.

“While I see initial app development focusing on a dedicated enterprise device,” says Peters, “I see it evolving where the same app can support different devices and modes, and optimize the user experience accordingly.

“For example, a customer relationship management (CRM) app for cabin crew that lets the crew preview loyalty members on their next flight could run in different modes depending on the kind of device and whether it’s enterprise-supplied or BYOD.”

opErATIoNAL CHALLENGESOperationally, no matter who owns the device, the challenge is getting the data from it to the back-end systems. “It seems a little pointless,” Peters says, “to move from a paper form to mobile applications only to print out the data so it can be pushed through the same old paper-based business processes.”

What would be optimal is to re-engineer those processes to integrate the data-flow from the tablets or smartphones into the relevant back-end systems.

A device management strategy is essential too.“It’s critical that airlines have BYOD policies in place, and that the policies are aligned with their overall mobility and cloud strategies. This will allow airlines to capitalize on this change in the industry,” says Boyle.

“ BY USING DIGITAL pASSENGEr LISTS, AIrLINES ArE GETTING CrITICAL INforMATIoN INTo THE HANDS of THE CrEW WHo NEED IT, IN orDEr To MEET THEIr pASSENGErS’ NEEDS. NoT oNLY IS THIS IMproVING CrEW proDUCTIVITY AND EffICIENCY, IT’S ALSo IMproVING THE pASSENGEr ExpErIENCE, INCrEASING CUSToMEr SATISfACTIoN, DrIVING rEpEAT BUSINESS AND ULTIMATELY GroWING profITS. ”

pAUL BoYLE porTfoLIo DIrECTor MoBILITY, SITA

And, in the coming years, most existing long-range aircraft with a reasonable lifespan remaining will be converted to onboard connectivity.”

It’s no surprise then that airlines are equipping their cabins with in-flight Wi-Fi and mobile data services that allow passenger devices to access the Internet just as if they were on the ground.

Passengers will be using their own devices to access their e-mail as well as their favorite social media services such as Facebook and Twitter, not to mention news and online shopping.

This is why some say that BYOD is the wave of the future, and airline-provided devices are a stopgap until new planes with new systems are ready.



THrEE I’SWhether devices are company supplied or employee-owned BYOD, any successful mobile application development strategy needs to focus on the three I’s:

1. Interface – a better interface means less training, means faster adoption, means a better business case.

2. Iterate – agile methodologies that continuously evolve the platform allow for quick integration of new requests and features.

3. Integrate – back-end integration coupled with end-to-end device management and connectivity.

In his role as VP of Aircraft Services for SITA, Philip Clinch sees the Three I’s as critical: “In-flight use of tablet computers will enable cabin crew to offer a more personalized service.

“But the device will need to automatically provide crew with the information they need, or its use could become an extra load, stopping crew from carrying out all their normal tasks.”

He adds: “The tablet interface should be something like airport arrival kiosks, with a bar code reader to read passengers’ boarding passes and automatically bring up the reservations offering new connections, in case of delay allowing acceptance with one click on a virtual screen button. Crew will not like typing passenger names and e-ticket numbers or looking up the next flights in a schedule list.”

pASSENGErSJust as with cabin crews, providing onboard connectivity to passengers is no longer a luxury – it’s quickly becoming a necessity.

“Passenger BYOD in-flight services overcome the barriers faced by all the past false dawns with IFEC (In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity),” says Clinch. “Passenger use of in-seat phones never took off because passengers couldn’t access their contacts list. Who remembers anybody’s number any more?

“Some airlines implemented IFE-based e-mail/texting services but passengers couldn’t use their own

e-mail account. BYOD brings the passenger’s own communications, social media and e-commerce experience on board. That just leaves the challenge of providing an acceptable response time that somebody is willing to pay for.”

THE TIME IS NoWHow long do you suppose passengers will tolerate not having Internet access in-flight?

“If you look at a big aircraft,” says OnAir Chief Executive Officer Ian Dawkins, “statistically on an A380, over 400 people onboard will have a mobile device.

“For them, being connected in-flight will be just as essential as it is on the ground. It’s normal to be online, so why wouldn’t you be when you’re on an aircraft?”

Dawkins predicts: “In the next five years, we’ll see nearly every single long-range aircraft coming off the production line with onboard connectivity as standard.

oNAIr’S GSM ADVANTAGEThanks to OnAir’s regulatory approvals across the world, it’s the only company offering full-service onboard connectivity, including a Wi-Fi hotspot and GSM network.

“Relatively few passengers use Wi-Fi when it’s available, because it’s inconvenient. Passengers need to sign-on, then take out their credit card and pay separately,” says Ian Dawkins, OnAir CEO.

