Read our series of interviews with the people who are making the Yocova platform come alive. Here we speak to the Managing Director of consultancy firm Alton Aviation Consultancy about digital transformation in the industry, and how this is helping to drive innovation and efficiencies in ground operations.
Singapore-based Mabel Kwan is the Managing Director of aviation consultancy firm Alton Aviation Consultancy. Alton specialises in all things aviation and works with companies across the aviation value chain – from investors to OEMs to operators. The company advises on business strategy, operational improvement, investment and due diligence. With offices around the world, Alton has a multinational team. They have recently published a white paper entitled Sustainable Efficiency: The Future of Ground Operations. We talk to Mabel about digital transformation in the industry and how this is helping to drive innovation and efficiencies in ground operations.
You recently released a white paper on sustainable ground operations. What did you learn?
“We started off examining how ground handlers had adapted to the changing business models of airlines, in particular low-cost carriers (LCCs). The ground handling model has evolved and is far more complex. For example, as airlines continue to channel customer services online and push self-service initiatives, the role of passenger handling agents has also evolved from traditional operational processing at counters and is now more directed towards issue management and resolution, and building customer loyalty. What we also found surprising was the degree of change innovation taking place in ground operations around digitalisation, from artificial intelligence (AI) to biometrics and electrification. It’s fascinating how many possibilities for innovation there are.”
How do differences drive different requirements in the ground handling world?
“The traditional LCC business model has evolved and morphed into more hybrid versions including longer-haul or higher-yield segments. So, at many airports there are very complex operations around the handling of transit passengers specifically, in relation to connection times. You no longer have the simplified model of short haul point-to-point flights, so ground handling needs more personnel dedicated to transit passengers and tailor services to the needs of the airlines. There’s no one size fits all model and ultimately each ground handling strategy should complement the overall business strategy of each airline. So, if you take for example outsourcing, it’s important to have clear key performance indicators (KPIs), contractual obligations, and clear responsibility for execution and performance. It’s not just about trying to keep costs low. From a value perspective, airlines are trying to maximise customer satisfaction, they want increased visibility, and they also want to benefit from their relationships with ground handlers from an innovation and economies of scale perspective.”
What are the key sustainability technologies both now and in the future? What does that look like for ground handlers?
“Technological advancements engineered to drive efficiencies and streamline operations instinctively support sustainability initiatives. Obviously, the primary focus is on business optimisation, but we all recognise that saving time and resources has a more positive impact and influence on the environment. Technology first enables visibility and creates business insights. This is important with ground handling operations because digital optimisation provides real-time visibility across operations. Data capture systems can be used to generate very accurate timestamps without the need for human input, and this enables a more agile rostering of resources and aircraft turnaround activities. There’s an opportunity to harness advanced technology such as AI to implement very dynamic planning, and some airports are already using big data AI to forecast passenger flow at security control lines and in terminals days and weeks in advance, which helps to alleviate bottlenecks. I personally find the development of AI-powered baggage ID solutions where bags can be identified based on their physical characteristics really interesting, and radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags already used by some airlines provide passengers with real-time information about the location of their bags.”
What does the relationship between consumer electronics and industrial electronics look like in 2023?
“Passengers are increasingly able to access more information in respect of their travels, obviously with mobile devices but now also with luggage tracking devices, so it’s important that airlines and ground handlers can keep up to speed with that. I think this all comes down to effective communication. If, for example, a passenger’s bag has been lost, the more transparency and information you provide to the customer, the better. It’s really important to ensure that ground handling agents are also adequately trained to effectively communicate in these types of scenarios.”
Are there any technological solutions that we can use to provide a single point of data to passengers?
“I think one of the positive side effects of the Covid-19 pandemic was the acceleration of digitalisation. The lockdowns really underscored the importance of digital processes, data sharing and community collaborations, because many manual processes and clearances could not be performed, especially for air cargo. Visibility and location tracking were particularly important for time and temperature-sensitive goods like vaccines. Some airports have set up common data sharing and aggregation platforms for air cargo communities, and this will really help to accelerate the industry’s digitalisation efforts and enhance supply chain visibility and efficiency.”
What does the availability of information from connected aircraft mean for ground handling?
“Well, an obvious example is the ability to communicate with the aircraft when it is in the air and get real-time updates on the status of arrival. From a ground handling perspective this enables more dynamic planning of resources and efficient deployment of resources and equipment. Then there’s another level, which is the ability to capture data from the aircraft and its components. On some aircraft, data can now be gathered from things like seats and galley equipment so, for example, ground staff can be informed of faulty components and be ready with the right parts for repair, which again leads to a much more efficient deployment of resources and a faster turnaround time.”
For more information, to contact or collaborate…
You can contact Mabel on Yocova via her personal profile.
Watch John Walton and Mabel Kwan discuss these topics in person courtesy of our Yocova on Air episode.
To see the full video podcast simply register for Yocova Membership, log in and head to Workspace > Learning.
Author: Yocova, with special thanks to John Walton
Published 13 June 2023
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