Monthly Archives: April 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted the vast majority of industries worldwide, with the aviation sector suffering one of the biggest blows. Mandatory quarantine and social distancing measures have greatly disrupted air travel as some airports report a 95% reduction in passenger traffic. In addition, airports are having to limit the number of onsite personnel, adding further complications in managing day-to-day operations. To help sustain operations, airports have found the use of Airport Management Software (AMS) to be critical during this global outbreak. With AMS solutions, airports have been able to maximize their limited personnel and resources as well as provide a tool to allow for remote collaboration on airport business.

To maintain efficient operations, airports are utilizing AMS solutions to manage property, safety, maintenance, airside operations and other critical processes. As some airport personnel continue to work remotely, AMS solutions provide the capability to easily retrieve and/or submit documents/forms from anywhere using a mobile phone, laptop, tablet or any other internet-enabled device. This has been crucial in maintaining efficient operations as airport personnel easily access and submit airport data while they work remotely. Furthermore, airports are maintaining effective communication as they are able to automatically share pertinent data through automated alerting and real-time analytics dashboards. An additional area where AMS solutions have helped during this crisis is in optimizing utilization of an airport’s aircraft parking stands. Research shows that 62% of passenger jets worldwide have been grounded, leaving airports with complex aircraft parking challenges. Utilizing AMS, airports have been able to quickly and efficiently optimize use of their aircraft parking spaces. These solutions have provided the capability of enhancing the visibility of aircraft parking spots as well as help utilize airport facilities to the fullest.

With the various benefits that AMS solutions provide, airports have been able to sustain their operations with their limited resources and personnel. Although the global pandemic has greatly disrupted the day-to-day operations of airports worldwide, airports have luckily been able to get through this difficult time through leveraging AMS.

Sources –  https://aci.aero/news/2020/04/01/economic-analysis-shows-covid-19-is-an-existential-threat-to-airport-business/

https://www.internationalairportreview.com/article/114585/aviation-industry-covid-19-pandemic/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-04-16/coronavirus-travel-what-happens-to-planes-grounded-by-covid-19

Click on the button below to learn how SANTORINI can help your Airport

One of the biggest challenges that airports currently face is long-term environmental sustainability. According to a recent study, airports are one of the major contributors to the world’s global carbon emissions. Considering that air traffic is expected to nearly double by the Year 2037, airports will continue to be one of the world’s major contributors to carbon emissions, unless proper sustainability initiatives are taken.

Investing in technology, such as digital solutions can be a great first step in making an airport more sustainable. An airport’s operations, safety management and training processes have traditionally been very paper-intensive. Considering the amount of required inspections, operations reports, daily logs, training records, safety reports and investigation findings that are documented on paper, it is easy to see how the digitization and automation of these processes can help airports significantly decrease their carbon footprint. Thus, making themselves more sustainable.

In addition, some airports heavily rely on the use of paper to document important information for their leases. Airports typically need to document and monitor lease terms, lessee information, plots, insurance requirements, security deposits, rent, etc. Utilizing digital solutions to electronically document this information can increase an airport’s sustainability.

More than reducing paper usage, the use of a Resource Management System can also greatly decrease an airport’s carbon footprint. Resource management systems offer airports various benefits such as optimized gate utilization, increased efficiency and maximization of current infrastructure. More importantly, it can reduce an airport’s carbon footprint by reducing jet fuel usage. By fully optimizing the gate assignment process, airports will limit the amount of time aircraft spend taxiing on the runway. One study suggests that 18 tons of CO2 are released into the atmosphere during taxiing operations alone. Lastly, one additional benefit of optimized gate utilization is increased customer satisfaction by reducing time spent on the tarmac.

In conclusion, investing in digital solutions can greatly align with an airport’s sustainability goals by decreasing CO2 emissions and eliminating the need for paper usage. Certain government agencies are also willing to offer funding for certain projects that assist with long-term environmental sustainability efforts.

Sources – https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49349566

https://www.greenaironline.com/news.php?viewStory=2342

https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/pr/2018-10-24-02/