Developing the intelligent airport

Abstract

The proliferation of common-use and self-service technologies, the emergence of the mobile device as a multi-purpose tool and accompanying IT infrastructure upgrades are offering significant opportunities to enhance the airport operating environment and build a truly ‘intelligent’ airport. To benefit fully from these advances, however, it will be vital to have a cohesive and targeted technology strategy, ensuring the various systems are all well integrated. Achieving this integration will require collaboration from all stakeholders, including passengers, airlines, governments and airport authorities, on a global basis. Worldwide standards are also needed for the effective sharing and protection of data (‘business intelligence’) generated by technologies using smartphones, near-field communication, biometrics and the like. Stakeholders need to work together to exchange information and be flexible enough to respond to the varied needs of passengers, airlines and airports.