As Part One of this blog looked at the complex and lengthy journey involved for baggage at airports, in Part Two we explore the challenges of this process. How can airports improve Early Bag Stores and Make Up Points to create more efficient airports and a better passenger experience?
India’s aviation industry is in need of some fast-moving and efficient solutions to tackle their growing airport capacity problems. The region has seen exponential growth over recent decades, with the volume of passenger traffic trebling in the last ten years. In fact, the increase in passenger traffic between 2001 and 2011 was three times the growth that had been achieved in the previous 50 years. A similar increase is predicted over the next decade.
Most airports in India are coming within reach of their existing capacities, if they haven’t already, and the country urgently needs new facilities and airports to ensure that the network can keep up with demand. But why has India got such a constrained network of airports? And what can be done to ensure that capacity is not an issue?
All airports and airport operators should be aware of the upgrade needed in order to comply with Hold Baggage Screening Standard 3, which comes into force in 2018. This framework, regulated by the ECAC (European Civil Aviation Conference), requires airports to achieve detection levels only provided by CAT (Computed Axial Tomography) type detectors.
With aeroplanes increasing in size, and 38,000 new aircraft to be introduced into the global fleet within next 20 years (statistic Boeing July 2015), airports are beginning to feel the impact of larger aircraft on the apron and airside.
Airports must plan and prepare for the impact of new planes coming into the market, particularly jumbo planes such as the A380. For these jumbo planes, although the weight and size of plane does not cause stress on all runways (either in terms of size and weight), it does impact on all taxiways, parking, terminal space and passenger demand. Read More »
As part of a joint submission under GTA, supported by both ourselves and Airport Design Consult Ltd, we were very pleased to be awarded the contract to augment the capacity of Passenger Terminal Building of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA).
This project explores how the existing terminal can be upgraded to provide additional capacity, develop measures to increase capacity on a short-term basis and assess the capacity of the existing baggage handling system, determining what additional capacity is needed.
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is presently owned, operated and maintained by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL).
One of the highlights of our days is the walkabout – taking time to travel around the airports we work in to collect data, view airside layout changes and take time to talk to stakeholders.
We do official ‘walkabout’s (surveys) of Heathrow once every quarter – This is where we assess the whole of the airport to see what has changed and collect relevant data. It may be that car parking allocations have altered, a temporary building has been erected or a construction project has taken some land – this may cause problems if we have targeted this space as possible land to solve a capacity problem!
Following a lot of hard work by all involved, Heathrow’s new Terminal 2 opens this week.
Described as an extraordinary new space in its own right, it has been “designed from the outset with the needs of the individual passenger at its heart and with sustainability as a guiding principle.” (www.heathrowairport.com)
Moving partner airlines closer together to improve flight connections and passenger experience was central to the vision behind this amazing new terminal, and AiQ were part of the team to make that happen.
We were awarded the contract for Terminal 2 MUP Planning in February, as part of our work for MACE. This involved creating live allocation plans for the make up for Terminal 2 in preparation for the opening. Revised schedules, airlines moving from T3 to T2, and ground handler contract changes, all added to the challenging conditions. Requirement to use the older T1 baggage systems to service the new T2 baggage systems, constraining makeup resources, was also a key concern.
Our expert knowledge of airport operations, capacity planning and stakeholder management ensured that the project was completed and extremely successful.
We coordinated with the ground handlers and all operational elements, including the Aviation Business Continuity Consultancy who ran and managed the actual trails. We also worked with the Baggage Handling Systems department of Babcock International, Menzies Aviation and United Airlines handling.
As well as designing and co-ordinating the project in the run up to the opening of the new Terminal, we were also present on the day of the trails, which were very successful.
We were honoured to be part of such a ground-breaking vision of airport capacity and efficiency, and look forward to more projects with Heathrow in the months and years to come.
To find out more about our work with Heathrow, read our case studies or contact us today.
AiQ delivers expert consultancy services, tailored to individual client’s goals and capacity requirements. We diagnose, develop solutions, implement and oversee live operation as part of our service.
Using our process model, we follow each of the elements in all our operations to ensure we solve airport capacity problems quickly and innovatively, giving peace of mind to our clients.
Diagnose
We create clear and concise brief response based on our experience and expert knowledge. Understanding the high level goals and detailed requirements driven by technical efficiency, safety, security and environmental sustainability, we identify the cause and nature of any capacity problem in Airports swiftly and efficiently.
AiQ strives to produce tools and simulations that give maximum benefits to clients. Providing integrated, simple and effective analysis and simulations allows us to advise and present our clients with the information they need to run operational and cost effective airports.
In addition to all of the integrated operational Capacity Planning tools (Chk-in, MUP, Arrival, Stand Planning) offered by AiQ, we have now developed our own discrete Apron Vehicle simulation.
As part of TranvisionAiR, it gives the following benefits to clients:
AiQ Consulting provides intelligent airport consultancy, for capacity planning and operational efficiency, for many airports worldwide. This support is not just based on short-term solutions, whether it is pop up terminals or new ways around capacity problems. Our work can assist airports in long term planning, deciding on the suitability of further investments and creating buy in with key stakeholders.
With the use of our bespoke 2D simulation software, Transvision AiR, we not only help our clients with everyday operations but can also provide decision support for long term planning. Read More »
AiQ Consulting Services
AiQ covers all areas of the Airport Consultancy with our holistic approach to capacity planning and operational efficiencies.
We improve passenger experience, protect your operation and reduce risk. By realising ‘unseen’ capacity, optimising the use of what is already available, as well proving future designs or masterplans that are efficient from the outset, we help airports around the world achieve more with what they already have.
In the airfield, we maximise your airport’s competitive advantage with intelligent airfield planning, keeping pace with existing and future aircraft demands by optimising your airfield capacity. We look at major aircraft traffic surfaces, such as runways, taxiways and stands; current and future flight schedules; and capacity issues and risk that airport, operators and airlines face on any given day.
We also develop operational concepts for terminals, proving layouts and evaluating existing facilities for efficient use of resources (airport baggage check, baggage handling systems, passenger screening and more,). We enhance the function of terminal buildings, ensuring long-term utilisation and preventing unnecessary investment costs.
Following our announcement that we are to be retained by Heathrow as Airside Operations Seasonal Planners, we have been awarded several new contracts in recent weeks.
These include:
Heathrow Terminal 2 MUP Planning
This project is further work based on the capacity analysis that we completed for Heathrow a few years ago. Working for MACE, this will involve live allocation plans for the make up for Terminal 2 in preparation for the opening in June.
As airlines move from T3 to T2, with revised schedules and many ground handler contract changes, these plans are based on new, changing and challenging requirements. Terminal 2 MUP Planning requires the use of older T1 baggage systems to service the new T2 baggage systems, which will constrain makeup resources.
This contract will take full advantage of AiQ’s stakeholder management expertise to keep the airline and ground handler community well informed and happy with the changes taking place.
Despite these challenging conditions, our expert knowledge of airport operations, capacity planning and stakeholder management will ensure that disruption is kept to a minimum for passengers, airlines, ground handling crew and others involved.
Heathrow Terminal 2 Makeup Trails Read More »
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