Published biweekly – available by annual subscription only – www.mombergerairport.info Editorial office / Subscriptions; Phone: +1 519 833 4642, e-mail: [email protected] Managing Editor / Publisher: Martin Lamprecht [email protected] News Editor: Paul Ellis [email protected] – Founding Editor: Manfred Momberger for inter airport from MAI #1140 Bahrain Airport Services recently announced a partnership with global technology company SAP to digitally transform Bahrain’s aviation market post-Covid-19. While the pandemic has made a major impact on passenger travel, IATA predicts that the Middle East will see a 4.4% growth in passenger journeys over the next few years. Bahrain’s aviation recovery will be driven by innovative technologies. In 2019, Bahrain Airport Services handled 8.5 million passenger and 8 million baggage items, served 6.5 million in-flight meals, and managed 125,000 t of freight. Supporting aviation innovation, Bahrain Airport Services will digitally integrate six lines of business: ground operations, cargo, catering, aircraft engineering, learning and development, and an aircraft engineering training centre called BAETC. “As part of Bahrain Airport Service’s goals for setting standards for high performance in aviation services, we needed full and real-time visibility on our operations and passengers,” said Salman Al- Mahmeed, CEO, Bahrain Airport Services. “Thanks to our digital transformation with SAP, we will seamlessly integrate our operations, talent, and procurement to provide unparalleled ground services and exemplary passenger traveling experiences as passenger travel rebounds,” Al-Mahmeed added. Bahrain Airport Services will deploy the SAP S/4HANA real-time business suite, the SuccessFactors human capital management suite for supporting the talent development of more than 3,000 staff, and the SAP Ariba e-procurement and supply chain cloud solutions. “Our digital transformation with Bahrain Airport Services will see the organization provide a common digital platform for all departments, which can centralize data for enable real-time decision-making, optimise costs, and support Bahraini talent development,” said Hassan Saleh, the newly appointed Managing Director, SAP Bahrain and Iraq. SITA’s ‘2020 Air Transport IT Insights’ report has showed that while airlines and airports have significantly minimised their spending, touchless technology remains a high investment priority between now and 2023. Airports, airlines, and other large companies have already implemented new solutions to minimise the spread of viruses and reduce the interaction between passengers and staff. In 2020, efforts ramped up quickly to create a touchless passenger experience at the airport environment. SITA’s report outlines that making the check-in process completely touchless has been a priority for airlines. In April 2020, Etihad became the first airline to trial new contactless self- service technologies, which can estimate a passenger’s vital signs, to allow for touchless health screenings at airport kiosks and bag drops. AirAsia also quickly followed suit and in May 2020 the airline introduced several contactless procedures for essential travel including contactless kiosks, Passenger Reconciliation System (PRS), contactless payments at the airport, as well as enhanced features on its mobile app to help ensure a smooth and safe travel experience. Meanwhile, United Airlines was among the first airlines in the US to adopt the technology for check-in. Copyright © 2021 - Momberger Airport Information - www.mombergerairport.info In Norway, airport operator Avinor introduced an end-to-end touchless travel programme enabling passengers to check-in for their flight remotely using their mobiles at the 44 airports in its network; while Changi Airport in Singapore equipped its check-in kiosks with infrared proximity sensors, which can identify the motion of a passenger’s finger as they point towards the options on the screen. Biometrics technology also has a major part to play in creating a touchless travel experience. The implementation of the technology in the aviation industry has been well underway in the past few years, but its potential to facilitate a more contactless travel experience has accelerated the adoption even further in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the SITA report, biometrics remain the focus for airport investment with 64% of airports aiming to roll out self-boarding gates using biometric and ID documentation by 2023, three times as many as in 2020. Airlines have doubled implementations and plan to double investment for self-boarding using biometric and ID documentation by 2023. In times when passengers have become more wary of touching surfaces, some airlines have made updates to their inflight entertainment (IFE) to offer a contactless experience and encourage a BYOD (bring your own device) model. Qatar Airways recently announced plans to offer passengers touchless technology for its Oryx One in-flight entertainment system across its Airbus A350 fleet. The Zero-Touch technology, introduced in partnership with the Thales AVANT IFE system, will enable passengers to pair their personal electronic devices (PEDs) with their seat-back IFE screen by connecting to ‘Oryxcomms’ Wi-Fi and simply scanning a QR code displayed on the screen. They can then use their PEDs to navigate and enjoy more than 4,000 options on offer through the airline’s Oryx One IFE system. The contactless experience vision has also reinforced changes to the way people shop at the airport terminal. Travel retail company Hudson, for example, has unveiled its first-ever Hudson Nonstop store using Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology at Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL), TX. Travellers are able to seamlessly enter the Hudson Nonstop store with a swipe of their credit card or using Tap to Pay, take the products they’re looking for, and then walk out of the store. The store merchandising layout provides visibility to essential products needed for the travel journey. Hudson plans to roll-out additional stores in airports across North America in 2021, making contactless shopping opportunities more widely accessible for travellers. Airports are also teaming up with restaurants in the terminal to make it easier for passengers to use their mobile devices to order food for pick-up and delivery. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) launched a contactless airport-wide programme called LAX Order Now, which lets passengers order directly from the LAXOrderNow.com site or by scanning QR codes in the airport. Elsewhere in Europe, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands has launched a pilot programme which allows passengers to pre-order food and drinks at the airport’s food & beverage outlets after security control. Passengers scan a QR code from one of the physical banners or media screens located at and after the airport security check. The QR code will allow them to place their order, pay online and choose a time to pick up their order after going through security. The pandemic is driving consumers to change their behaviour, and airports, airlines, and retailers to accelerate their adoption of the technology. According to SITA’s annual Air Transport IT Insights research, some 74% of airlines have stated that they want to allow mobile touchless payment for all airline services provided along the journey - from booking to arrival. As airlines and airports are preparing for passenger traffic to bounces back again in summer 2021, it is evident that touchless technology will be crucial to reducing the risk for passengers and staff alike. The Airport Innovation Lab at San Diego Airport (SAN), CA, is to focus on autonomous technology that enhances airport functions, such as airside operations, terminal space operations and intra-transit options, for its inaugural one-year programme. From now through to spring 2021, applications are being accepted to the programme, which will allow companies with autonomous technology solutions to test and refine their products in a live environment. The lab says that examples of technology accepted to the programme include autonomous pushback solutions, AI- based smart assistants, and autonomous transit options for moving passengers and staff within the terminal space. Accepted applicants will participate in a four-quarter, one-year programme. In each Copyright © 2021 - Momberger Airport Information - www.mombergerairport.info three-month quarter, participants will take part in a variety of workshops, testing sprints and one-on-one mentoring sessions that will culminate in demo-day presentations. Workshop topics will include operations, revenue management, business development, IT/technology, customer experience and marketing. At the end of the programme, successful autonomous technology solutions will have the potential to enter into contract negotiations with the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, SAN’s owner and operator. “Investments in autonomous solutions have grown by more than USD 7bn since 2010, and national passenger surveys indicate a significant need for process automation at airports,” said Gina Jacobs, programme manager, airport innovation and customer experience. “We know there is significant interest in automation at airports around the country. Our one-year programme will offer developers a chance to prepare their solutions to be competitive in the US marketplace.” The one-year programme will begin in a virtual format until Covid-19 restrictions are eased. To apply