“With GSM, passengers can use it on the go and the bill arrives as part of their monthly package. This convenience has led to 97% adoption rates where GSM is available – in the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Europe.

“OnAir is working with several mobile network operators (MNOs) to provide competitive international packages with roles similar to those on the ground.”

Find out more at www.sita.aero/air-transport-it-review

“ pASSENGEr BYoD IN-fLIGHT SErVICES oVErCoME THE BArrIErS fACED BY ALL THE pAST fALSE DAWNS WITH IN-fLIGHT ENTErTAINMENT AND CoNNECTIVITY.”

pHILIp CLINCH Vp, AIrCrAfT SErVICES, SITA

TACKLING THE TrENDS – CLoUD CoMpUTING

THE GAME CHANGEr

35ISSUE 1: Q1 2013

THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF TEXT ABOUT CLOUD. BUT IS IT THE REAL GAME CHANGER THAT PUNDITS SUGGEST?

The IT industry likes nothing more than to herald a game-changing development, one that will allow us to reinvent everything we do, making it smarter, simpler, cheaper.

The vision behind many of these changes is familiar. It’s based mostly on building and extracting value from networks of people, machines and infrastructure. The difficulties have tended to revolve around cost, scale and commitment.

Cloud is different, which is why it tops CIO agendas. It’s fed by a confluence of technologies and an increasingly connected world. Falling storage prices, growth in device use (notably mobile), massively rising connection speeds and Internet access – they have all linked together to create unprecedented opportunities for businesses and individuals alike.

THE MoVE IS oNThe reason that cloud technology is a game changer is because it allows airlines, airports and their partners to concentrate on the business of creating value rather than on the means of doing so.

But how fast is the air transport community moving towards a cloud-based environment? According to the Airline IT Trends Survey 2012:

• Three-quarters of airlines expect to be using Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) by 2015. More than a third are evaluating it.

• About the same number will be using Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) by the same date. Almost 40% are already using it. In both cases, the majority are full service carriers – perhaps reflecting the extent of legacy investment.

• Almost 70% expect to be using Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) by 2015, but only 11% have already implemented it.

• For users of IaaS and DaaS, data security is the greatest cause of concern with cloud computing. For those using SaaS, it’s also integration between applications.

30% SAVINGS for AIr MALTAAir Malta is outsourcing its IT operations to SITA and moving its infrastructure to the ATI Cloud as part of a major IT transformation that will deliver up to 30% cost savings.

The six-year, multi-million dollar contract includes the outsourcing of campus LAN/Wi-Fi networking, security elements, office automation servers and the provision of new hardware including laptops and tablets, supported by mobile services for improved employee productivity.

SITA will transform the existing data center into a virtual environment for services to be hosted within SITA’s ATI Cloud infrastructure. In total, more than 500 workstations and 20 tablet devices will be powered by the ATI Cloud.



“ THE rEASoN THAT CLoUD TECHNoLoGY IS A GAME CHANGEr IS BECAUSE IT ALLoWS AIrLINES, AIrporTS AND THEIr pArTNErS To CoNCENTrATE oN THE BUSINESS of CrEATING VALUE rATHEr THAN oN THE MEANS of DoING So.”

ATI CLoUD VIDEoS, WHITE pApErS DEMoS AND MorE AVAILABLE AT:

www.aticloud.aero

fIND oUT MorE ABoUT oUr CLoUD USE CASES

www.sita.aero/microsites/ati-cloud/a-world-of-benefits/not-if-but-how

37ISSUE 1: Q1 2013

BE WArY So the move to cloud is on. But it’s perhaps not been helped by the range of definitions of cloud computing often used (or abused) in certain sectors.

Some vendors have been accused of simply using cloud computing as a marketing label for old technologies and offerings. This devalues the opportunity and creates uncertainty.

CIO magazine noted recently: “Although cloud computing is a natural evolution of various enterprise and Web-based technologies and trends, it is a mistake to simply re-label these older technologies as ‘cloud computing’.

“This new computing model drives revolutionary changes in the way solutions are designed, built, delivered, sourced and managed.”1

Navigating through the jungle of information to identify where cloud can deliver on the promises is no easy task.

That’s why, for SITA’s Air Transport Industry Cloud (ATI Cloud), the opportunities are emphasized by several industry use cases (see page 38).

“ THE WHoLE IS GrEATEr THAN THE SUM of ITS pArTS.” ArISToTLE WASN’T THINKING of CLoUD or MoBILE DEVICES WHEN HE SAID THIS, BUT HIS ApHorISM STILL AppLIES To TECHNoLoGY. HoW WILL YoU INTEGrATE THESE CApABILITIES To CrEATE NEW BUSINESS opporTUNITIES?”2

1 www.cio.com/article/print/719480 2 http://www.cio.com/article/print/722533

Each is made possible through a new way of delivering IT services, leveraging tools, cloud technologies and a community investment in an IT infrastructure that builds consistently on the networks that connect all the players in this specialized industry.

rEAL BENEfITS“The IT industry has always been expert at creating hype and selling the strengths of the latest development,” says Gregory Oullion, VP Air Transport Industry Cloud, SITA.

