chapter 7

Aviation and Information

Technology
Learning Objectives planes in the sky is a complex human endeavor.
This complexity is because airlines and airports
After studying this chapter you should be able to: operate in environments that are sensitive
to geopolitical, economic, technological and
● analyze the impact of IT on airlines and
environmental change. Aviation also involves
air travelers;
many stakeholders – g­ overnment authorities,
● explain how airline reservation systems
international organizations, employees, travel-
work and how they connect with other
ers and residents. The operation of airlines and
information systems;
airports is logistically complex, requiring the
● understand how information systems
expertise of engineers, accountants, IT special-
support management decision-making in
ists, managers, meteorologists, environmental
airlines;
scientists and pilots, to name a few.
● examine how information technologies
This complexity creates a heavy reliance
are used by airports to streamline the
on information systems and other tech-
passenger experience; and
nologies, although human interaction is also
● evaluate the present and future infor-
critical (Oyewole et al., 2008). Flying “heavier
mation technology applications in air-
than air” machines was accomplished just
port operations.
120 years ago thanks to the industrial revolu-
tion and human ingenuity. Today over 3 bil-
lion passengers fly annually and 3.5% of the
Introduction global economy relies on aviation (Interna-
tional Air Transport Association, 2014). By
Travelers in developed countries often take air 2030, it is estimated that 5.9 billion passen-
travel for granted, but the business of putting gers will fly annually and the global airline

© P. J. Benckendorff, P. J. Sheldon and D. R. Fesenmaier, 2014. Tourism Information Technology,

2nd Edn (P. J. Benckendorff et al.) 177
 TOURISM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

fleet will be almost double the 24,000 aircraft to emerge. Examples include Virgin Atlantic,
in service today (Air Transport Action Group, Delta and Eva Air. Many commercial airlines
2014). The modern aviation industry would developed the global distributions systems
not be possible without the use of technol- (GDSs) and have benefitted by sharing tech-
ogy to design and build aircraft, sell seats and nological innovations with alliance partners
ensure the safety of travelers. In this chapter or establishing OTAs such as Orbitz and Zuji.
we examine how IT is supporting the opera- 3. Low Cost Carriers (LCCs): these airlines
tions of airlines and airports. keep base fares low and charge extra for food,
priority boarding, seat allocation and baggage.
This is the “user pays” business model and
Airlines
examples include Ryanair, AirAsia X, Spring
Airlines, easyJet, Jetstar and Southwest Airlines.
Airlines are the most intensive users of IT in
LCCs airlines use IT to automate processes,
tourism. The operation of an airline requires
improve efficiency and reduce operating costs.
many sophisticated systems to deliver a satis-
4. Charter Airlines: charter airlines lease air-
fying and safe travel experience while maxi-
craft for itineraries such as packaged tours that
mizing the airline’s profitability. Since the
travelers purchase through a tour operator.
mid-1980s many countries’ airline industries
Cruise lines, sports teams, governments and
have been deregulated and privatized, and
the military also use charter airlines. Examples
ownership of some national airlines has trans-
include Thomson Airlines and North Ameri-
ferred to public or private companies, creat-
can Airlines but scheduled airlines also offer
ing opportunities for new airlines to enter the
charter services. To be viable, charter flights
market. Generally airlines can be divided into
usually operate at near 100% seat occupancy.
the following categories.
IT solutions facilitate the scheduling and
1. National Flag Carriers: many govern- booking of entire aircraft or a block of seats.
ments, particularly in the Asia-Pacific, the
Middle East, Africa and Latin America, con- Airline use of information technology
tinue to own national airlines, which oper- Airlines use IT for a wide range of applica-
ate full service scheduled services. Examples tions at all stages of the tourist experience,
include Air India, Air New Zealand and including marketing, distribution, customer
Aerolíneas Argentinas. These airlines provide service and operations. In fact, modern air-
services for taxpayers’ benefit, are often heavily lines would not exist without IT to ensure
subsidized by governments, serve routes that the efficient distribution and safe operation
would otherwise be unprofitable, and use IT of flights. Figure 7.1 provides an overview of
less extensively. these key IT solutions.
2. Commercial Airlines: a mix of new air- The airline reservation system (ARS)
lines and older, established non-government is at the core of most modern airline IT sys-
owned airlines or flag carriers that were pri- tems. ARSs interface with a range of decision
vatized. Examples include British Airways, support systems and departure systems to
Qantas and Lufthansa. Deregulation in ensure that reservations and passenger pro-
developed countries has allowed new carriers cessing are handled efficiently. In Chapters 2

