Page 25 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2015 Online Magazine

FEATURE AIRPORTS

IT PAYS TO KEEP PASSENGERS HAPPY
Ilya Gutlin, President of SITA, Asia Pacific tells Jay
Menon that the ultimate goal of the industry is to make
the passenger journey more pleasant. With the unique
capabilities of mobile technology, such as localization and
personalization, it provides the ability to offer a seamless
travel experience to passengers. Excerpts from the interview:

AAA: Do you think that airports / AAA: How is technology innovation check-in service. We are only at
governments are now investing more improving the passenger experience? the beginning of a learning curve
in ensuring passenger satisfaction? GUTLIN: Technology is becoming that could see wearable technology
GUTLIN: Yes, in fact, improving a ubiquitous part of a passenger’s impacting other areas across
passenger processes at the airport travel experience. Passengers have the airport, as well as aircraft
is the number one information technology with them and want to use maintenance.
technology (IT) investment priority of it. The ultimate goal of the industry Also at the airport, we are piloting
airports around the world and nearly is to make the passenger journey beacon technology that could open
half (47%) rank passenger satisfaction more pleasant. With the unique up a range of low cost possibilities
as their top priority. capabilities of mobile technology, such for interacting with passengers. With
The good news for passengers is as localization and personalization, it beacons airlines and airports can
that airports also have more money provides the ability to offer a seamless easily provide passengers with indoor
to invest in IT: 63% of CIOs expect to travel experience to passengers. In directions, walk times to gates, lounge
spend more on technology in absolute Asia, airports are turning more and access and alerts about boarding.
terms compared to the previous year, more to self-service to manage Developments in passenger flow
and the total spend is estimated to increasing passenger numbers. For monitoring are another great example
reach uS$6.8 billion. example, at Changi in Singapore, SITA of IT benefitting the passenger
has provided a combination of self- experience and increasing airport
AAA: Delivering a fast and smooth service check-in kiosks, self-bag drop, efficiency. All of these will offer a new
journey through the airport is self-boarding to increase passenger and better journey for the ‘connected
still a major challenge for most throughput. Self bagdrop is proving traveler’.
airports. How do you think this can be very successful with passengers being
mitigated? able to drop their bags in less than AAA: Mobile devices are increasingly
GUTLIN: One of the key concerns 20 seconds, as experienced at major becoming an integral part of air
is the strain on infrastructure airports in Australia like Melbourne travel. How is this improving the
across Asia Pacific as the numbers and Brisbane. travel experience?
of passengers rises rapidly. While GUTLIN: Being tech-savvy, the majority
governments and the private sector AAA: What are the steps initiated by of passengers say that technology has
have been investing heavily to SITA for this purpose? helped them when traveling. Mobile
expand and modernize the airports GUTLIN: There are many customer- services, for instance, make it easier for
in the region, there is still continuing focused innovations at airports that passengers to book travel, check in and
concern over the ability of the region’s promise significant change. SITA is manage the entire journey.
airports to accommodate the expected involved and investing in many exciting Self-service kiosks, for example,
increase in traffic, especially with collaborations. For example, SITA’s can cut passenger processing time
policies like the ASEAN open skies. trial with Virgin Atlantic of wearable by a quarter, as well as giving people
This is where technology enables technology, including Google Glass and more control. Mobile and self-service
transformation and improves Sony Smart watches, demonstrates technology are absolutely key to the
operational efficiency for airports great potential to enhance passengers’ industry managing growing passenger
and airlines while offering travelers a travel experiences. The trial enabled numbers and allowing the airlines to
smooth travel experience. concierge staff to meet and greet optimize their resources to serve their
VIP passengers with a personalized passengers even better.

WWW.ASIANAIRLINES-AIRPORTS.COM JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015 ASIAN AIRLINES & AIRPORTS 25