Faced with the crisis, airports must accelerate their digitization

Like many other infrastructures open to the public, airports have been forced to put in place significant control measures in order to limit the spread of the virus. Passenger management processes have thus become considerably more complex and have sometimes seen the reappearance of paper forms. However, the regulations resulting from the health crisis are intended to remain relevant for at least several years or even to become permanent.

In terms of passenger journeys and baggage management, this translates into a considerable setback. Integrating this new deal to return to previous performances requires major investments from airports in a period when their financial stability is more than ever put to the test. So it’s about doing more with less. A challenge that is all the more difficult to meet as airport companies are facing a real brain drain: many specialists in their business processes have left this industry for other sectors less affected by the crisis.

The ecological challenge in the background

The health crisis came at a pivotal time for the airport industry and the aviation sector in general: that of ecological transition. In October 2021 in Geneva, the decarbonization of air transport was at the heart of the debates that animated the general assembly of the 31st International Airports Council. This major transformation of CO2-emitting processes requires stronger coordination between all market players, but also massive investments in infrastructure renewal.

Here again, technological innovation will be decisive in the ability of airports to reinvent themselves in a critical period. We have indeed entered an era where digital solutions are natively designed to allow industries to optimize their carbon footprint. While these resources certainly consume a substantial volume of energy resources, they also enable considerable economies of scale to be achieved.

Pooling digital infrastructures

Taking full advantage of the cloud is one avenue airports can explore to optimize their operations. The cloud has not yet had the same impact on the airport sector as it has on other industries. And for good reason, it is not suitable for the most strategic functions of the operational management of air transport and in particular for real-time operations such as communications with aircraft in the landing or take-off phase, which require a level of connectivity and absolutely flawless security.

The slightest interruption in the transmission of data could in fact lead to dramatic human and material consequences. The largest airports therefore tend to keep infrastructure on-premises, even if it means devoting particularly high investments to it.

But many smaller airports can now rely on these digital infrastructures made available remotely by partner airports for the management of their commercial and non-operationally critical operations. A pooling process that replicates the benefits of the cloud across the sector: reduction and better predictability of operating costs, faster integration of technological innovations, operational flexibility, etc. The development of such hybrid cloud strategies could thus constitute a solution to streamline the data management of small and medium-sized airports.

We must also mention the potential development of infrastructures embedding edge configurations. Edge computing consists of deploying computing power in local mode, on site, and in close proximity to resources requiring a critical level of data processing. These technologies, which are increasingly deployed within industries, will play a decisive role in the years to come for the digital infrastructures of airports.

Aim for better technological integration

The digitization of airports has been underway for many years now. It has resulted in the implementation of innovative technologies. The Internet of Things has thus made its way into airport terminals and makes it possible to efficiently and intelligently manage the maintenance of strategic equipment. The blockchain is increasingly used to secure data exchanges and minimize the impact of cyberattacks, which the particularly unstable geopolitical context has caused to explode.

The development of artificial intelligence has also enabled the integration of a large number of new automation and decision support applications. But the adoption of these new application layers poses significant integration and compatibility problems to ensure the stability of information systems. Real-time data management for the most critical operational functions thus requires a particularly high level of integration.

Airports, which cannot entirely rely on the APIs and services of cloud providers, must therefore develop tailor-made integration strategies at the local level and reconcile the technical requirements of dozens of different publishers. The adoption of new integration processes and standard APIs is therefore one of the main areas on which airports must focus their efforts to optimize the management of their IT resources.

Beyond Technology: Fostering Coordination

On the technical level, the solutions that would enable airports to accelerate their digitization already exist and could bear full fruit provided that they benefit from significant integration efforts. But the way out of the crisis cannot rely exclusively on technological solutions. The challenges faced by airports are also organizational. The great diversity of health regulations and legal contexts imposes disproportionate constraints on airports in particular.

The lack of international coordination and the chaotic evolution of regulations prevent any lasting solution from emerging. It is therefore time for agreements to be found at the local, regional and international levels to promote the coordination of private and public actors. It is only at this price that technology can be put to the service of an effective health strategy and long-term economic recovery.

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