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Airside and Safety Automation: Planning for Sustainability

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Through the Airport Carbon Accreditation program, 133 European Airports have taken on the challenge to reduce their airport’s carbon footprint.  The program has set ambitious goals and is currently working towards 67 of its member airports to reach carbon neutrality by 2030. While a portion of European Airports have met their goals, the majority of program members will need to find innovative and cost-effective solutions to help them meet their objectives.

In today’s day and age, the new world of technology provides a plethora of innovative solutions which enable airports to meet mission-critical objectives. Increased productivity, streamlining business processes, reducing costs, enhanced communications, increased operational insights are all major benefits of technology, but a major benefit that is sometimes overlooked is increased sustainability.

European airports looking to improve their airport’s sustainability efforts can begin by further enhancing their most critical operations by utilizing software. Software is an ideal solution to improving sustainability in that it is a solution that pays for itself.  European airports that have tight budgets can invest in software knowing that by eliminating process deficiencies and increasing productivity, the cost savings will ensure a complete ROI. Critical areas which can greatly impact airport sustainability when automated include airside operations, safety management, and resource management. In addition to increasing sustainability, automating these processes can also increase airport safety and enhance operational efficiencies.

Documentation and tracking of information relating to airside operations has traditionally been very paper intensive. Automation of these processes can reduce an airport’s carbon footprint by drastically reducing paper usage. Research shows that airports can reduce paper printing and consumption by up to 50 percent by automating the majority of airside operations processes alone. This helps airports achieve quantifiable and measurable success in becoming eco-friendly.

Safety management operations are also very paper intensive. From safety reports to submission of investigative findings, tracking of safety data can consume a tremendous amount of paper.  In providing a digital platform to submit and archive this information, it will help to further reduce paper usage at airports.

The use of resource management software is also an excellent way to reduce carbon emissions. Resource management software allows airports to optimize their gate and resource assignments to maximize the use of the airport’s current infrastructure. By optimizing these processes, the system would decrease time aircraft spend taxiing to a gate, thus reducing jet fuel usage. According to a recent study, it is estimated that around 18 million tons of CO2 are emitted annually during aircraft taxiing operations and, for Heathrow Airport, aircraft taxiing contributes to 30% of the airport’s total CO2 emissions. In addition to improving sustainability, resource management software can also help to improve other critical airport priorities including customer satisfaction, due to decreased aircraft congestion, and reduction of labor costs.

In conclusion, implementation of airside operations, safety management, and resource management software is an innovative way to help make airports “green”. Software implementation in these areas provides a multidimensional solution that provides various benefits which can help European Airports meet their sustainability goals.

 

Works Cited

Surgenor, Christopher. “Early promise of green aircraft taxiing solutions has yet to materialize although progress on regulatory approvals.” Green Air, Green Air Communications, February 24, 2017

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

 

Koumelis, Theodore. “Europe’s airport industry commits to set new vision of sustainability.” Travel Daily News, Travel Daily News, June 20, 2018

https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/europes-airport-industry-commits-to-set-new-vision-of-sustainability

 

 

 

GIS Now And Into The Future

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Geographic Information Systems (GIS) capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present spatial or geographic data. This evolving technology has been adapting into the airport space since the FAA launched the Airports GIS program in 2009 for the gathering and storage of airport data. This put the spotlight on GIS as an available data tracking platform to improve how airports currently store and manage various data sets for a range of reasons.

GIS has many benefits with present technology and will continue to become even more valuable with future advancements. Investing in GIS is critical to optimizing an airport’s operational processes and in doing so now will not only improve current procedures but also set an airport up for success in the future.

GIS allows airports to improve a range of processes including asset tracking, lease management, maintenance management, and everyday operations. GIS provides a unique way for airports to map/visualize any important assets as well as visualize airport properties.

GIS is extremely helpful for airports due to the “drill down” capabilities. Not only are you able to map and visualize assets and properties using GIS, but the added benefit is associating helpful data which provides insights into the particular property/asset. With a single click, one could pull up information such as:

  • Lease records regarding a specific plot.
  • Manuals and maintenance records associated with a particular asset.
  • Current inventory of specific parts associated with an asset.

