INTERNATIONAL

ISSUE 02 | MAY 2022

internationalairportreview.com REVIEW

A passenger-first
approach
A global leader in Sustainable taxiing Supporting airport workers
drone innovation at Schiphol during COVID-19
YOUR LEADING SOURCE OF COMING UP
IN THE NEXT IS
INFORMATION FOR THE AIRPORT S
INTERNATION UE OF
AND AVIATION COMMUNITY AIRPORT REV AL
IEW…

Guest Editor
announced
for Issue 3!
ITY
SUSTAINABIL

Luis Felipe de Oliveira

Director General of ACI World

WORKFORCE

PERIENCE
PASSENGER EX
L EFFICIENCY
OPERATIONA

INTERNATIONALAIRPORTREVIEW.COM
 WELCOME

Putting passengers first

PASSENGERS ARE the aviation industry’s
bread and butter and without them
airports cannot survive. Airports who are
putting their passengers at the heart of
everything they do are the ones making
huge strides in the quality of their airport
experience. Post‑pandemic, it is essential
that airports can continue attract new
passengers, and this means providing
HOLLY MILES
EDITOR an experience that is completely
hmiles@russellpublishing.com accessible to all. This month’s front cover
is inspired by our feature interview with
Kurush Minocher from Greater Toronto Airport Authority (p. 14),
who says that they are doing just that at Toronto Pearson.
Minocher spoke to International Airport Review about the
new approach the airport is taking in aiming to become the
most accessible airport in the world. They are running many
programmes in order to improve the experience, and this includes
providing areas for passengers’ service animals. Spotting animals
in airports is becoming more common, with more and more
airlines making arrangements for passengers to take pets on
board and some airports like SFO even providing stress-relief
animals for passengers. As more passengers are looking to travel
with their own pets or assistance animals, airports need to be
prepared to adapt to this trend.
Other key highlights in this issue are not one, but three
supplements on contactless technology (p. 6), remote digital
towers (p. 17) and baggage handling (p. 25). Articles include
the rise of unruly passengers (p. 4), what commercial airports
can learn from the private aviation sector (p. 34), an article on
Edmonton International Airport’s new regular daily scheduled
drone delivery from the airport in controlled airspace (p. 42)
and the first sustainable Taxibots in Europe make a debut
at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (p. 45).
You may also see on the advert opposite that ACI World
Director General and International Airport Review Advisory
Board Member, Luis Felipe de Oliveira will be guest editing
our next issue. This is a key milestone for the brand and
the team is very excited to be working with him on what
will definitely be a collector’s issue, so make sure your
industry colleagues have subscribed to secure the next issue
of International Airport Review! Until then! 

02 LEADERS’ SERIES
Welcoming the recovery of traffic
and building the airport of the future
Marco Troncone, CEO, Aeroporti di Roma
Contents
04 VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY
Supporting airport workers during
the pressures of COVID-19
IN-DEPTH FOCUS
CONTACTLESS TECHNOLOGY

Eoin Coates, Head of Aviation and Daniela

Modonesi, Ground Staff Committee Chair,
European Transport Workers’ Federation
07 Revisiting the need
for standardisation in
a contactless world

14 FEATURE INTERVIEW Kirk Goodlet, Director of Facilitation

and Product Development, Winnipeg
A passenger-first strategy at Airports Authority
the heart of Toronto Pearson
Kurush Minocher, Director of Passenger

10
Programmes and Marketing Communications,
Greater Toronto Airports Authority Travelling contactless,
Digi Yatra style

34 PASSENGER EXPERIENCE
What can commercial airports
learn from private aviation?
Suresh Khadakbhavi, Assistant Vice
President of the Innovation Lab, and Satyaki
Raghunath, Chief Strategy & Development GUIDE TO...
Officer, Bangalore International Airport
Simon Geere, CEO, Farnborough Airport BAGGAGE HANDLING

38 EVENT PREVIEW
World ATM Congress 2022:
Connecting the World of ATM
Brian R. Bruckbauer, President and CEO,
Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA)
IN-DEPTH FOCUS 26 Building a new Baggage Logistics
Centre in a fully operational
REMOTE DIGITAL TOWERS airport: A challenge accepted
by Geneva
19
Avinor’s digital remote towers Sara Branco, Baggage Handling Expert,
system: Lessons learned and next Geneva Airport

42 EDITOR’S PICK
A global leader in drone innovation
steps
Abraham Foss, Chief Executive Officer,
Avinor Group 30 Inside SEA Milan Airports’
Myron Keehn, Vice President, Air Service
and Business Development, Edmonton
baggage handling systems

22
International Airport Alessandro Fidato, Chief Operating Officer,
Digital towers, artificial SEA Milan Airports

45 SUSTAINABLE AIRPORTS
Sustainable taxiing at Amsterdam
Airport Schiphol
intelligence, and the next
generation of airport air
traffic management 32 Baggage operations at London
City Airport
Wilma van Dijk, Director Safety, Security Andy Taylor, Chief Solutions Officer, Digital Alison FitzGerald, Chief Operating Officer,
& Environment, Schiphol Group Towers, NATS London City Airport

@IntAirport
1
 LEADERS' SERIES
Aeroporti di Roma’s strategy to
welcome the recovery of traffic
and build the airport of the future
Marco Troncone, CEO of Aeroporti di Roma, outlines how they plan to move forward
from the COVID-19 crisis and how they are eager to accelerate both sustainable,
innovative, and passenger-centric initiatives.
T
HE COVID-19 pandemic resulted
in the most severe and persistent
crisis that the air transport
sector has ever faced. Dealing
with the health emergency by working
to contribute to the gradual recovery of
traffic and restore passenger confidence,
while simultaneously offering our support
to the institutions and the community,
has represented an incredible challenge
for Aeroporti di Roma (ADR), as well as
an opportunity to look to the future and
reflect upon the evolution of our sector.
Sustainability
The events of the last two years have
indeed strengthened our perspective
regarding those that should be seen
as the central pillars of our strategy to
transform our airports into the ‘smart
hubs’ of the future: i.e., sustainability,
innovation, quality and development, as
part of a people-centric overall approach.
Sustainability is, for us, a key driver,
fully integrated in every aspect of our
business with the primary goal of zeroing
our CO2 emissions by 2030 – at least
20 years ahead of the sector’s targets at
European level – with a plan mainly aimed
at renewable sources and electric mobility,
including investments in the construction
2 internationalairportreview.com
of multi-MW photovoltaic plants and
low‑carbon transport infrastructures,
electric charging stations and the
enhancement of electric car sharing.
As part of our plan to contribute to the
decarbonisation of the whole aviation
sector, we are now strongly committed to
ensuring the distribution of sustainable
aviation fuel (SAF) to airlines: In October
2021, Fiumicino Airport (FMO) was the
first airport in Italy to make SAF available
and, thanks to a fruitful partnership with
Eni, around 3,000 tonnes of Jet fuel + Eni
SAF recently arrived at Fiumicino, which
will allow ITA Airways to power two routes
throughout 2022.
Reduction of energy consumption,
photovoltaic systems, decarbonisation,
optimisation of separate waste collection,
reduction of drinking water consumption,
are thus Aeroporti di Roma’s main areas
of commitment – a commitment which
we have made even more mandatory
and monitored by placing a €500 million
sustainability-linked bond, a globally
innovative operation, which directly
links the cost of debts to the objectives
concerning the reduction of direct and
indirect CO2 emissions controlled by
ADR, but also of those depending on
third parties.
Green finance
The choice to embark on such an
innovative and challenging path of
green finance – whose success has been
confirmed by the financial markets’ positive
reaction – reflects our overall vision, which
also involves an avantgarde approach to
issues such as accessibility, intermodality,
and new forms of mobility.
In this respect, we believe that airports
must have an intermodal transport vision
to increasingly place themselves within
a functional transport network with a low
environmental impact. Today, 74 per cent
of journeys to Fiumicino Airport take
place on private transport, and existing
rail connections only reach some areas of
Rome. In light of this data, and considering
the strong impact that Fiumicino Airport
has on the region, it is a priority for us
to further develop sustainable mobility
and accessibility.
Smart hubs
To this purpose, in March 2022, we signed an
agreement with Ferrovie dello Stato, Italy’s
largest railway holding company, to promote
rail-air integration and enhance Fiumicino’s
role as a smart hub, considerably increasing
the connectivity opportunities for travellers,
enhancing accessibility to the airport, while
 International Airport Review  |  Volume 26, Issue 02

We are confident that the transformation processes we are

implementing will lead to solid, long-term positive outcomes

also mapping out and anticipating new This trend provides great motivation
forms of mobility and contributing to making for us to keep improving our strategy and
Fiumicino Airport even more ready for the services, always maintaining our standards
recovery of tourism. of excellence, further stimulated by the
Our predominant initiative, in this field, international awards and recognitions
is the creation of an eco-system for the we have received since the beginning of
development of urban air mobility (UAM). the pandemic – e.g., Skytrax’s five stars
In partnership with Volocopter, one of the for the measures implemented during
leading operators in the UAM sector, we the pandemic, UNTWO’s Certification
have set a challenging timeline, aiming for Sustainable
at launching the first commercial routes Leadership,
between Fiumicino Airport and Rome Level 4+ of the
city centre by 2024 – in time for the Airport Carbon
2025 jubilee, which will represent a great Accreditation, ACI
opportunity for Rome and Italy to ‘restart’. Europe’s Digital
We are confident that the transformation Transformation
processes we are implementing will lead to Award; and ACI’s
solid, long-term positive outcomes. Despite Airport Service
the negative scenario and the losses faced Quality Award for
in 2020 and  2021 (a year that closed with the fifth consecutive
an operating loss of €45.9 million and with time – which
a net loss of €38.0 million) Aeroporti di make Aeroporti
Roma has never stopped investing. In the di Roma proud to
2020 to 2021 period, investments amounted play a crucial role in
to about €300 million, due to the expansion the development of
and enhancement of the Roman airport the economic chain
system – concerning the expansion works linked to tourism
of Terminal 1, the completion of the APOC and transport at
Single Control Room and the restructuring national level.
of Terminal 3 – and we will invest a further
€250 million throughout 2022.
Although we are aware that the path to
full recovery will be complex, we strongly MARCO TRONCONE
believe that there are the conditions
Troncone, Chief Executive Officer of
for 2022 to be a year of resumption for
Aeroporti di Roma, joined the airport at the
air traffic: summer 2022 will bring new end of 2011, initially dealing with strategic
prospects to Rome’s airport system – with planning and relations with the Board,
Qantas returning to Fiumicino Airport subsequently becoming Chief Financial
Officer and co-ordinating the assets of the
with its first direct connection between
group and airport development strategies
continental Europe and Australia, and
in Italy and abroad. Troncone was appointed
a great dynamism of American carriers, CEO of ADR in April 2020. He is also the
which are planning an unprecedented CEO of Azzurra Aeroporti SpA and the Vice
summer season, with overall capacity President of Aéroports de la Côte d'Azur,
as well as a Board Member of Aeroporto di
15 per cent higher compared to the same
Bologna SpA.
period in 2019.

@IntAirport
3
 VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY

OF THE INDUSTRY

Supporting airport workers duri

Eoin Coates, Head of Aviation and Daniela Modonesi, Ground Staff Committee Chair at
the European Transport Workers’ Federation, explain that since the COVID-19 pandemic,
unruly and disruptive passengers have become increasingly evident throughout airports,
but regulations must be enforced to prevent any further distress to aviation employees.

D
ISRUPTIVE PASSENGERS are
not new to the aviation industry.
It is an issue the sector has
been facing for decades,
traditionally fuelled by alcohol and
predominately an issue for inflight
operations. Lately, however, we have
seen a shift and disruptive passengers
are becoming a more prevalent issue
in airports. COVID-19 has triggered a
different kind of aggression, activated by
requirements such as wearing a mask,
testing or border restrictions, and in all
cases, it is the staff at the check-in desk
or boarding gate who handle the abuse.
Lack of clarity in the travel system
Despite heavy industry lobbying for
a simpler and more transparent travel
system during COVID-19, states have
still failed to provide the necessary
infrastructure and clarity to staff,
passengers, and operators to prevent
incidents occurring in airports. The lack
of action has led to the unforeseen
consequence that frontline aviation
workers are subject to greater physical,
emotional, and mental abuse from
passengers, as well as airports, airlines,
and ground handlers all suffering from
increased delays and costs, due to
preventable issues.
But this is not a new phenomenon.
Airports are stressful environments
for many passengers, and that stress
can sometimes lead to anger and
frustration then directed at workers.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, there was
the first sharp increase in the amount
of disruptive passenger incidents in
airports, which coincided with the
creation of baggage charges by low-
cost carriers. While a good revenue
stream for airlines, this provided a major
challenge for workers as they were
forced to confront passengers with
further unexpected costs which caused
significant tensions. To some extent,
the travelling public has grown to
accept this practice, but these day-to-
day issues still cause great disruption
today. Despite the verbal and sometimes
physical violence, aviation workers have
built the skills to adapt to their role in
EOIN COATES
Coates is currently Head of
Aviation at the European
Transport Workers’ Federation
(ETF), a European Trade Union
Federation representing five
million transport workers in 41
countries. After graduating from
the National University of Ireland
Galway, he pursued a career in
aviation working as Cabin Crew for two major Irish
airlines before joining the International Transport
confronting passengers and continue to
adapt to new roles and tasks.
In 2020 however, the industry changed
forever, and this was evident in the
boarding and check-in process which had
become increasingly more complicated
due to the complex and ever-changing
documentation demands on passengers.
Unfortunately for passengers, if they do
not have the documentation in place, the
result is simple, they are denied boarding.
But once again the workers on the ground
were the ones to manage this, placing
themselves in the firing line between angry
passengers and demanding airlines.
The first hotspot for disruptive
passengers is check-in
Airlines have applied different procedures
to the check-in process since the beginning
Workers’ Federation (ITF) based in London where he
was Assistant Secretary for Civil Aviation and Tourism.
During this time, he worked extensively on issues
related to low-cost carriers, ICAO and sustainable
tourism at global level. While working as Cabin Crew,
Coates completed an LLM in the Irish Centre for Human
Rights focusing on human rights and humanitarian law
in conflict situations. He also serves as a board member
of the Irish Association of Industrial Relations and
the Irish Labour Party where he also chairs the trade
union section.

