Towards

2020 and
Beyond

WELCOME
TO THE ERA OF THE
INTELLIGENT AIRPORT
THE INTELLIGENT AIRPORT IS
ABOUT BETTER PLANNING OF
RESOURCES, ALLOWING MORE
ACCURATE PREDICTIONS.
MATTHYS SERFONTEIN
VICE PRESIDENT, AIRPORTS, SITA
 Imagine youre a traveler on your way to the airport.
Think of all the questions that could be going through your
mind. Will it be easy to park? Is my flight on time? How do I get
to my gate? How long will it take to check-in? Is there a queue
through security and passport control? Where do I drop my
bags and will they be there at the other end?
Without the answers to these questions and more, a trip
through the airport can be incredibly and unnecessarily
stressful.
Now imagine arriving at an airport with all those questions
answered. All the information you need is at your fingertips.
Youre informed and relaxed. Your experience is personalized
and seamless.
This airport captures and shares real-time information and
insights with all its stakeholders. The airport works as one,
to optimize its operations, eliminate inefficiencies and
deliver the ideal passenger journey.
This airport uses technology to make the most of its budget
and resources, to cope with passenger volumes and
demands, and to become more profitable.
This is the Intelligent Airport.

SITA 2013 www.sita.aero/intelligent-airport | 3

 The Intelligent Airport is more than a vision; it has the
potential to become a reality the world over, but only if
airports can overcome the numerous challenges they
currently face.
Despite resource constraints, theyre expected to
accommodate rising volumes of travelers and meet the
increasing demands of tech-savvy passengers and tenants.
Every aspect of airport operations faces challenges, from
passenger management and communications to commercial
activities and aircraft turnarounds.
To meet these challenges, airports need innovative solutions.
Infrastructure must be used more intelligently. Operations
must be run with greater efficiency. And growth must be
sustainable. The Intelligent Airport will address them all.

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THE FOUR Cs OF AN INTELLIGENT AIRPORT
The challenges can be grouped into four areas which will be Ultimately, airports are focused on improving the passenger
commanding the attention of airports between now and 2020. experience; eight out of ten airports plan to invest in, or
These challenges are: evaluate, major programs that will help them achieve this
Customer Centricity: Making the passenger experience goal over the next three years. If these programs are to
smoother, more convenient at every step. succeed, they will need to address all four challenge areas.
Fortunately, SITA has solutions for each of them.
Connectivity: Providing an ecosystem that readily gives
everyone access to information and data they need.
Commercialization: Maximizing existing revenue
streams and creating new ones.
Collaboration: Enabling all stakeholders to share
information in real time and work together as one.

SITA 2013 www.sita.aero/intelligent-airport | 5

THE INTELLIGENT AIRPORT
WILL PROVIDE EVERY
STAKEHOLDER, INCLUDING
PASSENGERS, WITH
MEANINGFUL AND TIMELY
INFORMATION TO MAKE
INFORMED DECISIONS,
LEVERAGING THE SAME
INFRASTRUCTURE,
PLATFORM AND TOOLS.
RON REED
DIRECTOR, AIRPORT STRATEGY, SITA

