With the aviation industry now looking at how to adapt to returning passenger numbers, the focus is once again back firmly on the passenger experience. New and additional requirements spell longer queues for many travelers and airlines know that they need to keep public trust in flying at a high, without causing big delays.
Establishing and maintaining public trust by alleviating health concerns is key. With passenger experience as a high priority, however, in this highly competitive landscape, finding a balance could be central to the recovery process for many airlines.
Finding an alternate approach to a new path
Emerging technologies and integrable airline IT solutions are offering an opportunity for airlines of all sizes to gain vital flexibility and operational agility. These are two critical factors that airlines need to address if they are to find an alternate approach and navigate the turbulence.
A-ICE knows that 2020 brought a raft of necessary changes, restrictions and regulations to the aviation industry. We and many other aviation experts expect some of these changes to become permanent, as did some of those implemented in the wake of 9/11. We explore some of the major shifts and take a deeper look into some of the ways in which airlines are handling new guidelines, streamlining operations and embracing technologies to maintain passenger experience.
Significant shifts in airline IT over the past 12 months
According to some airline industry professionals, some of the most significant shifts during the last year have been technology-related. A huge increase in the use of mobile and a rise in demand for touchless processes has fuelled the opportunities to leverage technologies and completely modernize the entire environment.
Another key realization for airlines is that the traditional economic operational model has proven to be a hindrance during uncertain times. With many tied into long, fixed-term and fixed-price contracts for airport and airline operations software, economic management has been tough. Restructuring the model around variable cost is now possible and could offer any modernization project a new way forward.
While many airlines are keenly aware that modernization is key, the constraints of traditional legacy systems and approaches often hold them back. There has, however, never been a better time for airlines to take advantage of new and innovative IT solutions that offer a new way forward – both economically and operationally speaking.
The changes that are likely to become permanent
The introduction of health passes and validation are the changes that are most likely to stay, according to some industry experts. While the future is uncertain surrounding Covid-19, airports are providing on-site testing facilities, airlines are offering additional insurance and technologies are being adopted to quickly verify and validate passenger eligibility to travel.
These processes, in addition to smart airport solutions, will tick several health and safety boxes. It will not be a surprise to see them become part of the new normal for airlines and passengers in the post-pandemic airport environment.
It is also highly probable, according to many aviation professionals, that the increase in passenger use of digital and touchless technologies will not diminish. This way of communicating and connecting with passengers is likely to continue to rise as more airlines understand the benefits of this personalized approach and embrace the relatively low cost of implementation.
With competition high among airlines, the rise in mobile offers a chance to connect with passengers like never before. There will be more opportunities to build trust with a smoother, more streamlined processing system that can potentially begin before passengers even leave the house.
What IT solutions are available for airlines?
Airline IT solutions offer a wide range of benefits when integrated with other systems and each other. This means that the operational environment can be viewed comprehensively and managed from a single platform. Although this is not unusual for airport systems, smart management technology can help to identify issues before they become problems, maximize resources and increase passenger experience.
Implementing key airline IT solutions can also to streamline operations across all teams, giving access to the right information at the right time to the right people – when they need it. This benefits ground handling teams, baggage reconciliation processes, security, passenger processing and back office in addition to making compliance automatic.
Some of the key, compliant ground handling and airline IT solutions available today deliver an integrated approach to streamline management and increase passenger processing efficiency:
Talk to A-ICE
As developers of IT solutions and airport operations software, we know the constraints of traditional legacy systems and approaches. We understand that these must be removed to enable us to soar into a new, inevitable normal, future-proofing as we go.
Talk to us about creating a streamlined, contract-free, new approach to airline IT solutions.