4 internationalairportreview.com

ng the pressures of COVID-19
of COVID-19, but most have removed the
automated element, demanding passengers
to return to face‑to‑face check-in desks.
This allowed check-in employees to assess
the documentation requirements for
a passenger’s destination, and with whatever
information was available to them, then,
decide if the passenger had completed the
required paperwork or not. This process
increased the burden and pressure on both
the passengers and employees in aviation,
and most ground handling workers spent
hours daily trying to understand the latest
rules regarding whichever airline and
country they were operating flights for
today. The never-ending complexity and
changes led to major delays as workers
and passengers tried to adapt to rules, which
were changing daily. But unfortunately, many
passengers voiced their frustrations directly
at check‑in staff, and hundreds of videos
online display the verbal and physical abuse
check-in employees have endured from
passengers for simply working as instructed.
Some prominent cases reported over the
pandemic period include a gate agent being
punched by a passenger in Spain, and a belt
barrier being thrown at a check-in agent
in Brazil.
DANIELA MODONESI
Modonesi is currently Ground
Staff Committee Chair at the
ETF. She is also active as Women
Representative in the Civil
Aviation section of the ITF and
is Regional Secretary for the
Italian Trade Union FILT-CGIL.
She works as Ground Staff for
@IntAirport
International Airport Review  |  Volume 26, Issue 02
Confrontation at the gate
But the situation at the gate was much the
same. Some airlines did not have the capacity
or willingness to revert to manual check-in,
and instead rely on passengers to show
up to the gate with their documentation in
hand. This proved even more challenging as
many passengers did not have the proper
documentation but had already made it
airside, which caused an even greater security
challenge. Again, frontline airport workers were
forced to deal with these issues and where
possible to engage with the airport police or
security services. In some airports, this even
resulted in security being permanently based
at gates to deal with the inevitable disruptive
passenger incident, which has become an
expectation rather than an exception.
Campaigning for awareness and action
Currently, there is no end in sight for COVID-19
travel documentation and border restrictions.
Despite domestic restrictions slowly being lifted,
the requirement for vaccination and a Passenger
Locator Form (PLF), at a minimum, in almost all
countries remains and for that reason there is no
break in sight for ground workers. As a result, the
European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF),
has begun campaigning for more awareness
a ground handling company at Bologna Airport. She
graduated from Bologna University Alma Mater
Studiorum and has a master’s degree in international
studies on philanthropy (Bologna University and IUPUI
Purdue University Indiana). She soon began to be
active in trade union work at local and national level
and since 2010 at European and international level on
aviation topics.
and support for ground staff, who are forced
to endure this consistently high level of abuse.
The ETF and its members are campaigning
for more acknowledgment and faster action
to deal with disruptive passenger incidents,
ways to increase awareness and stop repeat
offenders. To achieve this, workers and their
employers must work together with other
stakeholders like airport operators and
airlines to ensure basic steps are taken to
support employees and prevent incidents.
All actions must ensure that the airport
remains a safe workspace, and a safe
environment for passengers.
While the campaign is within early
stages, the ETF aims to:
„ Engage with local police and security
services to address incidents quickly
„ Provide information to passengers on
consequences and illegality of verbal
and physical abuse on airport workers
„ In the most severe cases, stop
repeat offenders from engaging in
abusive behaviour through measures
preventing them from travelling
„ Provide training to staff to de-escalate
disruptive passengers, recovering service,
and managing aggressive behaviour
„ Provide staff with supports to deal
with mental health issues stemming
from disruptive passenger incidents.
Assaults on workers are an issue for the
whole aviation industry and all parties
agree that these issues must stop, but for
that we need a concise and industry-wide
response. The psychological and physical
stress associated with these assaults are
fast becoming an occupational risk of
working in the ground handling sector, and
is a risk that is entirely preventable.  
5
XXX
XXX

CONTACTLESS
TECHNOLOGIES
In a bid to improve passenger and staff safety, plus the whole airport experience, as well as
speed up processing, airports are investing in contactless technology in various areas of the
travel journey. In this section we hear from two experts on the need for standardisation and
harmonisation in the industry, and how Bangalore International Airport is introducing the Digi Yatra
initiative which will see contactless travel as the norm at all Indian airports in the next five years.

SPONSORED BY:
 IN-DEPTH FOCUS | CONTACTLESS TECHNOLOGY

Revisiting the need

for standardisation
in a contactless world
After speaking at the International Airport Online Summit, Kirk Goodlet, Director of
Facilitation and Product Development at Winnipeg Airports Authority, argues that now,
more than ever, is the time for the industry to return to standardisation and harmonisation.

I
N 2003, the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) adopted specifications
for machine-readable travel documents
(eMRTD). This laid the foundation on which
an extensive infrastructure could build, including
What was meant to
many of the eGates and kiosks that airports
drive recovery and depend on today. Beginning with Belgium in
restore confidence 2004, successive governments began issuing
in air travel ICAO‑compliant ePassports. As of 2020, 145
inadvertently led countries issued ePassports and there are over
to a fragmented one billion in circulation.1 The power of ePassports
lay in the rigour in which they are issued by states,
eco-system from
as well as the digital biometric and biographic
which airlines and information stored on the ePassport’s chip. This
airports needed to enables airports, airlines, and inspecting agencies
choose solutions to authenticate documents using automated
border controls (ABCs) and to deliver an enhanced
passenger experience.
The ePassport is just one example that highlights
the fundamental role that standardisation can
play in the aviation sector. While standard-setting
bodies, such as ICAO, have played an influential
role in how the air industry responds to crises, the
unprecedented scale of COVID-19 led to conflicting
mandates among agencies and, as a result, a less
coherent approach to passenger processing.
Job losses across the sector
The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC)
estimates that more than 174 million travel and
tourism jobs were lost globally, and global gross
domestic product (GDP) lost more than $4.7 trillion

@IntAirport
7
 IN-DEPTH FOCUS | CONTACTLESS TECHNOLOGY

KIRK GOODLET

Goodlet is Director,
Facilitation and Product
Development at Winnipeg
Airports Authority, where
he oversees programmes
from travel and tourism in 2020.2 The effects on system from which airlines and airports needed
and technologies airlines and airports are commensurate, and many to choose solutions. Today, the different entry and
related to passenger airports will not reach 2019 levels for some time. exit requirements, each of whose specifications
processing and customer Despite states beginning to vaccinate citizens might vary, often lead to a more traditional
experience. A key
across much of the west in January 2021, there passenger interaction. In many airports, check-in
element in this portfolio
includes exploring ways
remained many questions about the way in which processes have reverted to manual checks and
in which biometrics and vaccination records would be created, stored, and rely much less on contactless technology than
contactless technology shared with stakeholders across the passenger in 2019. This creates an environment in which
can support air sector journey. To be sure, the World Health Organization documentation cannot be authenticated on an
recovery. Prior to this
(WHO) issued International Health Regulations eGate or kiosk, thereby increasing dwell times,
role he helped support
the newly established
(IHR) in 2005 to prevent, protect against, and poor asset usage and, ultimately, failing to win
Office of Biometrics and provide a public health response to communicable with the passenger.
Identity Management disease. However, responsibility for public health Now, more than ever, is the time for the industry
within the Canada Border varies from state-to-state and even from region-to- to return to the standardisation and harmonisation
Services Agency (CBSA).
region, which compounds the challenges facing the that has enhanced safety, security, and passenger
In addition to his role
at WAA, Goodlet sits
travelling public and communicating to passengers experience for decades. ICAO’s Council Aviation
on the Airports Council who transit from one state to another. Recovery Task Force identified the use of
International (ACI)-World contactless processes, including facial biometrics,
Facilitation and Services A fragmented eco-system as a priority to protect against COVID-19
Standing Committee
In the absence of clear government direction on transmission. More specifically, ICAO recommends
(WFSSC) and serves on
the Board of Directors
vaccination credentials, the industry responded “greater use of standardised digital identity
for Inclusion Winnipeg, quickly to fill the void. Initiatives like CommonPass, management solutions.”3 Yet, for the air industry
an organisation that SMART Health Cards, or IATA’s Travel Pass, sought to leverage biometrics and identity management
advocates for persons to respond to industry needs. What was meant platforms, health and vaccination records must
with intellectual
to drive recovery and restore confidence in air be biometrically anchored to a trusted identity
disabilities.
travel inadvertently led to a fragmented eco- document, such as an ePassport.
 International Airport Review  |  Volume 26, Issue 02

Now, more than ever,

is the time for the
industry to return to
the standardisation
and harmonisation
that has enhanced
safety, security, and
passenger experience
In many airports, check-in processes have reverted to manual checks for decades

Like other types of entry requirements, such as
a visa or travel authorisation, health credentials
can also be incorporated into an ePassport.
Using the same cryptographic process as an
ePassport, data related to vaccine status or
health records could be incorporated into the
chip embedded in the passport book. ICAO has
recently made it possible to download ICAO Master
Lists containing certificates to authenticate both
ePassports and electronic health proofs related
to COVID-19.4 While there are limitations to the
Public Key Directory (PKD) infrastructure, not least
because not every state contributes to the PKD,
this remains a promising way to support document
authentication in an interoperable, trusted, and
privacy-preserving way.
The success of digital identity initiatives
In its report, ‘The Future of Travel and Digital
Identity at Airports’, Airports Council International
suggests that ICAO’s Digital Travel Credential
(DTC) is vital to the success of digital identity
initiatives. As a digital replica of the information
on an ePassport, it provides a benchmark and
standard against which other initiatives should
‘Guiding Core Principles for the Development of
Digital Travel Credential (DTC)’.6 It describes how
DTCs can be created and managed, as well as how
the risks associated with DTC differs from eMRTDs.
Importantly, this provides guidance and principles
for other influential initiatives to follow, including
IATA’s One ID and the World Travel and Tourism
Council’s Seamless Travel Journey (STJ).
There are many benefits to standardising
and harmonising travel documents, not least is
removing the uncertainty passengers have about
which entry requirement is needed and in what
format. To be sure, there remains considerable
work for governments to digitise visas and other
immigration documents. In a post-COVID world,
though, health credentials and vaccination status
are nearly global requirements that stand to
benefit from global standards. Current entry
requirements make health records almost as
essential to the air industry as a passport and
render some airport assets, like common use
self‑service kiosks, useless.
The question, then, is where is the most secure
and trusted place to store all documentation needed
to travel across borders, inspire confidence in air
REFERENCES
1. ICAO, Implementation Capacity
Building Working Group
(ICBWG), “Extending the benefits
of ePassports” in the Biometrics
Institute 20-Year Anniversary
Report (October 2021), 23.
2. Ruwantissa Abeyratne, Air
Transport and Pandemic Law:
Legal, Regulatory, Ethical and
Economic Issues, (Cham, CH:
Springer, 2021), v.
3. ICAO, Council Aviation Recovery
Task Force: Take-Off Guidance
(4th Edition).
4. ICAO, Security and Facilitation,
“The ICAO Master List and ICAO
Health Master List” (accessed 17
March 2022)
5. Airports Council International-
World, “The Future of Travel and
Digital Identity at Airports,” (May
2021), 26.
6. ICAO, “Guiding Core Principles
for the Development of Digital
Travel Credential (DTC),” version
4.4 (October 2020), 2.

be measured.5 In October 2020, ICAO issued its transportation, and support air sector recovery? 
 IN-DEPTH FOCUS | CONTACTLESS TECHNOLOGY
Travelling contactless,
Digi Yatra style
Suresh Khadakvhavi, Assistant Vice President of the Innovation Lab at
Bangalore International Airport, speaks to International Airport Review
about the Digi Yatra initiative that the airport has been rolling out.
A
S BANGALORE International Airport
Limited (BIAL), the operators of
Kempegowda International Airport,
Bengaluru (BLR), India’s third busiest
airport by passenger and cargo volumes, we explored
new solutions for enhancing the passenger journey
that we wanted to provide in our new Terminal 2 (T2).
In 2017 and 2018, we came up with a framework for
an experience that focused on contactless travel.
Over the past three years, we have realised that
vision in our existing Terminal 1 (T1), centred around
an identity platform and contactless travel concept
that uses facial biometrics for authentication and
is built around a privacy by design (PBD) principle.
We expect During this time, we have rolled out the ‘Digi Yatra’
contactless travel concept at over 100 touchpoints in T1 and are
now working with the Government of India (GoI),
to be the norm
Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), and the Niti Aayog
at all Indian and India’s fabled start-up eco-system to deliver
airports in the next a pan-Indian initiative that will revolutionise the way
five years Indians travel, especially in a post-pandemic world.
10
What challenges were we trying to address?
Passengers:
● Multiple exchange of ID and travel documents
● Multiple interactions with security and airline
staff at multiple check points from airport entry
to the boarding gates
● Manual processes of validation of identity and
travel documents
● Long queue waiting times.
Airlines:
● Airlines use partly digital/partly manual
processes, which do not provide a seamless
experience to passengers
● They do not have visibility/awareness of their
passengers’ status at the airport, leading to
On‑Time-Performance issues.
Security staff:
● Manual validation of identity and travel documents
● Prone to human error etc. – there is no digital validation
internationalairportreview.com

