(Posted 23rd April 2024)
SITA, a leading technology company in the air transport industry, launched its trailblazing airport management tool, the SITA Airport Operations Total Optimizer, which harnesses AI and the principles of Total Airport Management to optimise various airport operational, financial and sustainability functions.
Over the past decade, airports have tried to optimise individual airport functions, most of which are not well-synchronised with each other. Teams, systems, procedures and KPIs often conflict with one another and significantly reduce efficiencies, costing airports millions of dollars a year.
Staff in a modern airport operations centre take many things into account when making decisions. The problem today is that the tools currently at their disposal have a static configuration. This prevents the team from dynamically adapting their plans, to consider changes or priorities in the airport environment. Total Optimizer allows airport teams to dynamically set the relative priority of different aspects, such as operational performance, capacity provision, revenue generation, cost efficiency, passenger experience and environmental sustainability.
“This is one of the biggest innovations yet in the sphere of total airport management,” says Stefan Schaffner, VP of Airports at SITA, citing the platform’s impressive ability to leverage AI and data analytics.
A collaborative effort
SITA, with help from leading airports like Toronto-Pearson in Canada, has been closely studying the challenges airports face in achieving total airport management.
Schaffner then added: “We regularly interview our customers and other industry stakeholders to find solutions to the complex challenges they face now and in the future. In this respect, our new SITA Airport Operations Total Optimizer is a giant step forward to addressing the needs of our airport customers of different sizes in countries the world over.”
SITA Airport Operations Total Optimizer’s debut comes at a time when passenger numbers are continuing to grow at pace. Meeting this demand not only requires the industry to harness smarter digital solutions for greater efficiencies but also to streamline operations and ensure sustainable business practices are successfully integrated across the ecosystem. SITA’s 2023 Air Transport IT Insights research highlights increased IT spending as a current CIO imperative, alongside ongoing digitalisation efforts and a drive to deliver on sustainability commitments. Getting this balance right requires a technology partner who is invested in the industry and is recognized as a leader in leveraging smart technologies to create strong and relevant airport management solutions.
“SITA offers the expertise and technologies needed to reinvent the processes that will underpin tomorrow’s journey, along with the operations that keep the wheels of our industry in motion,” concluded Schaffner.
SITA partnered with the Toronto-Pearson Airport to deploy a prototype of Total Optimizer that was integrated with the airport’s data sources. Airport staff were able to dynamically optimise aircraft parking stand allocation plans, simply by setting the relative priorities of the airport. The predicted savings, operational efficiencies, and additional revenues were then demonstrated to the Toronto Pearson team.
The SITA Airports Operations Total Optimizer is the latest in a series of powerful solutions to optimize airport operations by leveraging accurate, reliable, shared real-time data. Already, more than 240 airports and 50 off-airport sites use SITA’s Airport Management Solution (AMS) and SITA’s Airport-Collaborative Decision-Making (A-CDM).
