32 IT FOCUS
GROUND HANDLING INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013
Amadeus DCS has proved to be popular
which includes two modules to deal with the challenges of increasing operational efficiency and improving the customer experience. Flight Management for Ground Handlers provides a load control platform designed to ensure efficient flight departures, and to optimise the weight and balance of handled flights. Customer Management for Ground Handlers is a solution that is used to optimise the customer experience through differentiated customer service and to enable ground handlers to cater for more passengers.
“Back in 2007, Finnair became the first
European carrier to select Altéa DCS – Flight Management, and this solution was fully implemented across the entire Finnair network in early 2008. Finnair outsources the majority of its load control processes to Air Dispatch, who in turn became the first ground handler to practise Centralised Load Control using Altéa DCS. By locating load controllers remotely, rather than at the airport, a single Air Dispatch load controller is now able to handle 17,250 load sheets each year, rather than approximately 3,000 as was the case with a decentralised environment.
“The Altéa portfolio was subsequently extended with the addition of two further products: Altéa Reservation Desktop for Ground Handlers, and Altéa Self-Service Check-in for Ground Handlers. The former solution increases ticketing agents’ productivity by allowing them to service all airlines via an intuitive single screen, with limited training effort. Self-Service Check-in for Ground Handlers improves check-in services to airlines and maximises space at the airport by allowing travellers to check-in when and where they want at all airports.
“Since the initial development of Altéa DCS for Ground Handlers, we have seen significant adoption from the ground handling community and have secured 22 long-term IT agreements with ground handling companies to date, extending
Collaborative decision making has become a reality
the portfolio of products and moving towards the vision of a truly integrated airport ecosystem which will help the collaborative decision making models. This development is becoming possible thanks to the breadth of the travel community using Amadeus’ IT solutions. This includes travel agents, airlines, ground handlers and other travel service providers. All these systems are based around the Amadeus passenger name record and collaborative systems which are fully interoperable and can share data effectively across partners.“ Yannick goes on to say that through the implementation of integrated IT solutions, it is possible for the airport to take a step towards achieving a truly integrated ecosystem, enabling collaborative decision making and engaging key partners within the airport ecosystem. Achieving true CDM requires efficient and transparent data sharing and process collaboration between these relevant partners.
“What makes Amadeus’ solutions unique is the utilisation of PNR information this is the industry standard booking record which contains detailed traveller information. Global Distribution Systems such as Amadeus manage this data on behalf of travellers and travel providers like airlines, rail companies and hotels. The PNR information, which belongs to the passengers, is managed securely and we have more than 22 years of undisputable security experience when it comes to acting as a guardian of PNR data. Under strict control, the traveller and the travel service providers can decide to exchange data for a better service to the passenger. Access to this information provides Amadeus’ Altéa DCS ground handling customers with an edge over the competition whilst being able to share data with airline partners seamlessly provides the insight required to ensure an excellent passenger experience from the moment customers arrive at the airport.“
Experience enhancement
At Amadeus, there is a constant focus on new development and looking at ways to enhance the airport experience for all parties involved. Recent research commissioned by Amadeus found that 80% of passengers cited a lack of speed and simplicity in the airport check-in process as “very stressful“, with baggage delivery another consistent pain point for passengers. By 2015, ACI suggests that 88% of airports are planning to invest in mobile apps; provision of touch points in the airport environment means that ground handlers can offer à la carte services to passengers, such as special assistance or concierge services. This development allows handlers to adopt a rôle beyond passenger processing alone and to re-examine their business model. There are other, more run-of-the- mill issues in the airport environment which are yet to be fully overcome. Keeping track of all services rendered and all elements to justify billing is a complex, time-consuming task for ground handlers: human error is still prevalent and can result in lost revenue. Amadeus Contract Management will be the next offering for ground handlers, and the solution will seek to address this challenge with a structured process to monitor all aspects of a contract: from document generation, to handling reporting and service billing. The solution is set to eliminate the chance of human error and it will track service levels, resulting in a more streamlined delivery. Yannick concludes: “The airport
environment continues to evolve but it is absolutely clear there is a need for an increasingly close relationship between ground handlers and their airline customers, as well as airport authorities and even retail operators on the ground. Next-generation technology has a fundamental rôle to play when it comes to realising this vision.“
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