SPECIAL REPORT: SUSTAINABILITY
initiative targets the achievement of operational efficiencies and environmental benefits though co-operation between the major stakeholders including airports, airlines, air traffic control and ground handlers. CDM is a part of the broader picture of co-operation between
aviation stakeholders that ACI and the Civil Air Navigation Service Organisation (CANSO) promote for their members and other industry partners.
Elements of CDM In real life situations, carefully planned events such as arrival and departure times and gate usage often change. When this happens, such changes need to be communicated effectively through to the vast numbers of people who work on getting aircraft in and out of an airport. The list invariably includes air traffic controllers (area
controllers, approach controllers, tower controllers), ground controllers, staff responsible for gate allocation, airline dispatchers, baggage handlers, refuellers, in-flight caterers and security. If any one of them has the wrong information, then it usually
results in a delay in the process. In most airports these functions are handled by completely
separate companies, which means that sharing accurate information in a timely fashion is a constant challenge. Information sharing between stakeholders is the foundation of
CDM. This includes: • Using timely, accurate and reliable flight arrival and departure times;
• Common information structures so that all parties are working from the same definition. For example, traditionally, ‘arrival time’ for apron control is touch down, whereas ‘arrival time’ for a dispatcher would be on the blocks (or at gate) time;
• Flight and airport status information giving an insight into current and anticipated operations;
• Arrangements and resources for the essential sharing and processing of information. Shared systems or web services are required to communicate
such information and CDM procedures need to be able to use them in a timely manner to benefit all operations by the various partners. This requires insight into the CDM ‘milestone approach’ for operation managers, handlers, air traffic controllers and pilots. CDM aims to accrue the benefits of individual stakeholder
efforts to maximise efficiency and, through joint decision-making and integrated control, realise further efficiencies not available through disjointed efforts. Systems and information sharing, however, will not be
effective without cultural change and an understanding of the bigger picture. CDM is about individual parties working in a harmonised way to optimise the overall process, rather than just optimising their tasks. A dispatcher, for example, would normally work towards
aircraft push back as early as possible. However, for the sake of optimising the overall system under CDM, they may introduce a ‘delay’ on the gate to gain benefits at the destination airport.
The key to developing CDM at an airport is creating a new culture of
co-operation across organisational boundaries and one that recognises the benefits of concerted efforts over a disjointed approach. It must focus on true operational efficiency parameters rather than
arbitrary achievements. A fundamental basis for this new culture, next to supporting new systems for information sharing, is achieving insight into the actual tasks, responsibilities and challenges for the different partners. At Amsterdam Schiphol, for example, the CDM partners started an
intensive ‘mini-internship’ programme, in which all key operational managers visited each other’s operations in joint groups for a few hours at a time, actually working side by side. Also, a dedicated workshop programme with CDM ‘serious gaming’ exercises was conducted, to learn to think and respect each others capabilities instead of limitations. An example of this cultural change is a new approach to departure
times. Historically, departures have been considered to be on time if the aircraft pushes back from the gate at the scheduled time [+/- 15 minutes], regardless of any delays between the pushback and the start-of-roll. An operational culture focused on perceived punctuality of individual flights that excludes consideration of taxiing efficiency, local air quality or other resource wastage will often lead to misdirected efforts. Other benefits of CDM are more reliable arrival times, and
corresponding departure times, of the same aircraft on its next flight. Such benefits will also flow downstream, to the planning of luggage handling, passenger flow and even boarding times in the terminal. It becomes possible to give passengers more reliable flight
information, as well as improve the information on airport and airline websites. On the internal side, CDM partners will be able to make much
better use of staff and other resources, from aircraft at gates to handling equipment. This can generate cost savings, which are much needed in these challenging times, to all aviation partners. For instance, Munich Airport – which introduced CDM in 2007 –
has reported a cost-benefit ratio of more than 1:10, which for Lufthansa alone represents some €20-30 million. Questions remain, however, as to why it is apparently so difficult
and lengthy to introduce ‘Airport CDM’ as many organisations at a number of gateways have been working towards it for the last decade. Some blame so-called ‘system challenges’, which are being
resolved by the introduction of new ‘cloud’ IT technology and web-based applications as well as for connections for handheld devices and personal mobile phones. Another major factor is the operational culture at the
airport: stakeholders need to learn to trust, respect and support each other much more, even though they are separate organisations with different business objectives. It takes leadership to achieve this. CDM is an example of a developing success story involving
airports, air navigation service providers and other stakeholders working together to improve system efficiency. ACI and the CANSO see a huge opportunity to work together to
achieve broader implementation of CDM as well as other operational improvements.
AIRPORT WORLD/AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2010 AW 37
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