Information Age, UK: Cognizant’s Vice President for Manufacturing, Energy and Transportation, UK, Says Integrating Digital Technologies is Critical for Airports to Operate Efficiently

“Through analyzing the digital data that surrounds almost everything consumers do, from social media posts to how they interact with self-service systems and check-ins ― what we at Cognizant call Code Halos ― airport operators can tailor services to each customer to increase loyalty by differentiating the airport experience,” writes Rohit Gupta. Excerpts:

“Crucially, this use of technology should not be focused on one single touch point, but used to create consistency across the whole process from check-in and on-board services to baggage handling and passport control.

As airports are increasingly looking to use technology to help passengers customize the way they travel, there are many examples throughout the world of how technology can make journeys smoother.

Changi Airport in Singapore, for example, has placed technology at the heart of its commercial strategy and plans to implement facial recognition technology to reduce the dependency on staff for manual checks. Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam is benefiting from the use of biometrics through its Happy Flow project, where biometrics are used as the key identifier at all airport checkpoints.

While these airports may be seen as trailblazers, biometric technology is, and will continue to be, one of the most pertinent innovations for identifying an individual efficiently, reliably and securely.

By implementing sensors and cameras across the airport landscape, passenger journeys can be measured, allowing airport operators to record the pattern of passenger flow across a terminal.

We will also see the rise of robotic baggage handling where automated systems will take over the most time-consuming baggage handling tasks, freeing up staff to focus on other more sensitive services that require individual contact and a personal touch, such as missing luggage queries and issues with extended flight delays and cancellations.

As airports continue to vie with each other to win airline traffic, offering competitive landing fees and turnaround times, the ability to enhance the customer experience and garner loyalty is crucial.

Implementing technology and analytics solutions throughout the whole airport ecosystem is essential to creating a modern, efficient, and profitable airport operation that is able to cope with the demands of tomorrow’s passenger flows as well as meet the requirements of the digitally aware customer.”

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