● Slow processing speeds and managing long
queues of passengers.
Airports:
● Congestion and people management issues
● Need to find a more cost-effective way to
manage passenger traffic growth other than
just building bigger terminals and deploying
more infrastructure and resources.
COVID-19 impact:
● Permanent change in passenger behaviour
● Passengers are more self-service oriented now
● Passengers prefer digital processes that are:
touch-free, contact-free and health-risk-free.
Digi Yatra: Seamless, contactless,
hassle‑free, and health-risk-free process
Post-pandemic, the new normal for passengers meant
that airport processes became completely touch-free!
The Digi Yatra journey that we had embarked on quite
some time before the COVID-19 pandemic was now
even more important in offering a safe process for
passengers across all airports in India.
The Technical Working Committee of Digi Yatra,
an initiative led by the Ministry of Civil Aviation,
Government of India, began to work on the ‘new
normal’ requirements.
The Digi Yatra Central Ecosystem (DYCE), which
incidentally is in the final stages of testing, was
re‑architected to be an eco-system that ensures that
there would not be any central storage of passengers’
personally identifiable information (PII) data.
● The PII data will be encrypted and stored in the
passenger’s own smartphone in a secure wallet
in the DYCE app
● Passengers would be able to store their digitally
Verifiable Credentials (VCs) like identity, health,
travel, and any other travel related data like
visa etc. in their own secure wallet in their
smartphone/ DYCE app.
Passengers would have to share these credentials
whenever they travel. Through the DYCE enrolment
app, with their consent, passengers would share
the VCs (identity, health, travel etc.) to the relevant
verifiers like airports, regulatory agencies like BCAS/
CISF/ Immigration etc.
The DYCE is architected using self-sovereign
identity, decentralised identifiers (DID), a distributed
ledger and uses verifiable credentials as per the
W3C standards (Worldwide Web Consortium).
The SSI is a fundamentally privacy by design/
default process which complies with the data
privacy norms of GDPR as well.
Enrolment process
The first step is to install the DYCE enrolment app.
The one-time enrolment process starts with
@IntAirport
International Airport Review  |  Volume 26, Issue 02
entering the AADHAAR or driving license number,
and currently the integration has been done
through Digi Locker and Offline AADHAAR.
In the future, any other Government of India
identity database that has a digital validation may
also be added to the list of accepted IDs.
The passenger is issued with a ‘secure wallet’ in
the DYCE app to store all the verifiable credentials
required for the travel. Once this is done, the
passenger’s identity is digitally validated and a live
SURESH KHADAKBHAVI
face biometric is captured, a biometric match is done
with the reference face from the GOI identity, and the Khadakbhavi is a 'Digital
selfie face is captured during the enrolment process. Transformation Leader'
and an 'Innovation
Upon a successful match, the identity credential is
Evangelist' in the aviation
created, encrypted, and stored in the secure wallet in
industry, working
the passenger’s own smartphone/DYCE app. in (BIAL) Bangalore
Similarly, health data is obtained from the CoWIN International Airport
portal, and the health credentials are created, Ltd. He has pioneered
the Pan India, Digi Yatra
encrypted, and stored in the secure wallet.
biometric passenger
Whenever travel is planned, the passenger
process He heads the
uploads or scans the boarding pass/travel ETKT digital transformation
and the travel credentials are created, encrypted, and strategy, data
and stored in the secure wallet. analytics and IoT asset
management initiatives
The ‘verifiable credentials’ (VCs) are shared to
at BIAL.
verifiers like airports, BCAS/ CISF/ immigration
etc. from 24 hours before the scheduled time of
departure (STD) to two hours before STD to the
relevant verifiers.
● Once the passenger arrives at the airport, they
scan the boarding pass/ ETKT at the e-gates
and a capture of the passenger’s face biometric
is done. This ‘face of the day’ is validated/
verified against the single token face biometric
from the identity credential
● The Travel VCs are validated with airline DCS to
validate travel document and upon successful
completion of the checks, the e-gates open to
allow the passenger to enter the airport
● The passenger can then be validated using
the same single token face biometric data at
all the remaining checkpoints at the airport
check‑in kiosk, self-service/assisted baggage
drop, pre-embarkation security check entry
(PESC), boarding gates etc.
Upon completion of all airport processes, the
passenger’s VCs are purged from the system, post
24 hours of the departure of the flight.
Process flow before and after DY There is no need to
Previously, all processes were manual, fraught with share any ID or travel
the possibilities of human error. Passengers had to document at any of
show physical identity card, boarding pass/ticket the touchpoints at
at multiple checkpoints at the airport from entry the airport, therefore
to the boarding gates.
reducing friction
In the Digi Yatra process, a passenger is
validated using the single token face biometric at
and enhancing the
all the checkpoints at the airport from airport entry processing time at
to check-in kiosk to self-service/assisted bag drop the airport
11
 IN-DEPTH FOCUS | CONTACTLESS TECHNOLOGY
CO-AUTHOR to  pre-embarkation security check entry (PESC) to
the boarding gates.
There is no need to share any ID or travel
document at any of the touchpoints at the airport,
therefore reducing friction and enhancing the
processing time at the airport.
Privacy and other issues
The DYCE process is built of the fundamental tenets
of Privacy by Design/Default.
SATYAKI RAGHUNATHX All the verifiable credential (VC) data,
ID+travel+health, of the passenger is encrypted
Raghunath is the Chief
and stored in a secure wallet in the passenger’s
Strategy and Development
Officer at BIAL. He has smartphone/ DYCE app.
over two decades of The VCs can be accessed only by the authorised
experience in working with verifiers like airports, airlines, BCAS/CISF/immigration
public and private sector and data is secured using Public+ Private Key pairs
investors and operators
over a distributed ledger using a blockchain.
of aviation and transport
infrastructure advising There is no PII data stored on the distributed ledger.
on business, finance, The PII data is also not stored in any central location,
strategy, regulatory hence the risk of data loss, data theft or data breach
and project delivery is dramatically reduced. All the PII data is shared
related initiatives across
directly by the passenger to the verifier agencies for
the world.
a limited time duration as needed for the purpose
of validation of ID, travel and health document.
The distributed ledger/blockchain works as the layer
of trust, preventing any leakage or loss of PII data.
Key outcomes of Digi Yatra
The key outcomes are:
● The ability to get passengers to arrive at the
airport with a status of ‘ready to fly’ with
EXPERT VIEW
EMPOWERING PASSENGERS WITH
AN AUTONOMOUS EXPERIENCE
WITH THE LIFTING of COVID-19 restrictions at many
places in the world and the mass return of travellers,
new challenges come to the table for airports and
airlines alike.
During the pandemic a substantial part of operational
passenger handling staff left the industry and have
chosen other career paths. Bridging the operational
gap between steep passenger growth and passenger
processing asks for further automation, a trend that
already started and has now accelerated.
Over the last six months, major airport’s like Dubai
International (DXB), London Heathrow (LHR) and New
York John F. Kennedy (JFK), have or are in the process of
installing major self-service bag drop installations, taking
over up to 90 per cent of the counter operations, making
them more resilient to new possible restrictions from a
BORRY VRIELING non-versatile fixed cost perspective.
The last months eezeetags® have been very busy
Founder,
eezeetags helping our existing customers with their stumbling
stop-start recovery and working on new projects.
12
(ID+travel+health) credentials being shared in
advance directly by the passenger to the airports
● A completely health-risk-free process to
passengers, airline, airport, and security staff due
to the use of single token face biometrics, keeping
all the aviation stakeholders safe and secure.
Full system roll-out of the DY platform is expected
to be live in the third quarter of 2022, beginning
with four or five airports across India and then
being progressively rolled out across all Indian
airports. We expect contactless travel to be the
norm at all Indian airports in the next five years.
Current status and way forward
We have started the full-scale rollout of the Digi Yatra
biometric boarding system at the airport. In all, there
are more than 300 touch points across the airport right
from the airport entry e-gates to check-in kiosks, self-
service/assisted baggage drop (SSBD/ABD), security
check entry and finally the airport boarding e-gates.
In all, there are 11 registration kiosks, and 50 plus
e-gate lanes that are already installed, with 70 more
e-gates to be installed in the next few months.
Following this, we will begin the installation of the face
biometric solution at SSBD/ABD and check-in kiosks.
Airline DCS integration is completed for Vistara
Airlines, Air Asia and SpiceJet and final testing in
progress with our major domestic carrier Indigo
airlines. We have also initiated the Digi Yatra process
rollout discussions with a few international airlines,
to conduct some early trials, so watch this space.  
Thanks to the strategic choice to create the “eezeetags®
family” of companies, eezeetags® is able to keep up with
demand and serve the market on a regional level, both
from consultancy as from production perspective.
Empowering passengers with a truly staffless
end-to-end journey is in the details. eezeetags® are all
about those details that make the difference between a
passenger feeling forced to do it all by himself, or being
served by the best possible technology, creating benefits
that every passenger is happy about: less queuing, easy
process and more dwell time.
Dwell time is extremely important to the airport, since
non-aeronautical revenue stands for a big percentage of
their overall livelihood.
It is ever so often that challenging times changes
things for the better in the long-term.
Less operational costs, staff-independent passenger
handling capacity, increased non-aeronautical revenue,
and as a result… Happy passengers! 
internationalairportreview.com
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 FEATURE INTERVIEW

A passenger-
first strategy
at the heart of
Toronto Pearson
Among the 50.5 million passengers welcomed in 2019,
Toronto Pearson International Airport saw approximately
1.1 million passengers with disabilities. Kurush Minocher,
Director of Passenger Programmes and Marketing Communications at
the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, speaks to International Airport
Review about how the airport’s new approach is ensuring that all of
its travellers have the gift of choice in their journey.

W
ITH AN ANNUALISED growth
of 15 per cent in persons with
disabilities travelling through
Toronto Pearson pre-COVID-19
pandemic, the airport needed a new and inclusive
approach to ensure all travellers could participate in
and enjoy the exhilaration of air travel and everything
associated with it, including reuniting with friends
and family, and experiencing new destinations.
Putting our mission into action
For years, the approach was to problem-solve for
the passenger as issues surfaced. Embracing our
vision of becoming the best airport in the world and
with our mission statement in mind, 'Passengers
are our passion,' Toronto Pearson embarked on
a new approach starting in 2018. The multi-pronged
approach included putting the passenger at the centre
of all we do, understanding their needs by proactively

14 internationalairportreview.com

©GTAA
working directly with advocacy groups for persons with
disabilities and designing solutions – not just solving
problems. We realised early on that if you get it right
for passengers with different abilities, the benefits
can extend to all travellers at Toronto Pearson.
This approach would provide travellers with
the ability to choose how they wanted to move
through the airport, whether independently or
with the assistance of their airline’s personnel.
This collaborative effort focused on providing
passengers with options and was a key mindset
shift for an airport that had typically focused on
airline-assisted services for many years.
Co-developing with our communities
As we embarked on our journey, we found
ourselves at a point where the Canadian
Transportation Agency (CTA) was looking to update
and introduce new regulations with respect to
accessible travel in Canada. While the specifics
were unclear at the time, we saw this as an
opportunity to accelerate the change by taking
base requirements, integrating insights to better
understand the traveller, adding innovation where
able, and co-developing and delivering solutions
that exceeded requirements and would allow for
a more inclusive travel journey.
Using a human-centred design approach, we
engaged with various advocacy groups for persons
with disabilities, such as the Canadian National
Institute for the Blind and Canadian Hearing Services.
From curb to gate and back again, these groups
helped us to develop an accessible passenger-centric
mindset through empathy and understanding.
Moreover, the advocacy groups helped to
introduce programmes that made travel available
to a wider range of passengers by employing
tools that already exist and are used within their
© GTAA
@IntAirport
International Airport Review  |  Volume 26, Issue 02
communities. These activities also drove the
© GTAA
introduction of new facilities such as assisted
changing rooms, introduced by Changing Places.
These assisted change facilities are developed for
individuals with multiple and complex disabilities,
allowing them to use the space in a safe and
comfortable manner. New services introduced
included a service animal training programme
with the Lions Foundation of Canada Guide Dogs,
allowing new guide dogs in training to familiarise KURUSH MINOCHER
themselves with the airport experience.
Minocher is the
Director of Passenger
Accessible programmes at Toronto Pearson
Programmes
As the sixth-most connected airport in the world and Marketing
serving passengers of varying needs from all walks Communications at the
of life, Toronto Pearson needs to reflect the diverse Greater Toronto Airports
needs of the passengers that it serves. In co-operation Authority. Accountable
for the development
with advocacy groups for persons with disabilities,
and execution of
Toronto Pearson aimed to increase inclusivity by Toronto Pearson's
building in user experience feedback, innovation, Passenger First strategy,
and the concept of care through the introduction Minocher oversees
of a multitude of programmes and services: the development of
passenger programmes,
„ Website – We built a new website to be
including passenger
accessible to all travellers, meeting or exceeding experience, services,
the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines accessibility, care,
2.0 Level AA standard, but more importantly, research, and insights.
we undertook this work in consultation with the
Inclusive Design Research Centre, in addition
to leveraging a feedback forum through the
Canadian National Institute for the Blind to
obtain guidance from screen-reader users
„ Aira – In 2019, we became the first airport in
Canada to offer Aira, an app that uses technology
and human assistance to allow individuals with
sight loss to navigate the airport independently
„ Service animal relief areas – We provide
individuals who use service animals with clean
and comfortable spaces for their animals to
With a goal of
making travel
available to all, we
work with over
400 partners at the
airport to deliver
a seamless
experience, focusing
on care, compassion
and dignity
throughout every
touchpoint of
the passenger
experience
15
 © GTAA
FEATURE INTERVIEW

available for arriving and departing passengers,

providing quick and easy access to your gate,
or from the jet bridge on arrivals.

Inclusivity is woven into our DNA

In 2021, Toronto Pearson introduced a purpose-built, fully enclosed
service animal relief area with an innovative in-ground flushing system.
With a goal of making travel available to all, we work
with over 400 partners at the airport to deliver a seamless
experience, focusing on care, compassion and dignity
throughout every touchpoint of the passenger experience.
We are at the start of a journey to develop the most
accessible airport in the world, made possible through
partnership with our travellers and their communities.

In the coming year, and in hopes that the pandemic

may finally be behind us, we’re looking to reintroduce
relieve themselves on the secure sides of both familiarisation programmes for children with autism
terminals, eliminating the need to exit to the and their families so that they can experience
public side. In 2021, we also introduced a
purpose-built, fully enclosed service animal
Embracing our vision relief area with an innovative in-ground
flushing system
of becoming the best
„ Sunflower lanyard programme – First
airport in the world
introduced at London Gatwick, the sunflower
and with our mission lanyard programme is available to travellers
statement in mind, with invisible disabilities, providing a discreet
'Passengers are our way to signal that a passenger may need
passion,' Toronto additional help or some extra time to
complete a task. As the first airport in
Pearson embarked on
Canada to introduce the programme, Toronto
a new approach
Pearson worked with key airport partners,
starting in 2018. The including airlines, government agencies and
multi-pronged concessionaires, to provide awareness of the
approach included programme and ensure that extra care was
putting the passenger provided to the traveller where needed
„ Video translation services – Through
at the centre of
LanguageLine Services, we offer video translation
all we do
services for 39 languages, including American
and British sign language, and over 240 spoken
languages to engage with all members of the
travelling population
© GTAA

„ In-terminal shuttle – The backbone of the

mobility assistance programme at Toronto
Pearson, the in-terminal shuttle service is
the airport in a way that is tailored for them,
from check-in through to the seat of the aircraft.
We’re also exploring new self-service technologies
© GTAA

and services to enable an independent travel journey,

providing travellers with choices for how they wish
to experience the airport.
While no one can say what the future holds
regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, a laser focus on
the passenger’s needs has allowed Toronto Pearson
to enhance the airport experience, even during the
pandemic. We believe that maintaining this focus
and remaining committed to constant improvement
in the months ahead will move Toronto Pearson
farther along in the journey to being an airport that
encourages and supports all passengers as they
celebrate the joys of air travel. 

16 internationalairportreview.com
XXX
XXX

REMOTE DIGITAL
TOWERS
Remote digital towers have revolutionised airport air traffic management. Physical towers full
of air traffic controllers and equipment are now replaced by high-definition cameras and remote
sensing technology. In this In-Depth Focus, we hear from two experts on how introducing a new
digital Remote Tower Centre requires trust in technology, safety and security for both employees
and local communities, and, importantly, knowledge-sharing with all throughout the roll-out
phase, and the benefits of using AI and machine learning within the environment of a digital
tower to identify ways of supporting controller decision making. Read on to find out more.

SPONSORED BY:
 IN-DEPTH FOCUS | REMOTE DIGITAL TOWERS

© Avinor
Avinor’s digital remote
towers system: Lessons
learned and next steps
Introducing a new digital Remote Tower Centre requires trust
in technology, safety and security for both employees and local
communities, and, importantly, knowledge-sharing with all throughout
the roll-out phase. Abraham Foss, Chief Executive Officer at the Avinor
Group, explains more.