6 | www.sita.aero/intelligent-airport SITA 2013


CUSTOMER CENTRICITY
Every time passengers plan their air travel, they expect
their experience to be better than ever. Airports and
airlines now place improving customer service at the
top of their agendas.
In the Intelligent Airport, travelers will be able to drop off
bags on arrival and use their mobile devices to tap and go
at every step, including security and departure gates.
Personalized alerts about parking availability, wait times,
baggage tracking, gate changes, flight status and retail offers
can be sent to passengers mobile devices, providing them
with comprehensive and easily accessible information. This
will help airports, airlines and other stakeholders keep
passengers informed and happy.
Location-based technology will inform airports, airlines and
other service providers when passengers arrive so they can
offer them timely information and services while they are
on-the-move.
Mobile phone signals can also be used to manage passenger
flows, make better informed decisions and reallocate staff
and resources to optimize the flow of passengers across the
airport ecosystem.
TECHNOLOGY WILL SAVE TIME AND HASSLE
Todays digital traveler is keener than ever to adopt
technologies that save them time and hassle, so a range
of new self-service products are becoming increasingly
popular at every step of the journey.
Our self-service bag drop is being adopted at numerous
airports, including Brisbane and Melbourne where
passengers now drop their bags off in as little as 25 seconds.
At present, just 13% of airports offer unstaffed bag drops,
while 45% expect to do so by 2015.
SITA Self-Service Boarding Gates help to accelerate aircraft
boarding, reduce queues and enable staff to focus on
customer support. In the future, gates will be integrated with
NFC readers to allow passengers to tap and go throughout
the journey, including at security and border control
checkpoints. SITA Lab has created an API which allows
airlines to introduce mobile boarding passes, including
Apple Passbook and NFC-based passes, quickly and easily
into operations.
In addition, more passengers will use their mobile phones as
a self-service tool to track their baggage while traveling from
one destination to the next. A mobile app will alert them to the
location of their baggage.
SITA 2013
68%
OF AIRPORTS CONSIDER
IMPROVING THE PASSENGER
EXPERIENCE AS THE
MOST IMPORTANT DRIVER
OF IT INVESTMENT.*
SITAs BagJourney enables passengers to track their bags
throughout their journey. This data is made available to
airlines and airports, which can then be conveyed to
passengers. Working behind the scenes, SITAs BagSmart
gives airlines and ground handlers real-time alerts for bags
at risk of missing their flights. This helps prevent baggage
mishandling and reduce last minute baggage problems
that can cause flight delays.
TERMINAL TIME WILL BECOME
MORE PROFITABLE
Our popular location-based technology uses the signal from
passengers mobile devices to pinpoint their position and
direct them to their departure gate. For example, SITAs
Airport iQueue monitors queue lengths and provides waiting
time information to passengers. This enables passengers to
make better and for the airport, more profitable use of
their time in the terminal.
Real-time information about flight delays, gate changes and
queue lengths can help passengers feel more relaxed and
in control.
At one airport in North America, where SITA has installed
a predictive wait time system to collect information on
passenger flow, the wait times are posted on flight information
screens landside, which reduces passenger anxiety.
Addressing passenger flow is a good investment that will help
the bottom line with better resource allocation and on-time
departures, as well as top-line growth.
When passenger flow management includes airport car
parks and public transportation, and when even more
travelers use mobile devices, new opportunities will arise.
More data points should mean better quality information
and better decision making.
*
SITA 2013 Airport IT Trends Survey
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CONNECTIVITY MOBILE SERVICES FOR ALL
Delivering todays optimum passenger experience depends Many airports have mobile services for passengers and
on connectivity. For passengers to enjoy the full benefits workforces under development, and more than 60% of
of end-to-end self-service, their smartphones and mobile airports plan to refresh their IT infrastructures by introducing
devices should be connected to all relevant airport systems Wi-Fi, 4G and a range of geo-location technologies. In
at all times. In fact, having ubiquitous connectivity is the addition, Near Field Communication is also being evaluated.
common thread that is key to the success of other Cs Mobile devices are key to efficient ground operations,
(Customer centricity, Collaboration and Commercialization). leading to improved disruption management, faster aircraft
Constant access to real-time information is just as critical turnaround, fewer mistakes, better inventory control, and
for airport staff, if they are to deliver the optimum passenger much less paper. With SITA Mobile Workforce, airport staff
experience and minimize traveler disruptions. Always-on can work efficiently wherever they are on the airport campus.
connectivity makes it possible to move staff and equipment
to the right place at the right time, enhancing operational
efficiencies and passenger experience.
In the Intelligent Airport, no one is stationary; everyone
needs to be able to access the people, data and applications
they need from any location. This means that airports
require a robust, reliable and secure IT and communications
infrastructure to which everyone can connect. This
infrastructure needs to optimize many critical airport
processes, and bear the heavy workload of information
required by hungry airport users, be they passengers or staff.

