Flying high with ICT

According to IDC, the number of mobile workers around the world will reach one billion by 2011. Many of them regularly travel by air. Today, around 9,000 airplanes take off and land in German airports on a daily basis, and air traffic has more than doubled at the past two decades. ICT systems in airports make checking in quick and easy, allow passengers to use their time more productively, and ensure that planes arrive at their destination on time.

As usual Jörg Börs is in a hurry. Out of necessity, the manager is a frequent flyer – and rarely at his desk. Today, he’s flying to Rome. His secretary booked the flight online. And the airline sent Jörg’s digital boarding pass directly to his cell phone. When she booked the flight, Jörg’s secretary signed her boss up for the airline’s location-based services (LBS). A few hours before departure, Jörg receives notification that the road he usually takes to the airport is closed. From then on, the solution continues to send regular updates to his cell phone, informing him when he needs to leave the office to get there on time via an alternative route. At the airport, digital displays provide Jörg with real-time information on his take-off time and direct him to security and to the right gate. Thanks to his cell-phone boarding card and because his fingerprint is also saved electronically on the device, he can go straight to the gate without waiting in long check-in lines.

Increased profitability for airports

Timely, comprehensive information is vital for the smooth running of all airport processes. At the new Berlin Brandenburg airport, which will open in 2011 with an annual throughput of up to 27 million passengers, T-Systems will implement a network infrastructure and a state-of-the-art ICT solution to ensure efficient airport processes. The total airport management system (TAMS) will provide all staff, including apron control, with reliable, accurate and consistent information. Thanks to the sophisticated ICT system, turnaround times are shorter and gates are available for other planes faster. All this adds up to more flights each day, less waiting for passengers and increased profitability for airports.

Read more about aviation systems in the print edition of Best Practice.