A
VINOR OPERATES a total of four airport
towers from the digital Remote Tower
Centre in Bodø, Norway. The Norwegian
airport operator, air navigation service
provider and aviation tech company are now ready
to continue its roll-out of the remote towers system
at a further 11 airports. This will then become the
In 2022 Avinor will world’s largest Remote Towers Centre.
operate a total of Avinor is one of very few companies in the world
which operates a network of 43 airports, critical
eight airports from
technological infrastructure, and air navigation
the new Remote services. On 19 October 2019, the first digital
Towers Centre, remote tower in Norway went operational at Røst
making it the Airport (RET), located in the harsh climate of the
world’s largest Lofoten islands, north of the Arctic circle. Since then,
three more airports have been transformed from
a traditional tower to the digital remote towers
system in Bodø, Norway.
The investment in digital remote towers goes
back to 2012, when Avinor identified a need to
upgrade the aging physical towers at airports across
Norway. The cost of conducting such a renewal
programme across the airport network would have
been significant. At the same time, the digital remote
towers technology was emerging. Avinor entered a
partnership with Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace
which delivers the technological platform for the new
digital remote towers system.
Lessons learned so far
Trust in the technology
Safety and security are the most important
requirements within the aviation industry.
When introducing the digital remote towers system,

@IntAirport
19
 IN-DEPTH FOCUS | REMOTE DIGITAL TOWERS
many naturally voiced their concerns of removing
the ‘out of the window view’ from traditional towers,
replacing it with camera technology. Therefore, it
was very important for Avinor to establish the
mantra and absolute requirement for the digital
remote towers system: ‘The new technology has
to provide the same, or a better safety level than
traditional towers’. More than two years on, and
about 10,000 flight movements later, there have
only been four regularity issues which can be
directly linked to the remote towers system.
Proactive and transparent dialogue with the CAA
is another important ‘lessons learned’. As with all
new technology systems, there are always bumps
in the road which must be handled along the way.
Avinor has chosen to keep in close contact with the
Norwegian CAA and share any issues which have
come up, in a transparent manner. Another mantra
for Avinor in a safety context is that ‘quality trumps
speed’ when it comes to ensuring that the digital
remote towers system function to the required
© Avinor
standards. When issues have come up, we have
taken our time to troubleshoot, re-test and share
ABRAHAM FOSS information openly with the CAA. This has been
an important factor in getting the remote tower
Foss entered the role as
system certified by the Norwegian CAA – and in
Chief Executive Officer at
the Avinor Group in 2021. turn, building trust in the new technology with
He has a background in staff, airlines, government agencies and the public
the telecom industry, at large.
Innovation Norway, and
the Royal Norwegian
armed forces, having
Acknowledging our employees
worked in Asia, the U.S. Introducing the digital remote towers technology
and Germany. He holds a involves significant changes for our staff and
Master of Finance degree their families. Establishing a centralised remote
from the Norwegian
towers centre involves moving employees and their
school of Economics.
families to another part of the country. This requires
20
© Avinor
careful information planning and respect for each
employee’s situation. As an employer, this is not
something we take lightly. Therefore, even during
the early stages, Avinor created arenas for involving
trade unions and a direct dialogue with affected
staff. While it may seem obvious to involve staff,
this is a critical success factor which cannot be
stressed enough when introducing a completely
new technological platform.
Benefits of centralisation: Culture,
knowledge sharing, and safety
Beyond the financial cost saving aspect of Avinor’s
remote towers programme, we also see clear
benefits of centralising our operations at the
Remote Towers Centre in Bodø.
From a safety aspect, it will be much easier to
share knowledge when working together under
the same roof as opposed to being spread across
Norway, thousands of kilometres apart. One can
get support from colleagues and learn from
each other more effectively when working at the
same location. Having a centralised centre also
makes it possible for employees to be certified to
operate more than one airport tower. This makes
our services more robust and resource effective.
Having operated four towers from the remote
towers centre a few years already, we see the
positive effects of creating a good working
environment. This is an important testament to
the programme and the decisions which were
made years ago when the digital remote towers
technology was still in its infancy. This is something
in which Avinor will continue to build on as we
continue the digital remote towers programme in
the years to come.
internationalairportreview.com

© Avinor
Stakeholder relations in local communities
Small communities in the Arctic and elsewhere are
very dependent on good flight connections to other
parts of the country. Aviation represents the backbone
of many communities, and many of the local jobs
are connected to the airports. These communities
ACCELERATING IP-BASED ATM
COMMUNICATIONS MIGRATION
ANSPs have been moving slowly from their
familiar systems to an IP-based ground-ground
communications infrastructure. But there are
pressing reasons to accelerate this migration.
The move to IP does more than support newer
ATM applications, such as remote digital tower. It can
also simplify ANSP operations by unifying support for
surveillance and navigation systems (radar, navaids),
voice, data, CCTV, business applications and IT systems
on one IP network.
To make an efficient move to IP, ANSPs need
a methodical approach to transformation that
addresses at least the following three dimensions:
Bandwidth: IP-based networks increase existing
data capacity throughput for ATC and aviation control
systems. That means ANSPs need to consider what
is required for continued smooth and safe operation
of aircraft movements, while simultaneously paving
the way for future, more sophisticated and data-rich
ATC applications.
Integrating support for TDM-based services:
While TDM network equipment and services are
@IntAirport
International Airport Review  |  Volume 26, Issue 02
generally have low populations and local workplaces
are a scarcity. It is therefore very important for
Avinor to conduct careful stakeholder mapping and
communicate proactively and transparently with local
government bodies in the regions where we plan to
operate airport towers remotely. While introducing More than two years
remote towers on one hand means moving jobs away
on, and about 10,000
from the local communities, the new technology on the
other hand brings with it more robust services which
flight movements
may benefit the rural communities in other aspects. later, there have
This has caused occasional external attention, and only been four
we have taken an open and transparent approach to regularity issues
addressing questions or concerns. At the same time, which can be directly
it is also important to clarify any misconceptions in the
linked to the remote
media about the new digital remote tower technology.
towers system
Next steps
In May 2022, Avinor will move its remote towers
operations to a brand-new centre in Bodø, Norway.
We also plan to introduce four new airports to the
Remote Towers Centre: Mehamn (ENMH), Røros
(ENRO), Rørvik (ENRM) and Namsos (ENNM).
This means that in 2022 Avinor will operate a total
of eight airports from the new Remote Towers
Centre, making it the world’s largest. Avinor plans
to have a total of 15 towers rolled out on the digital
remote tower platform by the end of 2023. This will
complete phase one of Avinor’s ambitious remote
towers programme.
EXPERT VIEW
being discontinued, many current applications, such
as radar, VHF and emergency communications,
will remain for years to come. These legacy
mission‑critical applications can be migrated
smoothly and effectively to an IP/MPLS network,
so they still meet critical requirements with no
performance and safety compromises.
End-to-end security: A network’s cyber-defences
need security across multiple levels, including
network, applications, data, identity and access
management. Therefore, IP/MPLS networks should
support multiple virtual private networks (VPNs),
each one secured and shielded from the other to
ensure the security and deterministic performance
of all applications.
In brief, ANSPs must deal with a transition that
accommodates new and legacy systems simultaneously. THOMAS REHBERG
This requires planning for both present and future
Head of Aviation and Public Safety
capacity, while building in resilience, reliability and security.
Nokia.
IP/MPLS networks provide a single communications
infrastructure that converges data, video and voice
for operational efficiency while retaining reliability,
deterministic performance and strong security. 
21
 IN-DEPTH FOCUS |REMOTE DIGITAL TOWERS
Digital towers,
artificial intelligence,
and the next
generation of
airport air traffic
management
© NATS
Andy Taylor, NATS Chief Solutions Officer, Digital Towers, explains the benefits of using
AI and machine learning within the environment of a digital tower to identify ways of
supporting controller decision making.
N
OT LONG BEFORE the pandemic, if you
can remember such a time, I attended
a Eurocontrol artificial intelligence (AI)
summit in Brussels, at which people
from across the industry gathered to attempt to cut
through the hype and look at real, practical ways in
which this disruptive technology could help transform
how the aviation industry works.
Fast forward the best part of three years and our
world has been transformed in a way that none of us
could ever have anticipated. And even now, with the
recovery still so fragile, talk of investing in new and what
is often perceived to be a risky technology, would be
further away than ever.
Using AI to support the return to long-term growth
But, of all the transformational technologies
surrounding our industry, to my mind AI, especially
when coupled with our ever-maturing application of
22
digital tower concepts, remains the best placed to
support the return to long-term growth in terms of
improving efficiency, safety, and resilience. Those
are issues that still matter today and will matter
hese are two even more tomorrow.
radical applications, One figure at that event that really resonated
with me was the fact that less than 10 per cent
and while they
of the data produced by the industry in Europe
are not ready for
is used. That’s a massive, untapped resource
full operational and, long-term, a much more open approach to
deployment, to me how data is stored and shared will be needed to
the combination of unleash its latent value.
the digital tower It is the ethos of harnessing the power of
operational data that’s been the cornerstone of
technology and AI
the work AI and digital tower specialists, Searidge
is the real potential
Technologies, has been leading on for the past
game changer in few years. Searidge began considering the ATM
terms of airport applications of AI by building on the technical
performance expertise developed using machine learning and
internationalairportreview.com

neutral networks to enhance tracking and detection
capability in image processing.
Neural networks work by analysing datasets
to ‘train’ and create an understanding of what
normal operations look like. Once a period of
training has taken place, the next stage is for
outlier or marginal data to be highlighted in what
is referred to as ‘anomaly detection’. This ability
to detect operational events which are outside
normal parameters is a key differentiator between
machine learning and the traditional system
development and coding, meaning the time
between development and operational deployment
can be shortened from years to months.
Working together with Searidge, our focus
is on using AI and machine learning within the
environment of a digital tower to identify ways of
supporting controller decision making. This might
be by using it to simultaneously monitor multiple
areas of interest across an airport – like runway exit
points e.g., something that humans simply aren’t
physically capable of doing.
This ability can then be used to reduce the
impact of external factors, such as weather, by
creating a more predictable operation in terms of
aircraft spacing and runway throughput. This focus
doesn’t reduce the importance of people in the
process, but rather looks at how to support the
optimisation of human performance.
Reducing weather-related delays
To give a practical example, before the pandemic,
we started a project looking at whether we could
Digital tower scenes from Heathrow.
@IntAirport
International Airport Review  |  Volume 26, Issue 02
apply a combination of AI and digital tower camera
technology to help cut airport weather-related delays.
We installed 18 ultra-high definition 4K cameras
on the tower at London Heathrow and an
additional 4K cameras at exit points on the airport’s The combination
northern runway. The images from those cameras
of the digital tower
were then fed live into Searidge’s AI platform,
technology and AI
known as AIMEE.
When trained on enough data, AIMEE can identify is the real potential
the exact moment when an aircraft safely leaves the game changer in
runway and then notify the controllers. The intent was terms of airport
to prove that when a tower like Heathrow’s disappears performance
into low cloud, despite the taxiway and runways
remaining clear, known as ‘VIS 2 conditions’, AIMEE
could inform the controllers that the runway was free
for the next arrival, something that would help recoup
the landing capacity that’s lost in these circumstances.
Not only would this reduce delays for the airlines
and their passengers, but it would also ensure safety
is maintained and reduce the monitoring workload
on the controllers. This would free them up to make
other key decisions, whether that’s in support of
capacity growth, resilience, safety, or efficiency.
During our trials, AIMEE continually monitored
arrivals on Runway 27R/09L, identifying over 40,000
arrivals in all. Data analysis proved hugely exciting,
showing AIMEE performed extremely well, including
being able to identify aircraft in poor weather
conditions and in darkness, when the 4K cameras
were shown to perform better than the human eye.
So successful were the initial trials that we are now
intending to extend the work to include more varied
weather conditions, giving further opportunities to
© NATS
ANDY TAYLOR
With nearly 30 years
of experience in the air
traffic management
industry, Taylor has
led, developed, and
delivered innovative
ATC solutions for global
customers to increase
airport capacity and
operational performance.
As Chief Solutions
Officer, Taylor works
across both NATS and
Searidge Technologies.
He is responsible for the
joint development of
the partnership’s digital
© NATS
tower capabilities and
delivery models.
23
refine the model and test whether the solution would
work in full CAT II/III low visibility conditions. If AIMEE
performs as well as expected, it will prove an enormous
benefit given the impact Low Visibility Procedures
(LVPs) have on operations at airports around the world.

Automated voice clearances

PROTECTING
To give another example, automated voice clearances
are something that the industry has dabbled with PEOPLE AND
BUSINESSES.
in the past, but the technical hurdles have always
seemed insurmountable. Not only must a system be
able to issue the clearance safely and correctly, but it
would also need to be able to understand the pilot’s
response and act appropriately.
Again, here machine learning and AI could provide
FEELS RIGHT.
the key. Using AIMEE, we’ve been experimenting as You can rely on KVM solutions from G&D.
part of a non-operational trial, by training the system to
successfully monitor incoming radio traffic and respond
In air traffic control, in the tower, in the
by giving aircraft route clearances and transponder remote tower, or in the control center.
codes, including being able to interpret and respond to G&D simply feels right.
the ‘read back’ from the pilot over the radio.
It’s that ability to interpret ambiguity, which
might include the use of non-standard phraseology
or accented English (something humans are so
good at), that has always been the real technical
hurdle to the idea taking off, but the unique nature
of AI and machine learning mean the results of our
non-operational trials have been very encouraging.
AIMEE was asked to interpret the pilot request,
check the details against the existing flight strip
system and then respond to the pilot with the
appropriate clearance or request for clarification.
Obviously, this is a long way off being ready to deploy,
but our analysis shows that with the provision of
enough training data, AIMEE performed very well
when monitoring real pilot RT transmissions.
If the work continues towards achieving
something that’s one day operationally deployable,
it could be possible to automate some of the
more routine tasks controllers undertake, helping
reduce their workload and again, leave them free
to concentrate on the things where their skills and
training are best employed.

Potential game changer

These are two radical applications, and while they
VISIT US!
are not ready for full operational deployment, to
GDSYS.COM
me the combination of the digital tower technology
and AI is the real potential game changer in terms
of airport performance.
One thing that was very clear is that despite the
pandemic, we remain in an era accelerating change,
with pressure to increase the rate at which new
systems can be introduced safely. Technology is
LIVE AT

going to play a huge part in the future of ATM, with

AI, machine learning and digital tower applications
freeing people of routine tasks and allowing them to
concentrate on decision making and performance.  17–19 May | Dubai 2022
@IntAirport
 GUIDE TO... SERIES

XXX
XXX

BAGGAGE
HANDLING
In this section we delve into three airports’ baggage handling operations including Geneva
Airport who is implementing its new Baggage Logistics Centre whilst the airport is fully
operational – a great feat of project management; London City Airport reveals its uniquely
insourced baggage handling operation; and SEA Milan Airports outlines how baggage
handling systems are re-inventing the passenger experience across its airport network.