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 CONNECTIVITY SUPPORTS GROWTH
easyJet carries over 50 million passengers each year on
560+ routes, using over 200 aircraft flying between 130
airports. Its critical that they efficiently manage growth
and seasonal changes in passenger demand. To support
these dynamics, easyJet needs flexibility and scalability
in its operations. It needs to be agile and mobile, giving
employees applications that enable them to deliver a
consistent passenger experience across every airport
on the easyJet network.
SITA manages the mobile device and connectivity
infrastructure that underpins easyJets mobile
applications platform. The project is managed by
SITAs Mobility Center of Excellence and embraces
Mobile Device Management (MDM), 3G mobile data and
business-critical Wi-Fi connectivity. By incorporating
SITA service management, the integrated solution
provides a single approach across all easyJets locations
and is designed to handle seasonal route changes.
Mobilized application integration builds on these
elements to transform key processes, enabling airport
staff to optimize their efficiency whether theyre in the
terminal, on the ramp or on the tarmac.

SITA 2013 www.sita.aero/intelligent-airport | 9

 PASSENGERS REPORTING
HIGH LEVELS OF SATISFACTION
WITH THE AIRPORT TEND
TO SPEND 45% MORE THAN
THOSE WHO SAY THEY
ARE DISAPPOINTED.*

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COMMERCIALIZATION
As airports expand their footprint and operations models
to develop airport cities, they will need to seek out new and
diverse revenue streams by realizing opportunities offered
by the latest technology innovations.
Understanding passenger behavior better is one such area,
and here geo-location and passenger flow management
solutions are key. With passenger analytics to understand
how passengers move through the airport, and where they
dwell longest, airports can plan retail layouts that make it
easy and convenient for passengers to eat and shop.
Todays airports receive (on average) 47% of revenues from
non-aeronautical sources. But with the Intelligent Airport
commercializing its assets, this is set to grow. The industry
will see far greater emphasis on ROI and extended boundaries
to accommodate new outlet malls, conference centers
and hotels.
With airports under pressure to handle growing numbers of
flights and passengers without access to greater funding,
the race is on to open up and grow new revenue streams.
LOCATING RETAIL AREAS FOR
CUSTOMER CONVENIENCE
Airport iFlow uses Wi-Fi coverage to monitor how passengers
move through the airport. With this information, airports
can optimize the design of retail areas and site their
revenue-generating location-based services accurately.
Passengers will also have more time to shop and eat, while
Airport Operators will be able to define better locations for
concessions and allow retailers to target their offers and
promotions with greater precision.
*JD Power North American Airport Survey
SITA 2013
MAKING REVENUE GROW FROM
PASSENGER FLOW
Copenhagen Airport (CPH) has around 125 shops and
restaurants and was awarded Europes Best Airport
Shopping Experience in 2011. Naturally, its retail
business is fundamental to its financial success
and reputation.
Using Wi-Fi access points to triangulate cell phones,
SITA has built a picture of passenger movements
through CPHs terminal. This has revealed that
understanding passenger flows opens up many
opportunities to enhance non-aeronautical revenue.
For instance, knowing where there are high passenger
concentrations not already served can help identify a
good location for vending machines. Or the prices of
advertising space could be based on the number of
passengers passing by the ads.
One 40 million passenger airport, where SITA installed
the iFlow solution, found that there are enough
passengers around in the early morning to justify
opening the coffee shop at 03:30am instead of 05:30am,
adding two extra hours for revenue generation.
Analysis of current and historical passenger flow
data can also reveal a gold mine of new business
opportunities, such as passengers departing from gates
12-15 never pass the shops in area D. Steps can then be
taken to attract these passengers. If successful, they
can be used in other terminals or with other shops.
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COLLABORATION
In the Intelligent Airport, information sharing and
collaborative decision-making are integral to
operational efficiency.
But collaborative decision-making can only be truly effective
if its backed by real-time Business Intelligence (BI) and
insightful analytics. Then airports can create truly integrated
solutions, becoming more efficient, more effective and
more agile.
As the market becomes more dependent on big data, industry
demand will increase for an enterprise platform that extracts
data from a variety of financial, commercial and operational IT
systems as well as external sources. These BI platforms will
provide airports and other stakeholders with up-to-date and
accurate insights that will make airport operations smarter
and more efficient.
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ENABLING STAKEHOLDERS TO WORK AS ONE
SITAs Intelligent Airport is all about providing technology
solutions that help airports and their key stakeholders
work as one.
However, true collaboration is only possible when everyone
has real-time access to the same insights, which is why
airports are making BI systems a priority. By 2015, most
airports will have implemented a BI system to improve
customer service, drive efficiencies and generate more
non-aeronautical income.
Many airports are establishing Airport Operations Control
Centers (AOCC) and realizing the benefits of centralized
situational awareness. The AOCC provides all stakeholders
with a birds eye view of airport activities, from passenger
movements to security to airside processing, enabling
airports to take proactive steps to improve the efficiency
of their operations.
SITA 2013
 COLLABORATION AT SAO PAULO
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, BRAZIL
Brazil is hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the
Rio 2016 Olympic Games. In June 2013, So Paulo
International Airport, the largest in Latin America,
chose SITA to transform its operations and optimize
its aircraft flow as it prepares for the influx of visitors.
SITAs next generation airport management system
will help the airport deliver a world-class
passenger experience.
However, it is at the Airport Command and Control
Center, monitored by the Center of IT Operations,
where the real transformation will take place. The new
technology from SITA will give the airport proactive
control over all of its operations, benefitting millions
of passengers.
SITA Airport Orchestrator provides a cost effective