“With the ATI Cloud already delivering to infrastructure, apps and workspace, we know the benefits are real. They can be quantified.

“There remains an occasional fog of misunderstanding over the what, how and why of cloud technology. But make no mistake – this is going to be a game-changer for the air transport industry as our use cases make clear.”

SCooT SCoopS THE WorLDScoot, the low cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, is the first airline in the world to adopt the agile and flexible data link management service powered by SITA’s ATI Cloud.

The service manages the exchange of messages between the ground and cockpit, connecting airline users and applications to the aircraft. It’s already in use at Scoot and will continue to be rolled out across the airline’s expanding fleet.

Ilya Gutlin, SITA President, Asia Pacific, said: “As an airline, Scoot likes to do things differently and so it was no surprise that it was the first to embrace the benefits of using SITA’s new cloud-based data link services.

“Already more than 12,000 aircraft rely on SITA AIRCOM for data link services and more than 70 airlines have adopted AIRCOM Server for message processing, but Scoot is the first to adopt it without having to invest in hardware or host the solution.”

ATI CLOUD: CONNECTING THE COMMUNITY

CONSISTENT

AGILEINTEGRATED

TRUSTED




ATI CLoUD USE CASES – CLEAr GAME-CHANGING opporTUNITIESMake no mistake, cloud will change the game in air transport, as these use cases show.

KEEpING oUTSTATIoNS IN THE MAINSTrEAM

• A quarter of a million air transport workstations are located outside the organization’s headquarters, often with ageing infrastructure and mixed equipment.

• They’re often opened at short notice and in locations where reliable IT support services may be difficult to find.

The ATI Cloud is ideally suited to resolving this weakness in the IT infrastructure. Example: it takes just one hour to deploy a new release of a reservation app into the desktops of all ticketing office and call center agents.

SofTWArE oN DEMAND IS BECoMING THE prEfErrED MoDEL

• 56% of airlines have already implemented or are evaluating use of SaaS.

• Not surprisingly, two thirds of those using or looking at SaaS see integration as the biggest challenge.

The ATI Cloud provides access to the providers and platforms needed to ensure that adoption, security and integration costs less money and time. User identity and subscriptions are managed through single sign-on mechanisms.

MISSIoN-CrITICAL AppS

• Airlines and airports are under pressure to reduce costs without impacting service levels.

• Many want to use industry-specific applications but lack the skills and resource to effectively manage them.

A cloud-based response removes the need to buy licenses or build infrastructure support. An on-demand service means users only pay more as they grow. More than 20 SITA apps are moving to the ATI Cloud.

A SECUrE WorKSpACE for oUTSoUrCED WorKErS

• Outsourcing of business processes is a well-trodden route across the industry. For example, more than 50% of airline ground handling operations are outsourced.

• IT departments must deliver workspace outside the organization onto an infrastructure they do not control.

Using the ATI Cloud to deliver a full virtual workspace into the partner’s own IT environment resolves these issues. Scalability, adjustment to business demand, versioning control and security rest with the host organization.

roLLoUT of NEW AppS

• At any one time, half of all airlines are involved in a major business application upgrade.

• But this work can be compromised through the need for upfront investment in new infrastructure, risk of duplication during transition and extra load on business partners.

Complexity and risk can be removed by publishing directly to end-users from the ATI Cloud. Because SITA‘s platform is pre-connected to airline data centers, airports, and remote offices, apps can be published direct to multiple end-user devices.

CUTTING THE CoST AND CoMpLExITY of CoLLABorATIoN

• The blurring of boundaries between devices and the consumerization of apps adds extra pressure to keep collaboration platforms aligned and up-to-date.

• Apps are becoming more complex and demanding in terms of security and reliability.

This is a key factor when more than half of corporate e-mail is still on legacy versions. Integration of e-mail and other collaboration services into the cloud removes complexity and gives the organization control.

60

56%

>50%

>50%

>50% >20%

MINUTES To DEpLoY A NEW rELEASE

of AIrLINES ArE LooKING AT SAAS

of AIrLINE GroUND HANDLING opErATIoNS ArE oUTSoUrCED

of AIrLINES HAVE MAJor UpGrADE AT ANY oNE TIME

of CorporATE E-MAIL STILL oN LEGACY SYSTEMS

SITA AppS MoVING To THE CLoUD

39ISSUE 1: JANUArY 2012

air transport it review issue1 2013 0

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