SOME THINK
SPONSORED BY:

BAGGAGE
GUIDE TO… | BAGGAGE HANDLING
Building a new Baggage Logistics
Centre in a fully operational airport
A challenge accepted by Geneva
Sara Branco, Baggage Handling Expert at Geneva Airport, tells International Airport Review about the
airport’s new state-of-the-art Baggage Logistics Centre, which is expected to open by the end of 2023.
GENEVA AIRPORT has 100 years of history,
celebrated in 2020. From what was formally
known as “champ d’aviation”, to a fully
functional international airport. The increasing
volume of passengers and goods matches the
history of aviation, as well as the developing
environment of the city itself. Geneva became
the main home of different organisations that
helped to put our airport into the spotlight
for many years.
Following its growth, Geneva Airport has
responded actively and presently to all demands
and compliances of the Helvetic Confederation,
France, IATA, airlines, and ground handlers.
A strong, liable, and trustworthy relationship
between all parties has been built and it allows
us to face all challenges that airports face
nowadays; one of which is the IATA resolution
753. It is common knowledge that the current
scanners (standard 2) will no longer meet the
26
new requirements for screening hold baggage,
and that we need to comply with European
standards regarding security by installing the
latest-generation scanners (EDS standard 3).
Genève Aéroport put the foundation stone
in place for its new Baggage Logistics Centre
on 26 September 2019. It is a high-performing,
innovative and more environmentally friendly
Baggage Logistics Centre and is expected to
open by the end of 2023. The current system,
the main sorting system, for example, has
been in use since 1994, and therefore needs
to be replaced. This project also involves
the replacement of all check-in desks, belts,
conveyers, and scanners, which means that
all processes to operate the brand-new system
need to be built and replaced. The challenge?
Make all the replacements while the current
system is still operating! What does this mean?
It means that, due to the unique location
© Genève Aéroport
New building built to receive
the new EDS standard 3 and
conduct security screenings
of Geneva Airport, there is no solution to
develop this project elsewhere than where it
is already placed.
Several challenges, such as infrastructure,
were identified while the project was still a
case study, but the operational challenges had
an impact on the workflows, information
plan, the internal communication and the
problem‑solving process. There was no better
excuse for exercising our creativity, amplifying
our knowledge and stimulating our teamwork.
The right ingredients to exercise great
management from the operations point
of view…
Purpose
At Geneva Airport, the starting point of
our journey was compliance with European
standards by replacing our EDS 2 with the
brand-new scanners (EDS standard 3) which
internationalairportreview.com

"Geneva Airport’s ORAT team was involved at the very
early stages of the project, right from the study stage"
are more efficient and secure, but also heavier
and larger. Our project team faced its first
challenge here; the location of the EDS 2 in
the airport would not be suitable for this new
equipment, and therefore a new structure
where those machines could be placed, needed
to be built. This new element brought several
other problems to light. How do we transfer
the bags to the new machines that need to be
implemented? Redirecting the baggage flow
from one place to another using the old system?
Would replacing only a few elements do the
trick? The answer is far more complex and
extended then yes or no. Implementing a new
hold baggage system (HBS) while operating
the existing seemed to be complex, but we took
the challenge.
An update of all systems meant a
replacement of all the existing HBS including
check-in counters, sorting and delivery belts.
Our airport was (and still is at this date) a major
site under construction: buildings needed to
be rethought, added or adapted, resources
condemned one by one to maintain capacity
and major flexibility is demanded.
Commitment
The project team was invited to be part of the
day-to-day life of the airport, from check-in to
arrivals, from the passenger point of view, from
the ground handler point of view, from airlines
demands and procedures protocols. Soon, all
departments were involved. Safety, operations,
engineers, architects, planners, BIM managers,
© Genève Aéroport
New arrival terminal with
baggage retrieval area
@IntAirport
International Airport Review  |  Volume 26, Issue 02
IT, security and more, all devoted to finding
the right path to an optimisation both needed
and demanded.
The challenge here is making the operational
side aware of the infrastructure difficulties
and vice-versa. We often transform purpose in
routine and commitment in standardisation.
Explaining their operational processes and
demands gave our teams the opportunity to
rethink the processes, question what they do
and ask, what could be done differently?
Process
Reconstructing in the same space as we are
operating meant that we needed to test if the
reconstruction would be achievable regarding
the accesses needed to the operational areas
of the airport. We replicated the area in one of
our car parks and asked the ground handlers
to drive on the guided lines with carts and
unit load devices (ULDs) and adapted the
circulation flow to the needs of the operations
before validating the infrastructure demands.
These kinds of tests are still used as soon as we
encounter a difficulty on the mixed operational
and under work area.
Commitment from all partners and
stakeholders are key to a successful outcome
in any project. All changes and losses must
be explained, understood, and embraced
for the final purpose to be achieved from
all parties. Additionally, for that to happen
we, as individuals, groups or entities, must
focus on the optimisation of the processes.
Sara Branco
From check-in to gate, from supervision to
management, from a multi-national ground
company, to a Geneva Airport employee, Branco
has more than 10 years of expertise in aviation.
Her expertise is required in the challenging project
of Implementing a new baggage system compliant
with the new security standards.
The benefits of this can range from reduction
costs, optimisation of resources and more
efficient processes. Involving the operations
teams, enabling them to make decisions
and be part of the process will lead to
engagement in the transition, as daily airport
operations will be impacted by the different
risks and vulnerabilities of what can, and
will, happen when bringing a project of this
magnitude to life.
Capability
One major asset for a project with this
dimension is the ORAT team. Operational
Readiness Activation & Transition (ORAT),
a mentor between all partners and ultimate
decision makers on the process. Operations
around the new utilities must be validated,
27
GUIDE TO… | BAGGAGE HANDLING

following the transition from old to new,
uniting all data from the different partners.
We are talking about de-risking operations
with a tried and tested methodology of every
detail from developing new operational process,
facilitating staff training, assuring the viability
of the systems, and making sure all parties
involved have the knowledge and skills to
operate it the right way.
Geneva Airport’s ORAT team was involved
at the very early stages of the project, right from
the study stage. They helped give shape to the
operational plan which traditionally involves
a wide variety of groups with diverse interests
and priorities (operations, ground handlers,
safety, security, infrastructure teams, and more),
who must work together to deliver many tasks
at critical stages. This specific task and team are
the reference when it comes to implementing
crucial process that demand structure and
leadership to avoid the chaos that can often
evolve, steering all parties towards the common
end-goal.
They run a series of operational trials
repeatedly to fully test and prove all aspects
under real life conditions to grow momentum.
While replacing the check-in counters and
belts e.g., we condemned section by section,
making sure that the new ones are fully
tested and working before closing the next
section. ORAT helped determined if the
ground handlers’ agents were fully trained
to use the counters and its features, that the
maintenance team was trained to solve any
technical problems, that the conveyers were
responding and successfully connected to the
different existing systems and that the bags
could successfully travel from check-in to the
sorting area. Before all those boxes were ticked,
no counters were approved. The same strategies
and planning are in place for any or each step
of the project to ensure that all processes are
respected, understood and applied so the result
will be a fully optimised, ready and functional
structure that can be operated by all staff.
Learning
As per its definition, learning is the permanent
change in behaviour due to direct and indirect
experience. Towards the end of this project,
we learned that common thinking is often
the key to a successful ending, creativity and
engineering often work together and that our
assets rely on trusting the process more than
being bolted to the change. Constantly defying
the well-known process by asking the teams
to adjust and be proactive when it comes
to problem-solving related to a change they
didn’t ask for, is often an uncertain thing to
do. Adding worksites to their working space,
making them work and adjust randomly
every other day, colliding with their practices,
customs, and behaviours cannot be done if all
the stages described before aren’t effectively
fulfilled. The purpose must be known,
the commitment made, the capability identified
so the learning process can begin.
It is common knowledge that a change in
behaviour or attitude lies in education, training,
and practice. All those items combined result
in experience, acquisition of knowledge and
skills that are permanent. How did we apply
this concept on our day-to-day operational life?
By testing, learning, adapting, and by being
open-minded of the changes that needed to be
made. In addition, gradually, we identified the
craving of improvement in all parties involved
on the process and implicated on the project.
Has this solved every issue on our bumpy road
to success? Well, not every single time, but we
did learn enough from experiences to be able to
identify the weakness and flaws of the project,
determine and define the action perimeter,
the obligations and responsibilities of every
single entity related to the project itself.
Several adjustments were asked of the
ground handlers, such as rethinking their
workspace. The delivery terminal for example,
where every belt needed and needs to be
replaced at the exact location of the old ones,
demanded a coordination between the terminal
agents and infrastructure team. The projects
team decided that we needed to replace
one belt at the time to be able to absorb the
volume of bags expected, whilst being able
to make the changes the infrastructure needs

EXPERT VIEW

A SMARTER FUTURE OPERATION

The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly been a plague solution, where it is presented in a coherent, easily
on the aviation sector, and though the situation is understood way that makes sense to the user.
now improving, there will surely be many challenges The data can be shown in different visualisations

BEUMER EXPERT VIEW

PER ENGELBRECHTSEN
Business Development Director,
BEUMER Group, Airport division.
still to come. Airport Managers will be looking at
ways to revitalise their facilities, and because of
COVID-induced economic strictures, will want to do
so without having to make large capital investments.
Now is the time to truly unleash the potential of
existing resources. One of the most fundamental is
data, which can help airports deal with the resourcing
challenges that will become apparent as business
gradually returns to pre-COVID levels. There will be
a need to rehire and retrain, and airports can also
use this opportunity to develop ways to work with
fewer people to reduce operational expenditure.
Great opportunities for operational improvement
exist in many baggage handling systems, where
data is available that can be enriched and put to
work through the skills and know-how of the BHS
provider. This data can be visualised through a cloud
according to the situation and task in hand.
One particularly useful way in which BHS
data can be used is to look back in time to find
out what caused a particular event – and even
predict likely future events. With data analytics,
airports can also start optimising their BHS
maintenance, operations and management.
As airports recover from the global pandemic
and rebuild their operations, there will be increased
interest in KPIs for overall equipment efficiency
in baggage handling. There will also be interest
in ensuring that systems can survive any future
operational disruptions. These requirements can be
delivered through data analytics, the ideal solution
for airports looking to change, improve and optimise
baggage flows, and maintenance and resourcing
schedules, for smarter future operation. 

28 internationalairportreview.com
 International Airport Review  |  Volume 26, Issue 02

to be efficiently operating the new system.
This single decision consists of planning,
changing the process and procedures, transfer
of responsibilities and redistribution of the
daily operations. This demands a workflow that
must be efficient, flexible, and adjustable so the
model that was created can be co-ordinated and
repeated when the next belt is condemned.
We are mixing the operational side with
the groundwork that needs to be done so both
parties need to be co-ordinated while evolving.
This dynamic needs also to be organic,
flexible, and adaptable – crucial in this specific
example as the earlier stages of the project’s
implementation had shown that no worksite is
identical to the next. So, we learn, and we apply
the modifications that are necessary, sometimes
despite the planning or deadlines that need to
be meet, so operations and infrastructure can
co-exist safely and efficiently.
Action
Much work has been done defining the chains
of communication (the notorious: who does
what?), including timelines, plans, strategic
approaches, operational hazards, plan A, B
and C. We designated the resources, built
the follow-up guidelines, created feedback
channels so we could bring updates and
optimisations to the next steps, and established
the measurements process.
We are now approaching the third year
on this project. While we have overcome
many challenges, we are only now seeing the
depth of the changes that need to be made
to successfully achieve the project’s end.
For example, because the airport itself is located
on the Swiss-French border, we had to close
the French section of the airport to do the
work and changes that the project demands.
That exercise only took several months to be
planned and several agreements were made due
to the specificity of working in two countries
legislations for, and on, the same common
ground. At first, it was the belt on arrivals that
was condemned but not the check-in area, so
the passenger was checked-in on the French
side and received his bag on the Swiss side at
arrivals, then we closed the check-in area and
inversed the process (check-in on the Swiss
side and arrivals at French section. At the time
of writing, the French sector will be reopening
by the end of March 2023, allowing passengers
flying to France to register and arrive on the
French side of our airport.
How did we manage to work in this
organised chaos? We looked at our faults and
questioned our practices, we defied our limits
and trusted our teams to become accountable
and be able to identify and correct all risky
situations we could face. We are still aiming
for our final goal: a highly sophisticated and
efficient baggage logistics centre, where all
products and processes will make the job
safer, easier, more resourceful and trustworthy.
We have one certitude: teamwork makes the
project work.
SCAN ME
FOR A VIDEO ON
THIS PROJECT

SOME THINK
BAGGAGE
MANAGEMENT
HAS REACHED
ITS LIMITS.
WE THINK
DIFFERENT.

beumer.com

CrisBag_InternationalAirportReview_178x124_EN.indd 1 21.03.22 15:18

@IntAirport
29
© SEA Milan. GUIDE TO… | BAGGAGE HANDLING
Inside SEA Milan Airports’
baggage handling systems
The new BHS Control Room in Milan Malpensa Airport
Alessandro Fidato, Chief Operating Officer of SEA Milan Airports, outlines how baggage handling systems
are re-inventing the passenger experience across the airport network.
S
ORTING baggage at an airport means to
transport baggage from the passenger’s
hands (check-in time) to the handler’s
hands (at the carousels), as well as to ensure
that all is loaded on time for your flight.
To do this, it is necessary to have a fast and
reliable automatic sorting system, this is the
baggage handling system (BHS).
BHS is a complex technological system able to
interpret the IATA information printed on the bag’s
label and send all luggage, without stopping the bag,
through transporters, curves, vertical/horizontal
diverters, security check to the carousels where the
handling’s agents load it on the unit load device
(ULD) to be sent to the airplane.
In Milan Airports, BHS systems can sort both
transit and local baggage on the same system
and in an automated manner; this allows SEA to
better manage the baggage process, as well as to
check and register all baggage transiting in both
Linate and Malpensa airport.
The most complex and largest baggage
handling system in Milan Airports is certainly
Malpensa Terminal 1, which is composed
by two separate sorting systems: a conveyor
sorting system and a tray sorting system. These
two systems work independently but allow the
30
manager to use them in different ways:
„ Simultaneously, sending part of the traffic
to one rather than the other, thus making
the most of the available capacity.
„ Using only one to the detriment of the
other in case of anomalies, recovery or
allowing energy-saving manoeuvres.
„ Have the flexibility to exclude part of one
or the other due to anomalies or to allow
maintenance interventions, all this without
compromising the normal operation of
the airport.
In addition to these two sorting systems, we must
also consider the hold baggage screening (HBS),
which is a highly efficient system to ensure the
security of the baggage on each flight. In fact, on
every departing bag that crosses the airport we
will perform an X-ray and a tomographic check
before loading on your flight.
Another system that we have is the early
baggage storage (EBS) where transfer baggage
that arrives at the airport before their outgoing
flight must be safely stored until this flight opens.
In Malpensa Airport Terminal 1, all these
systems connect the 301 check-in desks
with the 21 departure carousels and the
four departure piers through about 22km
of conveyors and over 6,000 motors.
SEA has always developed and invested in
our systems to guarantee the best performance
and high levels of service, particularly through
investing in technology and innovation. The recent
works to improve both Milan airports (Linate and
Malpensa) HBS systems, was to ensure that they
meet the European safety standards introduced by
European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC).
HBS upgrades
In fact, the HBS at both Linate and Malpensa
airports have been recently upgraded at the
new standard 3 ECAC in compliance to
the European standards on airport security.
The EDS machine provides performance
capabilities-based detection dual-energy
X-ray line scanner with a proprietary single
energy volumetric computed tomography
(CT scanner). The data generated by the two
technologies in the EDS provide the highest
resolution images possible to optimise
detection performance.
These new EDS machines installed at SEA
airports can recognise a greater variety of
dangerous materials and can detect a smaller
internationalairportreview.com

