8 I T NEWS
Communication (NFC) on their phones, at different stages of their journey: this might be at the boarding gate, fast-track security zones or to access premium passenger lounges. Japan Airline’s Touch & Go Android is one example of an app, one that will allow passengers to pass through boarding gates using their NFC-enabled phones. France’s Toulouse- Blagnac airport is piloting a similar service. Thirdly, by 2015, nine out of ten airlines and airports will provide flight updates using smart phone apps. The industry is also exploring apps to improve the customer experience. At Japan’s Narita airport, roaming service employees personalise the customer experience by using iPads to provide airport, flight and hotel information to passengers. In addition, Edinburgh airport is one of several airports with apps that help passengers plan their journeys to and from the airport, track their flights, access terminal maps and even reserve parking spots before they arrive.
Finally, by 2015, the signs are that
more than 80% of airports and airlines will invest in business intelligence solutions. Most will focus on improving customer service and satisfaction, often through personalised services. For example, one European airline, Vueling, researches customers via social media in an effort to understand them better. It then integrates this information with their business intelligence programs to improve their loyalty factor. Nigel Pickford concludes: “Passenger needs and preferences are changing. Today’s passengers want more control throughout their journey. They expect transformation in both the kinds of service that airlines and airports offer, and the way they communicate with them. At the same time, the industry is investing in business intelligence solutions and collaborating more to increase operational efficiency and improve customer service and loyalty.”
Weight and balance solution for AirBridgeCargo
CHAMP Cargosystems has signed a contract with AirBridgeCargo which will see the carrier adopt the former’s new weight and balance solution. The carrier has successfully tested the IT application in daily operations: the solution is designed to help the freighter operator automate its loadsheet and load planning processes and further improve its financial and operational performance, as well as reduce costs and operational risks. The airline, which is already a CHAMP customer, already
GROUND HANDLING INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013
uses applications such as Cargospot, Traxon cargoHUB and Traxon CDMP. The CHAMP new generation
Weight & Balance solution is the most advanced on the market, and one of the fastest. The application helps airlines to accurately and efficiently plan aircraft load and keep aircraft within permissible centre of gravity limits throughout the flight. It ensures compliance with all IATA operational and safety requirements. The CHAMP tool allows the user to process all the necessary computations to plan aircraft loading safely and efficiently, with a drag-and-drop graphical interface to produce loading instructions, loadsheets (both graphical and IATA formats) and all the associated messaging. This messaging integration saves up to 70% of processing time and reduces input errors. The solution also provides a reliable audit trail and reporting. CHAMP’s application is designed to cope with all type of aircraft, including B7-Fseries, B777F, MD-11F and A3-F series. Weight and balance interfaces with flight planning systems to provide zero fuel weight and to receive fuel load data.
“CHAMP’s weight and balance is a well proven, cost-efficient tool that has been further enhanced recently. The verifiability and reliability of the application, as well as the easy-to-use aspect, are a definite bonus”, explains Tatyana Arslanova, Executive President of ABC. “We are very proud that we have been able to win ABC as a customer for weight and balance. Today’s operational requirements and high fuel prices require sophisticated computerised systems. CHAMP’s weight and balance solution is a best fit for freighter operators and cargo airlines. It was developed by loadmasters for loadmasters and is thus easy to use, even in stress situations,” says James Fernandez, Vice President, Global Commercial Operations, CHAMP Cargosystems.
ARINC contract re-ratified at Munich airport
IT specialist ARINC has announced that its long-established customer, Munich airport, will continue to use the company’s CUPPS solution at Terminal 2. The ARINC/Munich relationship began in 2003 and was previously extended in 2009. Under the agreement, ARINC will continue to provide and maintain its fully-customisable vMUSE platform for Common Use Passenger Processing Systems, the so-called CUPPS. ARINC recently completed a seamless
upgrade to vMUSE 3.2 at the airport, providing a fully CUPPS-compatible environment for the airlines. Earlier this year, the German airport installed automated quick boarding gates and secured ARINC to provide support for the current contract lifetime. As part of the agreement with Munich, ARINC provides a premium, on-site service. A migration to a centralised state-of-the- art firewall solution was due to follow in the first quarter of 2013. Marco Butz, Manager Technology and Infrastructure at Munich airport, said: “We are impressed with the ARINC vMUSE platform and the support we have received over our long partnership. The ARINC team has regularly exceeded our agreed upon benchmarks and SLAs.” “We are delighted to continue working with one of our long-standing and valued customers, as we believe it reflects both the quality of our service and commitment to the highest standards of performance,” commented Tony Chapman, ARINC Senior Director, Integrated Travel Solutions. “Munich airport is focused on providing the best possible services for its customers, and ARINC’s technology helps make that achievable.”
ULD management to continue
AirBridgeCargo, the largest Russian cargo airline and part of the Volga- Dnepr Group of Companies, and CHEP Aerospace Solutions have agreed to extend their unit load device outsourcing and management agreement until mid-2018. CHEP Aerospace Solutions supplies and manages more than 5,000 ULDs, predominantly cargo pallets, each month on AirBridgeCargo’s scheduled routes between Russia, Asia, Europe and North America, and for its charter operations to multiple destinations worldwide. CHEP also provides AirBridgeCargo with other types of non- mainstream ULDs from its global pool of over 55,000 units. AirBridgeCargo Operations Director, Alexander Lapin, commented on the extension. “Our long-term partnership with CHEP proves its value in our reduced ULD operational expenditure and continuous peak performance that ultimately benefits our customers. As we work on further enhancing our service quality we are confident that we’ve found the right partner in CHEP for all our ULD needs. We look forward to our continued partnership with CHEP.”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68