55%
real-time performance management solution for
complex airport environments. With real-time
situational awareness, and the tools to support
collaborative decision making, Airport Orchestrator
enables operators to provide prompt and effective
responses to irregular operations and disruptions,
ultimately reducing the latency between an event
OF AIRPORTS CONSIDER
and action to as close to zero as possible. OPERATIONAL AWARENESS
It will also give all airport stakeholders airlines, AS THE TOP PRIORITY FOR
customs, immigration and ground handlers access INVESTMENT IN BUSINESS
to real-time information, enabling them to collaborate
INTELLIGENCE WHILE...

52%
and make timely, fully-informed decisions.
In addition, SITA has launched its Airport Business
Intelligence solution which consolidates this data with
information from sources such as passenger flow, flight
movements and baggage tracking to create a central
repository of real-time data that can be accessed easily CONSIDER IMPROVING THE
by all users. PASSENGER EXPERIENCE
The advanced tools provide executive level dashboards AS A TOP PRIORITY FOR
on workstations and mobile devices.
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE.*

*
SITA 2013 Airport IT Trends Survey

SITA 2013 www.sita.aero/intelligent-airport | 13

 In 2011, SITAs Intelligent Airport was just a vision. Today it is a reality, tomorrow it will
be commonplace. With growing volumes of air traffic, increasingly demanding tech-savvy
passengers and a complex ecosystem of stakeholders, todays airports are facing some
tough challenges and we believe that we can help them overcome these challenges with
the Intelligent Airport.

14 | www.sita.aero/intelligent-airport SITA 2013

 Customer Centricity: In the Intelligent Airport, everyone wins. Airlines provide
Only Intelligent Airports will be able to meet the better services to passengers, airports optimize their
expectations of the digital passenger, making their airport real estate, security authorities provide faster queue
experience smoother, simpler, personalized and secure. lanes, ground handlers pinpoint their resources and are
able to change them on the fly, and passengers are much
Connectivity: better informed, less stressed and experience a more
Only Intelligent Airports will have the robust and secure enjoyable journey.
communications infrastructures that can support the The Intelligent Airport is not an unattainable vision. In
mobile-based self-service technologies increasingly airports all around the world, new technology is connecting,
expected by passengers. informing and delighting passengers and airport staff alike.
Commercialization: Airports are becoming the efficient machines they have long
aspired to be and SITA is committed to working with them
Only Intelligent Airports will be able to generate new
at every step of the way.
revenue streams, by creating a direct relationship
with passengers, and by offering tenants and retailers
unique opportunities to tap into the preferences of digital
travelers for personalized context-aware marketing.
Collaboration:
Only Intelligent Airports will be able to reduce their
operational costs thanks to intelligent systems that
give all stakeholders the ability to use real-time and
shared situational awareness data for better and
faster decision-making.

SITA 2013 www.sita.aero/intelligent-airport | 15

 SITA AT A GLANCE
The air transport industry is the most dynamic and
exciting community on earth and SITA is its heart.

Our vision is to be the chosen technology partner of For further information,

the industry, a position we will attain through flawless please contact SITA by
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most efficient solutions.
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SITA 13-BRO-021-02
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contrary by SITA in writing) is not part of any order or contract.