© SEA Milan.
The new EDS machines at Milan Malpensa.
"SEA has always developed and invested in our systems to
guarantee the best performance and high levels of service,
particularly through investing in technology and innovation"
amount of them, improving airport and
flight security.
The HBS has been designed as a multi-level
system screening:
„ The first level is made using EDS standard
3 ECAC machines, capable to automatically
detect explosives and explosive devices
inside bags
„ At the second level, images of bags considered
‘not clean’ by the EDS machines are checked
on analyst station monitors by security
operators for a maximum time of 30 seconds
„ At the third level, the images of bags
considered ‘not clean’ by the second level
security operator are checked on expert
station monitors by a different security
operator for a maximum time of 180 seconds
„ The fourth level entails baggage
inspections, using multi-view X-ray
machines (for detecting explosive traces)
„ At fifth level in case of need, bags are
opened in presence of passengers.
In order to improve the reading rate of baggage
labels, SEA installed a new automatic tag
reader (ATR) system for automatic reading
© SEA Milan.
@IntAirport
International Airport Review  |  Volume 26, Issue 02
of the baggage tag. This new ATR uses two
combined technologies: laser scanner and
image generator, which has many advantages
such as advanced barcode reconstruction
technology, a 360 ° omni-directional reading,
improvement to reading rates on ‘ruined’ codes,
and mechanically contained dimensions.
Passenger experience
To improve the passenger experience and
reduce the waiting time during the check-in
procedures, SEA installed 21 self-bag-drop
desks (one step mode) in Malpensa Airport,
and other two self-bag-drop desks (two steps
mode) with four kiosks at Linate Airport.
In this way, the passengers are guided
through the check-in operation via the touch
screen display until printing the label that they
will apply to the baggage sent autonomously
and automatically into the BHS system.
This allows us to reduce average waiting times
and queues at check-in desks.
To obtain high reliability and operational
availability, it is necessary to reduce
maintenance times that can be achieved only
with a high level of monitoring and diagnostics.
The automatic tag reader at Milan Malpensa.
© SEA Milan.
Alessandro Fidato
Fidato has more than 25-years’ experience
in the transport industry. He began his career
in the high-speed railway construction and
then moved to Rome Airport (ADR), where he
was responsible for several projects related
to the last large airport expansion on both
Fiumicino and Ciampino plans and regarding
both airside and landside infrastructures.
In 2010 he joined Naples International
Airport (2i Aeroporti) as Technical Director,
as well as Operations Director and
Accountable Manager from 2014 and Chief
Operating Officer from January 2018.
He has been the Chief Operating Officer
and Accountable Manager for SEA Milan
Airports (Municipality of Milan and 2i
Aeroporti) since March 2019.
To manage and control the process and
the BHS status in real-time, SEA has different
control rooms. Recently in Malpensa Airport
Terminal 1, we welcomed a new control room
for the supervision of the 400 cameras installed,
as well as the performance and the system’s
parameters. All of this information is monitored
by wall screens and operator stations. In the
SEA BHS control rooms, the recovery and the
baggage flow are monitored 24 hours around the
clock and 365 days per year, to ensure maximum
efficiency and operational availability.
From a maintenance point of view, the baggage
handling system is a very complex system that
requires ordinary maintenance and repair,
emergency and extraordinary maintenance. For
example, the BHS in Terminal 1 requires 36,000
hours/year of ordinary maintenance to ensure the
necessary availability, and up to 39 technicians per
day for the operations of the systems.
SEA will continue investing in passenger
experience by leveraging innovation and
technology and improving airport security.
For this purpose, SEA has already installed
at Linate Airport the new hand luggage security
control equipment EDS-CB certified C3, coupled
with automatic tray return system, to optimise
one of the most time-consuming processes for the
passengers. The same installation is currently under
construction at Malpensa Airport Terminal 1.  
31
 GUIDE TO… | BAGGAGE HANDLING
© London City Airport
Baggage operations
at London City Airport
Alison FitzGerald, Chief Operating Officer at London City Airport, tells International Airport Review about
the airport’s unique baggage handling operations, which they choose to insource, rather than outsource.
M
ANY OF US don’t hear about or
appreciate the seamless and highly
technical day-to-day running of
an airport’s baggage operation. Yet it’s a vital
cog in the passenger experience and an
airport’s operation.
Everybody who has been to London City
Airport (LCY), know it to be a unique airport.
Our location and limited space mean we
must do things differently. And many of our
operating procedures, like nose-out parking
and steep ascent and descent are in place so
we are the best airport we can be, for both our
passengers and our local communities.
It is also fair to say that when it comes to
the baggage process we again, have a set-up
that isn’t like any other. But it is one that works
for the airport, is delivered by our brilliant
in‑house ramp services team and is ready to
serve flights to 35 destinations this summer.
Unlike most other airports, at London City
Airport, we have chosen not to outsource our
baggage operation and instead, manage it ourselves
for all our airlines. We do this within very tight
turnaround times - 35 minutes to be exact - so
ensuring it is managed efficiently is critical to our
operation. We also time all our turnarounds, so we
know exactly how long the process takes, which has
helped us achieve the best on-time performance of
all London airports in 2021.
32
These unique challenges from operating several
aircraft within limited space means that there is
a large manual aspect to our baggage operation as
given the type of aircraft that operate at London
City, we do not use baggage containers.
About LCY baggage – What’s different?
We have added new baggage infrastructure
at the airport, and this has certainly
future‑proofed the airport for a significant
upswing in demand, but that isn’t what makes
the process unique at London City.
Other airports, for very good reasons, outsource
baggage handling. But we never have, as insourcing
provides us with complete flexibility and more
efficiency. Safety is also a key consideration for us in
deciding to insource our baggage operation, closely
managing the safety and wellbeing of our baggage
colleagues. As many readers of International Airport
Review will know, we analyse every part of the
journey through the airport and, at least from my
perspective, I have always found it easier to manage
and improve performance by working with our
in-house team than through a contract.
But for all the new infrastructure, and
improved processes, it’s our people that are the
most vital ingredient in delivering a 35-minute
aircraft turnaround.
Again, because of our size, and the fact that the
E190 is the workhorse of the airport, each stand
needs bespoke equipment and every bag needs to
be unloaded and loaded manually by our team.
That can mean handling up to 200 bags per hour
for each of the team in the peak. It is physical
work for our people on the ramp, so we have
proactively invested in their health and wellbeing
to prevent injuries by ensuring rostering is flexible
and that they have access to physiotherapy on-site
whenever they need it.
New baggage facility at LCY
As part of our City Airport Development
Programme (CADP), we needed to invest
in a new, temporary baggage facility, as it
enabled us to clear the way for our eastern
terminal building extension. This new,
temporary baggage facility was built during
the pandemic, alongside other foundational
works such as eight new Code C stands and
a full-length parallel taxiway, which has seen
the airfield infrastructure undergo a significant
transformation over the past three years.
The new, temporary baggage facility was built in
a remote location on former aircraft stands with a
link bridge from the terminal building to allow the
removal of the existing and former baggage facility.
Our new, temporary baggage facility went
live in July 2021 and had the benefit of being
introduced incrementally while traffic was lower.
However, the new temporary facility is now fully
internationalairportreview.com

"It’s our people that are the most vital ingredient
in delivering a 35-minute aircraft turnaround "
operational and is ready for a busy summer 2022.
The new facility has been designed to
enhance our operational capacity, increasing
resilience, and facilitating future growth.
The facility provides circa 30 per cent
increase in make-up-point (MUP) capacity
(27 MUPS in 2019 to now 35 MUPs) and
larger baggage carousel capacity. The facility
has also been designed to improve our bag
processing capability, increasing from 800 bags
per hour in 2019 up to 1,200 bags per hour.
Our commitment to improving our operational
efficiencies, including getting bags on/off
aircraft, has helped us have the best On Time
Performance (OTP) of any London airport, as
verified by the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority).
The baggage facility is now above ground and
across the apron, whereas most other airports
baggage system sits underground. We have
a system of conveyors that transports bags
dropped off by the passengers at check-in and
delivers them to the new, temporary facility
to be security screened. The sortation system
ensures the bags are routed to the correct
location and are then taken out to the aircraft
for loading. New baggage screening technology
has also been installed in line with current UK
security regulations.
Our system requirements were initially
scoped to offer a basic facility to process
baggage through the construction phase of our
development. Since then, we have worked closely
with our partners to introduce some enhanced
technical solutions to enable our baggage
system to be more intelligent and process bags
more efficiently, whilst removing the need for
resource to intervene and handle baggage.
These improvements will ensure the system
operates at its best capacity and throughputs
© London City Airport
@IntAirport
International Airport Review  |  Volume 26, Issue 02
to match our increasing passenger numbers
in the short- to mid-term. New inject points
for oversized items are also being introduced
to maximise the use of the conveyors and to
minimise manual handling of the baggage.
We took a phased approach to implementing
the new facility to manage our costs during
the pandemic and to reflect the lower demand.
As the demand is returning, to better support
our operational and engineering teams, we are
implementing enhancements to automation and
warning alarms to highlight any potential system
issues before they arise. This will maximise
the baggage throughput, reduce bag jams and
provide improved technical data to inform the
planned preventative maintenance programme
and reduce unexpected down time of the system.
Future baggage at LCY
Once our new development programme
is complete, passengers will benefit from
improved facilities and a newer, permanent
outbound baggage facility that will be able
to process 2,400 bags per hour, which will
continue to feature the latest security screening
technology. The new facilities for baggage will
also enhance our industry-leading passenger
proposition, ensuring that London City Airport
continues to provide the quickest and most
convenient airport experience in London.
The second phase of our new development,
including construction of the terminal extension
and new east pier, were temporarily paused in
summer 2020 due to the short-term impact of
COVID-19. However, with the foundations now
in place, the programme will be progressed, as
demand recovers in the UK aviation market.
The new baggage infrastructure, stands and
taxi way that have been built – alongside our
dedicated staff who are committed to speedy
journeys – mean we can approach the summer
with confidence and start to see the benefits of the
infrastructure we have invested in. This also puts
us in a good position to cater for more demand, as
more routes, airlines and new, larger, and quieter
aircraft continue to return after the pandemic.
Summer readiness 2022
Our baggage operation will be put to the test
this summer, as passenger numbers return.
However, we are optimistic for the year
ahead. We expect passenger numbers to grow
significantly and consistently now and reach
circa 50 per cent of 2019 passengers in 2022 and
get back 70 per cent of our routes this year.
To ensure we are ready we have also brought
in additional support roles to ensure maximum
efficiency of our baggage operation, which will
support the summer volume increases.
We feel prepared as we’ve invested in our
people and infrastructure that will make what
was already one of the UK’s most efficient
airports, even more so. But what’s also clear is
that our ramp services team will continue to be
critical to delivering our best-in-class passenger
experience this summer and the years ahead.  
© London City Airport
Alison FitzGerald
FitzGerald was appointed as Chief Operating
Officer (COO) at London City Airport in September
2016, having joined the airport as Chief
Information Officer (CIO) in January 2014.
As COO, FitzGerald has responsibility for the
overall airfield operation, security, passenger
proposition as well as for the delivery of all
technology services to the business, including
the forthcoming digital air traffic control tower.
Prior to this, FitzGerald was CIO at the Financial
Times where she was responsible for both
print and digital technology. Before joining
the FT, FitzGerald spent 16 years at Abbey/
Santander where she held a number of senior
management technology positions.
She holds a professional Non-Executive
Director qualification and has been a
Governor on the Board of the University of
Bedfordshire since November 2012 where she
also chairs the Audit and Risk Committee.
33
 PASSENGER EXPERIENCE

What can
commercial airports

© Farnborough Airport
learn from
private aviation?

On a recent trip to Farnborough Airport – the birthplace of British aviation

– International Airport Review’s Assistant Editor, Lily Mae Pacey sat
down with its CEO, Simon Geere. Together they discussed the airport’s
recent achievements in sustainability and social responsibility, and how
commercial airports can learn a thing or two from the private sector and
the passenger-centric values they champion.

W
HEN VISITING Farnborough Airport,
you cannot help but notice how
much more seamless, efficient, and
effortless it is to fly private. As you
pass through the front doors of the terminal into a
compact, clean, and minimalistic space, the absence
of the typical hustle and bustle of large crowds,
queuing, and rushing to find your gate, does not
go unnoticed. It provokes the question, what can
commercial airports learn from a private airport?
Geere has experience of both, having worked
for both London Heathrow and London Luton
Airport earlier in his career before moving across
to Macquarie Group, the company that acquired
Farnborough in 2019.
Speaking about his own experience in both
commercial and private aviation, Geere explained
how the knowledge he has acquired over the
last 26 years, means he has “a foot in both
camps”; and this experience has informed how
he manages Farnborough Airport.
A different dynamic
According to Geere, what differentiates a private
airport from a commercial airport is the absence
of airlines at private airports: “In a commercial
passenger airport, the airline community has a heavy
influence on airport operations, including control
over their own handling and fuelling companies.
A commercial airport acts as if it is community
landlord, as such, running the terminal and hoping
to optimise retail, parking, and so forth.”
In fact, a private airport works under a very
different dynamic, working to position products
and outlining key value opportunities, working
alongside one key shareholder, without the need

34 internationalairportreview.com

© Farnborough Airport
for airlines, large passenger numbers, and retail.
Therefore, both the operator’s and consumer
passenger’s airport experience are entirely at
the hands of the airport itself.
Working with a singular shareholder allows
Farnborough Airport to align on key issues and ensure
a clear solution promptly. Geere further explained
how the airport has “total control over the experience
that the operator and the consumer passenger
have, allowing us to deliver a bespoke product to the
customers and at a five‑star level of service.”
Passenger experience challenges
at commercial airports
Currently, Geere sits on the AGS Airports board.
He mentioned that upholding a quality passenger
experience is a core challenge commercial airports
continue to face, specifically with issues such as
rising inflation, airline payments, and the gradual
disappearance of duty free. “All of these queries,
jolts the question of, how do you create a ‘product’
that people will want to come to you and use?”
As a result of low-cost airlines intentionally
paying the bare minimum to airports, airports have
no alternative but to provide lower quality facilities.
“The feeling of glamour seems to be gone from
the whole commercial airport process. That is what
we stand against at Farnborough Airport. We can
control a lot of elements, but we will continually
refine and improve the levels of passenger
experience and I think that is an opportunity for
all airports competing against one another.”
Geere summarised that commercial airports
need to focus more on the passenger experience
and should target ‘premium’ attributes, that
would deter customers from looking to other
travel alternatives.
@IntAirport
International Airport Review  |  Volume 26, Issue 02
Movie star treatment
At Farnborough Airport, the passengers are treated
with an exceptional level of care from the moment they
walk through the terminal building. Both individuals
and large groups of passengers are greeted at the A commercial airport
door by an airport staff member and shown either to
acts as if it is
the general waiting area or a private waiting room,
separated by flexible partitions, if required for larger
community landlord,
groups. For those travelling through the airport, as such, running the
security and baggage screening is a singular room and terminal and
passengers are called to pass through security when it hoping to optimise
is time, removing the usual airport queues and crowds. retail, parking, and
Furthermore, as an additional plus and what was most
so forth
surprising during International Airport Review’s visit
to Farnborough Airport, was that passengers who
own an aircraft under a certain weight can drive
straight onto the tarmac, without even having to
enter the terminal building itself – a frictionless travel
experience at its finest.
The airport offers additional facilities to cabin crew
© Farnborough Airport
and pilots such as a well-equipped gym, nap rooms,
free use of Wi-Fi, computers, iPads, and showers.
35
 PASSENGER EXPERIENCE
© Farnborough Airport
Providing support for staff and pilots
The airport’s attention to detail does not stop there.
Geere believes the perfect airport experience goes
beyond just passengers and is also essential to the
care of flight staff, crew, and pilots: “That is why we
were voted number one FBO, consistently outside the
U.S. by Aviation International News and Professional
Pilot magazine also, and a lot of these votes come
from cabin crew and pilots who have said their
airport experience is one of the key decision-makers
The feeling of that would bring them back to Farnborough.”
The airport gained this title due to the exceptional
glamour seems to be
facilities they offer to cabin crew and pilots such as
gone from the whole a well-equipped gym, nap rooms, free use of Wi-Fi,
commercial airport computers, iPads and showers, all in order to ensure
process they are relaxed and calm before their next flights.
Maintaining carbon neutrality
as demand increases
In 2021, WINGX’s latest weekly Business Aviation
Bulletin reported that the private jet flight demand
figures for the month of June curved 12 per cent
above pre-COVID levels, and private jet company,
© Farnborough Airport
36
Passengers are greeted at the door by an airport staff member and
shown either to the general waiting area or a private waiting room.
Monarch Air Group, demonstrated higher than the
industry growth rate at 177 per cent year-over-year
back in 2021 and projected a significant amount
of growth in private aviation by the end of 2021/
beginning of 2022. With the rise in popularity for flying
privately over the past few years, Farnborough Airport
made it a priority to continue its sustainable journey.
Back in 2018, Farnborough Airport became the first
business aviation airport in the world to attain carbon
neutrality under the Airport Carbon Accreditation
run by Airports Council International Europe (ACI-
EUROPE). However, Geere explained how investments
in the airport’s facilities will enable Farnborough to
maintain this achievement, as well as achieve the UK
government’s Net Zero by 2050 initiative, all whilst
handling increased demand in private travel.
Farnborough Airport has handsomely invested
in new carbon zero-emitting technology such as
electrical ground power, electrical vehicles, and,
particularly, the introduction of sustainable aviation
fuel (SAF), which is in high demand in the market,
yet too expensive for operators to fully utilise
currently, according to Geere.
The CEO’s ambitions for the airport’s sustainability,
however, continue to grow: “I think the use of
renewable diesel, which is the next strategy we’re going
to embark on, is a game‑changer for us. Any diesel,
petrol-powered combustion engine will be able to use
internationalairportreview.com