Currently, GIS is an incredibly useful tool for an airport’s operations and, with future improvements, will be even more critical to further enhancing an airport’s operational efficiencies. Aniruddha Banerjee, Ph.D., an expert in GIS technology, explains that advances in predictive digital mapping will help to provide more in-depth operational insights than is currently possible. This technology could potentially analyze GIS data to identify and notify airport stakeholders of problem areas/assets at airports. For example, if an asset needed to be continuously replaced, in a non-random fashion, GIS would be able to identify that there may be underlying issues that are causing this issue and then notify airport personnel of the problem.

Another prospective innovation of GIS is its simulation/modeling capabilities, otherwise known as Simulation GIS.  Advances in Simulation GIS will allow for more accurate modeling of various airport specific scenarios. One relevant example would be the modeling of air or ground transport systems. With the potential for mass drone usage at airports, airports will have to prepare for new safety concerns regarding organizing operations for not only manned but unmanned aircraft. Specific safety scenarios through Simulation GIS will be more easily predicted and will assist with informed decision making and strategizing.

When put into action, Simulation GIS can assist an airport in implementing new and improved policies/procedures, an example being the decision on what wind speed should trigger a no-fly zone aided by simulating different wind speed scenarios with Simulation GIS. This technology can also be used for optimizing of ground transport to maximize resource usage, like finding the most efficient routes for taxiing aircraft to their gates.

Additionally, the advancement of light detection and ranging technology, also known as LIDAR, will help provide an accurate 3D measurement of factors that can become part of GIS maps.  Many studies, like the LIDAR Deployment for Airport Obstruction Survey from 2010, have shown that using LIDAR technology to map trees allows an airport to accurately plan maintenance, such as tree trimming, using growth simulations. Adding trees, fences, new construction, etc. can allow an airport to have a precise look at every part of the airports’ dynamics.

Utilization of GIS maps supports airport procedures in a variety of ways. Being able to associate data to specific layers and future improvements in predictive mapping and simulation add a resource that increases not only an airports efficiency but also reduces cost. Utilizing GIS is not just critical for present-day functions, but it is essential for future productivity.

The New Snow and Ice Control Plan (SICP)

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Snow and ice are two of the most serious contaminants for airport runways. Airports have strict processes for how they assess the safety of their runways when these contaminants are present. However, their carefully planned processes will need to change soon.

In the latest news from the FAA, all Part 139 certified airports must revise their Snow and Ice Control Plan (SICP). This change in FAA policy affects airports that conduct snow operations. The deadline for the SICP revisions is here. The FAA requested all submissions by September 1, 2016. The revised SICPs are expected to be put in effect October 1, 2016.

AC 150/5200-30D, released by the FAA on July 29, 2016, explains the proposed changes that airport operators will have to make in their SICP. Luckily for airports, many of the proposed changes are not major. The biggest change is the addition of RCAM.

RCAM, or Runway Condition Assessment Matrix, is, “the method by which an airport operator reports a runway surface assessment when contaminants are present.” RCAM is designed to be a simpler method of reporting runway conditions. For example, the assessment of the slipperiness of the runway are no longer reported in Mu measurements. In RCAM, the observed contaminants on the runway are assigned numeric values, called Runway Condition Codes (RwyCC). These codes are then reported to pilots.

With the winter snowfall coming up soon and the deadline for new SICP implementation having passed, Part 139 certified airports will have to adjust quickly to meet the new guidelines.

One option available to airports for the management of these new requirements is the use of software. With software, the data reported by airport operators will be intuitively managed to meet the new requirements. Additionally, software can include the capability to analyze and provide insight into past trends. Furthermore, airports can keep their carefully planned processes of assessment. Software can intelligently replicate each airport’s specific process. Airports can find software that operates in this manner beneficial, especially in light of these new regulatory requirements.

To view AC 150/5200-30D:

http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/150-5200-30D.pdf