Opening a new airport, or transforming it into an airport city, is a challenging balancing act that requires the synchronising of physical and technological operations.

The airport city is an urban phenomenon of mixed-use developments that can range from office, retail and entertainment facilities to housing placed strategically around airports and requiring complex IT solutions.

Unisys is a worldwide information technology services and solutions company that provides consulting, systems integration, outsourcing and infrastructure services, combined with powerful enterprise server technology, to meet these needs.

It specialises in helping clients use information to create efficient, secure business operations that allow them to achieve their business goals. Its consultants and industry experts work with clients to understand their business challenges and create greater visibility in  critical linkages throughout their operations.

Providing airports with the competitive, sustainable services and modern infrastructure and IT systems to support their customers requires many facets, including the following:

Customer service

Ensure a unique, tailored and relevant experience for all customers, including passengers, visitors, retailers, airlines and commercial clients.

Comprehensive display of real-time information such as flight arrival/departure, baggage and freight tracking etc, across the airport city.

Connectivity

Fast and seamless connections for passengers, baggage and freight.

Creation of an integrated multi-modal logistics hub.

Robust Safety and Security

Deploy trusted, non-intrusive biometric-enabled systems.

Introduce risk-adapted security assessments for passengers and freight.


Operational Efficiency

Enhance airport operational efficiency by the effective management of resources and systems.

Employ technology and systems to minimise delays in landing, take off and taxiing to fully utilise terminal facilities and staff, maximising asset use.

Realise a paperless environment.

Integrated Business Processes

Integrate the operations of all the stakeholders, both in the airport and airport city, including the use of collaborative decision making when appropriate.

Enable the free-flow of information between stakeholders, integrate airport systems and create one reliable source of accurate information.

Deploy common enterprise systems aligned with industry standards.

Attract and Retain Qualified Professionals

Create an environment that attracts the best people to study, work and live in the airport city and maintain that environment with continuous improvement.

A key challenge is to provide the competitive advantages necessary to attract appropriate operators, businesses and residents to their location. Those that succeed will create a powerful economic driver for their region and country. Building or upgrading an airport to meet the challenge requires a holistic approach.

For example, Unisys has been involved in the development of two of China's airport city developments, one at Beijing Capital International Airport and the other at Guangzhou New Baiyun International Airport.
 
Each project or development was unique and required tailored IT solutions. Unisys used its 3D blueprinting framework to align the overall business strategy and vision with the supporting business processes, IT applications and infrastructure so that all facets of the development were synchronised.

A truly holistic approach to IT integration is one which links all four layers to deliver a successful outcome. There is greater opportunity for this approach when in the role of master systems integrator.

As a systems integrator, Unisys uses a Joint Responsibility Matrix to identify how various systems and processes interrelate and impact each other in order to manage the progress and timing between each contractor and sub-contractor.

The Role of Technology

While airports have traditionally focused on baggage handling, there is now a far greater emphasis on how travellers are processed. Airports also face the challenge of balancing business efficiencies, risk mitigation, customer satisfaction and patronage.
 
To achieve these aims, each airport will need to rely on its IT systems and infrastructure to deliver exceptional customer experience complete with real-time information (flight arrivals and departures, baggage and freight tracking); provide fast and seamless connections for baggage and freight; provide robust safety and security and ensure the integration of business processes to enable the free-flow of information between airport systems and stakeholders (for example airlines and airport retailers).

This ultimately means a greater amount of interaction between airlines and airports. For example, larger aircraft like the double-decker Airbus A380 deliver a large number of passengers to an airport at a single time, and instantly creating a processing challenge.

To process passengers efficiently and effectively, without jeopardising security standards, requires innovative solutions. Traditional airport 'choke points' like customs and security checks are prompting the development of integrated applications
that capture more detail for faster processing upon arrival and departure.

Airlines and airports are also improving the customer experience by using technology to streamline check-in systems such as online check-in, kiosk processing and even barcodes that can be sent directly to a customer's mobile phone to be scanned at the departure gate.

The development of an airport is more than just a series of terminals, waiting lounges and check in desks.

Each airport will rely on its IT infrastructure to support its commercial and industrial offering as an airport city with opportunities for ancillary revenue in retail and real estate development.

Technology is enabling ancillary transactions to occur prior to stepping onto a plane. Integrated and Internet-enabled systems within the airport can allow passengers to choose products and services they wish to purchase before they get on the plane.
     
In the future, almost every transaction and process within an airport will rely (in some way) on its underlying IT infrastructure. IT innovation is unlocking the skies and inspiring a new era of travel in the Asia-Pacific region, in particular.