© Farnborough Airport
SIMON GEERE
Geere is Chief Executive
Officer of Farnborough
Airport and a Non-Executive
Director of AGS Airports Ltd.
Geere joined Farnborough
Airport from Macquarie
Infrastructure and Real
Assets (MIRA), bringing with
him a wealth of experience,
with over 25 years in aviation
and airport leadership roles.
Formerly holding both
board positions and senior
roles across several UK and
European Airports, Simon
is also currently a board
member of Aberdeen,
Glasgow and Southampton
Airports, in addition to
Farnborough Airport.
Originally setting out to be
an Architect, Simon changed
course and undertook
a degree in Transport Studies
which introduced him to his
now long-standing career
in aviation. He started
at BAA plc in 1994, later
joining London Luton
Airport as General Manager
Aviation and then Business
Development Director,
responsible for the airport’s
revenue generating projects.
Joining MIRA in 2002, Geere
took charge of driving
operational performance
across the European airport
portfolio whilst steering
the business through the
many challenges faced by
the aviation sector in the
past 20 years.
@IntAirport
renewable diesel, hopefully, immediately reducing what
is left of our carbon emissions and directly or indirectly
controlling this by about 25 per cent.”
With ongoing plans for a third hangar to be
constructed at the airport, Geere highlighted how an
issue they are facing is the reduction of gas usage.
He mentioned: “To provide temperature‑controlled
environments for aircraft, gas heating is required.
At the moment, there is no technology to replace gas
heating for large spaces.” Despite this set-back, Geere
explained how the goal is, eventually, to embrace new
ways of heating such as geothermal technology.
Although the technology for post-net-zero
strategies is still at innovation stages, Farnborough
Airport plans to embark on carbon capture through
planting trees and utilising peat bogs. “There is a lot
to do, but all extremely important to the long‑term
success of the airport and everything we stand for.
“We want to be the showcase for airport
sustainability, as it runs throughout the DNA within
our team and across the airport.”
Responsibility and inclusivity
The airport also sees social responsibility as a core
factor for the resounding support provided by the
Farnborough community. During summer 2021 and
amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, the UK government
faced enquiries regarding issues with providing school
meals for children. In support of the local community,
Farnborough Airport’s hotel utilised their own catering
facilities to provide local families with school meals.
Beyond community responsibility, Geere
proudly highlighted the importance of corporate
responsibility and how the airport prides itself on
being a go-to employer for the community.
When he joined Farnborough Airport back in 2020,
Geere noticed how incredibly proud those associated
with the airport were. “The airport is not just the
legacy of being the birthplace of British aviation, but
people are incredibly proud of the sense of belonging.
“Our shareholder is also passionate about
employee diversity and inclusion, and we want
to start to elevate this in our agenda.”
According to Geere, there is still a lot of room for
improvement throughout the aviation sector, as
International Airport Review  |  Volume 26, Issue 02
© Farnborough Airport
traditionally airports have been viewed as a male-
dominated environment. “We are making great
strides in being more inclusive and taking a more
balanced approach to hybrid working, where we
encourage people to come in to try to drive that team
performance, but also allowing work flexibility.”
Despite a smaller organisation of 320 employees,
Farnborough Airport strives to galvanise its staff
members and to continue to provide a rewarding
performance culture, which, unfortunately, larger
corporates often struggle to achieve.
Predictions for 2022
Before the rise of the COVID-19 Omicron variant,
Farnborough Airport was achieving outstanding
air traffic results, of which figures did not fall short
of amidst the pandemic, as many customers
swiftly recognised the flexibility and reliability of
flying privately. And as we speak, the airport’s air
traffic figures have already returned to ‘normal’
(pre-pandemic levels) of around 32,000 to 33,000
movements a year.
With total normality in sight, the airport will be
taking part in a large UK airspace modernisation
programme, controlled by the Civil Aviation
Authority, which aims to adjust and improve
Farnborough’s aircraft movements.
Geere’s passion for his airport and for business
aviation is clear and when asked finally why
he made the jump from commercial to private
aviation, he answered: “The number one reason
was the chance to make a difference. I’ve seen
where we’ve been successful in commercial
airports, and I’ve seen where we've been less
successful. Seeing the size of the opportunity
we’ve got here at Farnborough and the chance to
make a difference to air travel and the passenger
experience, it’s immediately compelling, isn't it?”
It sure is. 
37
EVENT PREVIEW

World ATM Congress 2022:

Connecting the World of ATM
With the lead up to the World ATM Congress, 21 to 23 June 2022 in Madrid, Spain, Brian R. Bruckbauer,
President and CEO of the Air Traffic Control Association, tells International Airport Review Editor,
Holly Miles, what discussions can be expected to come out of the event.

Can you give us an overview of the
current situation with global Air
Traffic Management (ATM)?
National airspace system (NAS) safety doesn’t
take a day off. Sure, air travel was down in
recent years, but air cargo transport remained
steady and kept planes in motion worldwide.
Even during the quietest days of the pandemic,
controllers had to work in shifts to protect the
health of controllers and their families as much
as possible. While controllers have returned
to a more normal routine, technological
developments, new vehicles, and world events
continue to shake up the norm in aviation and
ATM. These important topics will be explored
in theatre presentations and our face-to-face
conversations with each other when we gather
on 21 to 23 June 2022 for World ATM Congress
in Madrid, Spain.
What are the key issues or what needs
to change?
Aviation is constantly evolving, but that doesn’t
mean it’s evolving globally at the same pace,
nor are industry priories equivalent worldwide.
However, some initiatives are consistent across
many countries, including drone integration
and cybersecurity. Airspace regulators
worldwide are creating protocols for the safe
integration of drones in their respective NAS. In
many countries, this is being done after drones
have already been operating in the airspace.
Putting rules, licensing, training, and policing
in place for drone operations has proved
challenging, particularly for countries that share
borders. Better aligning policies and offering
support to countries that have not yet begun
this process can create a smoother experience
for controllers, regulators, and operators.
Additionally, new technology presents
the potential for vulnerability in the system.
Managing risks while still moving the industry
forward has been a delicate balance, but the
introduction of new technology, vehicles and
systems has never occurred as rapidly as it
is occurring today, which makes protecting
critical data and users a greater challenge.

38 internationalairportreview.com

© ATCA
What are the opportunities?
Communication can always be improved.
As regulators we can further integrate new,
diverse airspace users, there is an opportunity
to involve industry professionals in all steps of
the planning process. Gathering input from
the newer airspace users now and involving
them in the development is not only a gesture
that shows they are welcome in the airspace,
but it also provides an opportunity to sort out
potential issues or conflicts amongst the various
systems and operations before they lead to large
disruptions. Commercial space travel, advanced
air mobility (AAM), and recreational drones
are not going away. It is to everyone’s benefit
to build towards an integrated NAS.
What are the key regulatory changes
that are taking place this year?
One of the key regulatory changes seen in the
U.S. is the FAA’s Remote ID ruling for drones.
Remote ID is essentially a digital license plate
accessible by the FAA, law enforcement, and
other federal agencies with identification
and location information. The specific
requirement for 2022 falls on manufacturers to
produce standard Remote ID drones, meaning
the drones will automatically broadcast their
@IntAirport
International Airport Review  |  Volume 26, Issue 02
"One of the reasons why people attend World ATM
Congress is to learn about the new technology,
which is a key focus of this year’s event "
serial number, location and altitude, and the
position of the control station or take-off
location. This ruling is a major step towards
AAM and safe drone integration in the NAS.
How do you see the future of
advanced air mobility and its
integration into global ATM?
AAM’s successful integration relies on
a successful team effort. This team includes
vehicle suppliers, manufactures, technology
companies, regulators, air traffic controllers,
city, state, and local governments, cybersecurity
professionals, and many others. With many
cooks in the kitchen, so to speak, this presents
challenges, but when it all comes together,
it will be revolutionary. As someone who
travels for work often and commutes around
a major metropolitan city regularly, I am
looking forward to seeing how AAM changes
the commuter landscape, especially when new
options offer time-saving and environmental
benefits. Though, you won’t see me hopping
into an air taxi in the preliminary years. I prefer
to wait until it’s a tried-and-true way of getting
place to place.
© ATCA
Brian R. Bruckbauer
Bruckbauer is the President and CEO of the Air
Traffic Control Association (ATCA), a Virginia-
based non-profit, non-government, professional
organisation that promotes and encourages
the advancement of aviation and air traffic
management. Bruckbauer is responsible for
the organisation's management, operations,
and strategic direction. He retired from the U.S.
Air Force as a Brigadier General in 2021, where
he was a career air traffic control officer.
What are the key trends to watch
out for as air travel evolves?
Sustainable aviation continues to remain at the
forefront of aviation initiatives. Governments
have set goals to reduce emissions, and now we
are seeing regulators, airlines, and manufacturers
create agreements to meet those goals.
Sustainable aviation efforts will remain a priority
over the next 10 to 20 years. Still, progress
is already being made, such as in successful
flights utilising alternative fuel sources and
solar‑powered air traffic control radar systems.
One of the reasons why people attend World
ATM Congress is to learn about the new
technology, which is a key focus of this year’s
event. We see the rapid expansion of UAVs and
recreational drone operators impacting the
airspace, and I expect there will be even more
conversations from industry, government, and
communities on how to best regulate these
vehicles. Spain’s premier drone event, Expodrónica,
will again co-locate at World ATM Congress to
bring cutting-edge advanced air mobility, UAS
traffic management (UAM), and autonomous
and remotely piloted aerial vehicles (AAV/RPAS)
programming and exhibition attendees.
What are your highlights of
the upcoming World ATM
Congress, what are you most
looking forward to?
World ATM Congress has built a reputation
for excellence and has become a benchmark
event in the industry. The event includes
180+ exhibitors in a 21,000sqm exhibition
hall, 200+ free sessions, and 110 countries
and territories in attendance, all in three days
and all under one roof. We are expecting
attendance close to 2019 numbers, offering
attendees a lively, informative, and engaging
event. Like last year (2021), we will close out
the Congress with an eye-catching drone show
at Cuatro Vientos Airport. Civil Air Navigation
Services Organization (CANSO) and the Air
Traffic Control Association (ATCA) look
forward to welcoming everyone to Madrid. 
39
PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Leonardo confirms its status as

a main player in European BHS
The recent successes are confirming Leonardo as one of the main players in the BHS sector in
Europe. The high availability and reliability of its sorter based on cross belt technology, the Multi-sort
Baggage Handling System (MBHS), that is one of the most advanced, high-performance baggage handling
systems on the market, is one of Leonardo's success key in BHS market.

T
HIS YEAR Leonardo is continuing
to invest in the innovation sector
to deliver increasingly innovative
technological solutions and offer the best
solutions to customers.
One of the most tangible successes is the
recent technological evolution of the MBHS:
the MBHS-HD (Heavy Duty). Thanks to the
recent technological evolutions the MBHS is
now able to overcome gradients of up to 15°
and a vertical difference of over eight meters.
These mean that it can now be installed in
airport buildings where the security and sorting
processes take place on different floors. This
advantage is significant because it enables one
single machine to manage both processes and
to transport baggage between the different
areas, without the need to use elevators.
The MBHS-HD version also introduces
other technological innovations: a new control
electronics that represent a real generational
step change compared to the previous version,
the use of extremely durable materials for
certain critical components, thus extending the
longevity of the system and a new set of curves
with differently sized radii to give the product
a higher configurability and adaptability to any
layout and satisfy every customer’s requirement.
As all the MBHS-HD sorters, it also offers the
possibility of reducing the speed of the sorter
according to the required throughput and the
minimal points of friction in all the components
allow significant O&M cost savings.
In addition to this kind of technological
evolutions, Leonardo Automation is continuing
to employ resources to improve its service
solutions portfolio, studying new technological
innovation to make its machines smarter,
equipped with improved diagnostic and able
to do predictive analysis on the entire plant, to
be able to understand and respond faster than
possible to the eventual changes and to adapt
the system to customer needs and expectations.
The use of smart glasses to improve the
remote assistance represent an example of these
innovations, introducing a totally new way for
remote assistance, enabling the possibility to
consult and receive feedback and information
from a distant expert in real-time.
Another illustration is the sorter track
inspection function. A camera installed on the
sorter and an advanced video stream analysis
software allows it to automatically detect
every anomaly that are classified by severity,
enabling to take prompt action depending on
the situation.
These numerous innovations represent
just a small aspect of the attention to detail
Leonardo provides.
Leonardo is a leader in the international
baggage handling market and has present in
European airports including Rome Fiumicino,
Milan Malpensa and Bergamo, Zurich,
Frankfurt, Geneva, Paris Orly, as well as
airports in the Middle East and Asia Pacific
including Kuwait International Airport and
Hong Kong International Airport. 
www.leonardo.com

40 internationalairportreview.com
RELIABLE HANDLING

Leonardo delivers innovative, market leading, reliable, baggage management solutions - efficiently managing
the entire process; accurately, swiftly and carefully conveying baggage to destinations, worldwide.
The comprehensive suite of products includes hardware and software components to manage the departure
and arrival processes.

leonardo.com
 EDITOR’S PICK

EDITOR’S PICK
EDITOR’S PICK
EDITOR’S PICK
EDITOR’S
A global leader in
drone innovation
Myron Keehn, Vice President, Air Service and Business
Development discusses how Edmonton International
Airport is modernising cargo delivery and airport
operations through leading drone innovations.

O
N A MILD WINTER morning on
3 December 2021, with temperatures
just below freezing and clear skies,
a drone operated by Drone Delivery
Canada (DDC) lifted off from the Airport City
Sustainability Campus drone port at Edmonton
International Airport (EIA) with a package of
machine parts bound for the landing site located
in an international business park across the busiest
highway in Alberta. What made this flight truly
unique was not only that this drone was being
controlled by remote pilots thousands of kilometres
away in central Canada, but also where it was flying.
It marked the first time in Canada that a drone
delivery operation was able to take place within
controlled airspace at an airport. Drone activity
in these areas is not permitted without proper
authorisation from Transport Canada and NAV
Canada. As safety is our top priority at EIA,
we worked closely with DDC and NAV Canada
over several months to gain approval and enhance
safety procedures to make this, and future
flights, possible. These initial flights will create the
template for future operations that could include
deliveries into populated areas, such as Edmonton
or other major centres, as well as Indigenous and
Northern communities.
This drone flight
is not a one-time
trial. In partnership with
Drone Delivery Canada, Air
Canada, Apple Express, and Ziing
Final Mile, we have launched regular,
daily scheduled drone delivery from EIA to
various delivery sites in surrounding areas
for commercial use. This is also significant
in the decarbonisation of transportation
and logistics, as we can use low-emission and
zero-emission drones to reduce vehicle traffic and
emissions. Furthermore, this also marks EIA as the
first launch pad for autonomous drone deliveries,
which is a critical step forward in the modernisation
of supply chains. Recent events have reminded us
of the importance of secure, resilient, and reliable
supply chains. Drones will play a major role in
logistics, especially in first and last mile delivery.
We believe, beyond technology, the most important
thing for EIA is a culture of innovation and
embracing change

42 internationalairportreview.com

The importance of cargo drone delivery
We believe cargo drone delivery will be an
important component of EIA’s
major cargo
development
and play a vital
role in our cargo
connectivity. We are
creating a model that
global airports can
use for drone logistics
and deliveries into
more populated areas, like
Edmonton or other major centres.
EIA plays a vital role in global supply
chains as a major hub for the movement
of medical supplies, food, and
e-commerce across North America
and into remote communities and the
Canadian North. EIA is committed to be at
the forefront of modernising logistics by integrating
innovations in drones and other emerging
technologies in our cargo hub to strengthen global
supply chains.
Where it all began
This wasn’t the first time our airport has made
aviation history for using drones; the journey to get
to this point began more than six years ago.
We first began with a local company, AERIUM
Analytics Inc., and its proprietary RoBird® done,
@IntAirport
International Airport Review  |  Volume 26, Issue 02
which is a flapping wing drone that mimics
a peregrine falcon. AERIUM and its RoBird®
have become an integral part of our wildlife
management programme, using this realistic
falcon drone to deter bird activity at the airport.
AERIUM was recently awarded a CA$1 million grant
from Clean Resource Innovation Network (CRIN)
to further advance this innovative technology.
AERIUM, in partnership with the University of
Alberta – a global leader in artificial intelligence
MYRON KEEHN
and machine learning – are working to create
drone solutions and EIA is proud to participate
Keehn has 30 years of
and support the commercial development of this experience working in
technology developed here in the Edmonton region. the aviation’s private and
Over the past several years, in addition to wildlife public sectors in North
and South America, Asia,
control, we have worked with AERIUM to use drones
and Europe, implementing
to conduct safety maintenance inspections of our
new and effective
runways, as well as the analysis of the precision approaches to airport
approach lighting systems used by aircraft. business development.
We were the first Canadian airport, and AERIUM Keehn leads Edmonton
International Airport
was the first drone services provider, to conduct
City Sustainability
a real-time analysis where the drone used highly
Campus – an eco-
specific tools to measure and collect data to help system of companies
calibrate this lighting system. driving innovation in
e-commerce, cargo/
logistics, advanced
Utilising for safety data and
manufacturing,
emergency management
and pharmaceuticals.
At our general aviation airport, Villeneuve Airport, Prior to Edmonton
we work with Pegasus Imagery, a leading drone International Airport,
company that designs, manufactures, and operates Keehn built a career
focusing on how to drive
long-range autonomous aircraft and sensors
economic potential of
to deliver data solutions at scale for emergency
private and government-
management and public safety sectors. Pegasus was owned assets to
originally based at EIA, but has relocated to maximise returns for
Villeneuve as they need more facility space for countries by driving
national investment and
advancement manufacturing and R&D to support
commercial plans.
the company’s rapid growth and development.
EIA is committed to be at the forefront of modernising
logistics by integrating innovations in drones and other
emerging technologies in our cargo hub to strengthen
global supply chains
43
 EDITOR’S PICK

As an early adopter
of drones, EIA wants
to work with partners
to pioneer new
drone applications
and develop
innovative solutions
to modernise supply
chains and enhance
decarbonisation of transportation and logistics.
airport performance EIA is home to multiple incubators such as
and safety the Alberta Aerospace and Technology Centre
(AATC), Innovation Technology Start-ups (ITS),
In autumn 2019, we signed an agreement with
and Advanced Systems for Transportation
Drone Delivery Canada to start developing and
Consortium and prior to COVID, attracted more
testing a permanent drone cargo delivery operation
than CA$1.5 billion in private investment.
at EIA. With other partners including Air Canada
We believe, beyond technology, the most
Cargo who have operated as agents, we believe the
important thing for EIA is a culture of innovation
future of drone delivery is here.
and embracing change. Drones will have an
As we continue to prove the viability of this
increasingly more important role in cargo delivery
service, work with cargo companies and last
and airport operations. As an early adopter of
kilometre delivery firms in addition to establishing
drones, EIA wants to work with partners to pioneer
safety protocols with Nav Canada, there will be
new drone applications and develop innovative
more designated drone flight paths created.
solutions to modernise supply chains and enhance
This will lead to real-time delivery of time-sensitive
airport performance and safety. 
and high-value packages into major centres and
across the greater Edmonton metropolitan region.
EIA’s Airport City Sustainability Campus, which
We are creating a model that
focuses on economic development, job creation,
and innovation creates an eco-system that spurs
global airports can use for
collaboration and fosters the commercialisation drone logistics and deliveries
of emerging technologies and promotes the into more populated areas

44 internationalairportreview.com
 SUSTAINABLE AIRPORTS

© Schiphol Group
Sustainable taxiing
at Amsterdam
Airport Schiphol
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol explores a European aviation first, with the
deployment of sustainable Taxibots to continue the airports journey towards the
reduction of aircraft and flight emissions. Wilma van Dijk, Director Safety, Security
& Environment at Schiphol Group, explains more.

T
AXIING A PLANE to the Polderbaan
Runway (18R / 36L) at Amsterdam
Airport Schiphol (AMS) will soon be
significantly more sustainable. In 2022,
Schiphol’s ambition is Schiphol is buying two TaxiBots, which can be used
to be the most to tow specific types of aircraft to and from the
sustainable airport in runway, allowing pilots to keep engines switched
the world. We aspire off for most of the taxiing time. This will lead to
employees, and local residents. This way, you will
still be able to fly and discover the world, but in
a responsible and sustainable way – a way in which
we do not place extra pressure on our planet,
but add value to it instead. One example of how
we plan to achieve this is, is by implementing
sustainable taxiing.

for our ground a significant reduction in emissions of (ultra)fine
particles, nitrogen, and CO2.
movements activities
2022 is a crucial year for sustainability in
on, and around, our the aviation sector, as we plan to accelerate
airport to be zero and fast‑track measures to reduce emissions and
emission by 2030 improve local air quality for the climate, our
Taxiing with fewer emissions
The TaxiBot is a special towing vehicle that takes
a plane from the gate to the runway, or from
the runway to the gate. It’s different from other
towing vehicles, as the TaxiBot can taxi a fully
loaded aircraft at close to normal taxiing speeds.

@IntAirport
45
 SUSTAINABLE AIRPORTS

Amsterdam Schiphol is the first European airport to invest in sustainable taxiing using the TaxiBot.

During taxiing, the TaxiBot is controlled by the
aircraft pilot – not the truck driver in the vehicle
itself. The driver only connects the TaxiBot to the
In a few years, about
aircraft and carries out the pushback (the process
a fifth of all flights of pushing the plane backwards from the gate).
are expected to The pilot takes control as soon as the taxiing
taxi sustainably procedure starts.
Furthermore, pilots do not need to run aircraft
engines while taxiing with the TaxiBot, as it tows
the plane itself. That means the engines can remain
switched off for longer, which saves fuel and in turn
leads to fewer CO2, NOx, and (ultra)fine particle
emissions. The TaxiBot produces significantly fewer
emissions than an aircraft engine. An earlier pilot
study at Schiphol showed that around 50 per cent
less fuel is needed for sustainable taxiing. And,
when it comes to taxiing to the Polderbaan runway
– our most distant (and preferred) runway, fuel
savings can reach up to 65 per cent.

Sustainable taxiing to the Polderbaan runway

Various preparations are required before the
TaxiBots can taxi to the Polderbaan as part of our
upcoming live trials. For example, we need to add
additional markings to the asphalt that allow pilots
to stop the aircraft and Taxibot in the right place
to carry out the (un)coupling procedures. Some of
our service roads also need to be widened to
enable the special vehicles to drive to, and from, the
Polderbaan before, and after, sustainable taxiing
has taken place, all without disrupting other traffic
at the taxiways.

The TaxiBot produces

significantly fewer emissions
than an aircraft engine

46 internationalairportreview.com

2022 is a crucial year for
sustainability in the
aviation sector, as we plan
to accelerate and fast-track measures
to reduce emissions and improve local
air quality
Standard procedure
Schiphol has drawn up a plan together with Air
Traffic Control the Netherlands (LVNL), KLM,
Transavia, Corendon Dutch Airlines, and ground
handling companies dnata and KLM Ground
Services, to ensure that sustainable taxiing will
become standard procedure. Our first step is
the deployment of these two special aircraft
towing vehicles for a follow-up trial at Schiphol,
in which TUI, Viggo, and Swissport will also
participate. This demonstration is part of the
European SESAR ALBATROSS project. The SESAR
ALBATROSS consortium aims to develop and
demonstrate more sustainable flight operations,
applying multiple strategies and solutions to
save fuel for each stage of a flight from gate
to gate. If successful, the live trial will be the
prelude to a standard procedure, with certain
ADB SAFEGATE I GATE
BE READY.
OUR FLEXIBLE GATE SYSTEMS
DELIVER SAFER, MORE EFFICIENT
TURNAROUNDS IN AN
UNPREDICTABLE WORLD.
ADB SAFEGATE applies the latest surveillance and automation
technology to manage today’s complex challenges on the
apron. Adaptable and resilient gate systems, and flexible
business models, enable operational elasticity to help airports
and airlines scale up or down to meet changing demand.
Advanced docking systems ensure safe and precise aircraft
stops every time, even in poor visibility. Integration and clear
information displays keep all personnel informed and help
deliver on-time departures. All of which equals faster, safer
and more predictable turnarounds that boost the customer
experience.
International Airport Review  |  Volume 26, Issue 02
types of aircraft taxiing sustainably to, and from,
the Polderbaa runway.
In the years to follow, the number of
aircraft that can be brought to, and from, the
Polderbaan in this way, will increase. In a few
years, about a fifth of all flights are expected to
taxi sustainably. The collaborating parties aim
to gradually introduce sustainable taxiing on
other runways from 2025 onwards, so that it will
be standard procedure across Schiphol by 2030. WILMA VAN DIJK
van Dijk is Director Safety,
A first in European aviation
Security & Environment
Schiphol’s ambition is to be the most sustainable at Schiphol Group. She is
airport in the world. We aspire for our ground responsible for the policy on, and
movements activities on, and around, our the implementation of, aviation
airport to be zero emission by 2030. And we’re security, access control, and
company security. This includes
encouraging cleaner, quieter, and smarter flight.
contract management, contacts
That is why we are the first European airport to with (inter)national government
invest in sustainable taxiing using the TaxiBot. agencies, private security
There are currently a few TaxiBots in use at companies and technical
two airports in India, so progress is being development companies. She is
also responsible for policy on
made worldwide.
safety and environmental
By investing in these kinds of sustainable issues and for the airport fire
innovations, we can ensure that travelling brigade. Until June 2020, van
by air remains accessible for future Dijk was also responsible for
generations too.  cyber‑security at the airport and
the CISO of Schiphol Group.
PRODUCT SHOWCASE
Digitising
airport operations
Frequentis looks at how innovative collaboration practices are key to building back better.
A
VIATION is on the path to recovery
but, besides restarting travel in the
short term, this path must address
a number of urgent and essential challenges
to “build back better”. Restoring public
confidence, making aviation more sustainable
(from an environmental, social, and economic
perspective), and thereby preserving
connectivity and aviation competitiveness, are
priorities for our industry, as well as essential
contributions to global society.
Speeding up airport digitalisation plays
a major role in aviation’s recovery, and largely
contributes to all of the aforementioned
challenges. At airports, in particular the Airport
Operations Centre (APOC), technology that
improves data sharing between stakeholders is
leveraged, enabling enhanced airport operations
efficiency, which in turn reduces carbon
emissions and improves passenger experience.
Data-enabled and technology-driven APOCs
provide huge cost-saving potentials and
strengthen the airport image as an innovation
leader, as it embraces change within the industry.
Frequentis is well-known within aviation and
other safety-critical industries for equipping
control centres with innovative technology
to solve industry challenges. Our key focus
"Our key focus is to enable improved flight
predictions, thus allowing for more transparent,
streamlined and efficient processes and increased
resilience for all stakeholders at the airport"
48
is to enable improved flight predictions, thus
allowing for more transparent, streamlined
and efficient processes and increased resilience.
The Frequentis airport portfolio includes products
for improved workflow management, airport
operations planning, traffic synchronisation as
well as digital tower solutions, allowing for a
seamless connection of airport operations and
air traffic services.
Strong partnerships
Enabling information sharing and collaborative
decision making is a priority. To further
strengthen collaboration along with the
digitisation process, Frequentis maintains
successful partnerships with other leading
industry suppliers. Together with T-Systems
we aim for further integrated digital airport
and air traffic management solutions, largely
contributing to total airport management
and the respective integration of airside and
landside processes. Together, we drive the
digital transformation with a particular focus
on the overall value chain of airport processes.
Another key example is our partnership
with NATS, the UK Air Navigation Service
Provider (ANSP). Together we deployed the
Demand Capacity Balancer (DCB) solution for
London Heathrow Airport, where it has been
in operation since 2017. DCB, including its
Target Time of Arrival (TTA) capability, marks
a significant development in the capability for
airport stakeholders to act, adapt and react
to changes, affecting flight traffic arrivals and
departures in support of the APOC and the
associated Airport Operations Plan (AOP).
DCB is the market leading AOP Management
Tool in compliance with the European
Common Project One (CP1) regulation.
Its founding idea was to enable improved
forecasting capacity and demand events, to
understand the performance impact of these
events and, most importantly, to enable proactive
decision making to resolve/reduce those impacts.
With this, DCB is more than an operational
improvement or evolution. It marks a significant
step in the advancement of airport operations.
It is opening a new chapter in intelligent control
and influence of traffic.
Combining real-time data, analytics results,
and advanced simulation capabilities enables
scenario-based planning and aids effective
collaborative decision making. It supports the
airport operational stakeholders to respond
in both real-time and pre-planning scenarios
to improve operational decision-making and
airport performance. Therefore, enabling
airports to become a proactive partner of the
network in accordance with the ACI “Ground
Co-ordinator” concept is a key ambition of
Frequentis and our partners. We strongly believe
that collaborative spirit and supporting digital
solutions are key to achieve the ambitious
objectives on our joint path to recover and
“build back better”. 
internationalairportreview.com
Sustainable digital growth
Technology and digitalisation are supporting the drive for more efficiency and sustainability in aviation, including in
airport operations. The Frequentis airport solutions are key enablers for the most effective collaboration between
airports and their partners to reduce costs for all stakeholders, achieve their performance objectives, and increase
passenger satisfaction. Our portfolio supports local airport collaborative decision-making processes as well as the
implementation of an airport operations plan, e.g. to support the airport operations centre.

Meet us at Passenger Terminal Expo, June 15-17 2022 in Paris, zone 1, stand #2100

www.frequentis.com
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REVIEW PRESENTS

A smarter future for airports 400+

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20+
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