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 AIRLINE RESERVATION SYSTEM DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS
DEPARTURE SYSTEMS
Schedules and availability Fleet management
Departure control system
Fare quotes and rules Schedule optimization
Gate control
Passenger information Revenue management
Flight dispatch
Ticketing Flight operations systems

MARKETING AND CRM SYSTEMS TRAVEL INTERMEDIARIES GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

Direct bookings Traditional agents and OTAs Availability: schedules

Loyalty programs Travel management companies Pricing: fare quotes and rules

Chapter 7: Aviation and Information Technology

Customer service Tour operators and wholesalers Distribution: booking and ticketing

TRAVELERS IN-FLIGHT TECHNOLOGIES

Business and leisure Entertainment

Groups Communications

Frequent flyers Crew support systems

CABI TOURISM TEXTS

Fig. 7.1. Key information technologies used by airlines.

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 TOURISM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Industry Insight: Altéa Suite

In addition to providing one of the world’s leading GDSs, Amadeus has diversified and
provides IT solutions for the travel industry. Its Altéa Suite includes software solutions
that automate sales and reservations, inventory management and departure control
­processes. ­Altéa allows airlines and airports to outsource their IT operations using an
open platform that shares information with both airline partners. The Altéa Suite consists
of three components.

1. Altéa Reservation: customer profiles, availability, booking, pricing and ticketing

­management.
2. Altéa Inventory: schedule and seat capacity management.
3. Altéa Departure Control: a departure control system including check-in and board-
ing ­applications, baggage management, aircraft weight and balance, and disruption
­management.

Amadeus also provides an e-commerce suite to support online

­bookings and distribution. All of these components are based on PNRs,
customer profiles, schedules, seat maps and codeshare records. Altéa
Airport Link connects the Altéa Suite and airport workstations serviced
by an airline. Watch the following video to learn more about how Ama-
http://youtu.be/oWX8W7G8m_s deus supports the aviation industry: http://youtu.be/oWX8W7G8m_s/.

and 3 we explored how travel intermediaries flight schedules and seat availability, fares and
and the GDSs interface with these systems rules and passenger information. An ARS shows
to support the booking of travel products. the schedules for a single airline, whereas a GDS
Most airlines also rely heavily on information shows many carriers’ schedules. Furthermore,
systems to support marketing and customer ARSs are used by airline staff while GDSs are
relationship management (CRM). These used by travel intermediaries to source and book
systems are integrated or offered as part of seats. It is important for an ARS to connect to
a suite, such as Amadeus’ Altéa (see Indus- other systems such as GDSs and Internet book-
try Insight). Once passengers are onboard a ing engines (IBEs). Interoperability is critical
range of in-flight technologies enhances the between airlines that are part of the same alliance.
travel experience. The following sections dis- The ARS typically interfaces with other systems
cuss each of these applications in more detail. using a standardized message format to book
seats in real time. A major goal of IATAs New
Airline reservation systems Distribution Capability (NDC) is to facilitate
A passenger reservation system, or airline reserva­ seamless connectivity with a common XML-based
tion system (ARS), is the most important data transmission standard for communications
application of IT. At its core is a database of between ARSs, GDSs and travel intermediaries.

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 Chapter 7: Aviation and Information Technology

Some airlines develop their own ARSs boarding pass. Different frequent flyer points
but they are functionally complex and expen- are awarded based on booking codes so this
sive to operate and maintain in-house. Con- information must be communicated to the
sequently, many airlines use a CRS hosted airline’s frequent flyer system.
by the GDSs or third-party IT vendors. The combined set of fare quotes and asso-
Although each airline’s reservation system ciated rules is called a fare basis code (FBC).
may have unique features, most functions are For international itineraries, fares may involve
similar and discussed below. multiple segments, multiple currencies, taxes
and sets of regulations. This requires the
Flight schedules and availability interchange of fare data between airlines,
An important function of an ARS is to display GDSs and other intermediaries. Most of this
flight schedules and availability in response to fare data is distributed either by the Airline
the requests of passengers and intermediar- Tariff Publishing Company (ATPCO) or
ies. Therefore an ARS has to interface with Société Internationale de Télécommunica-
all touch points where this information is tions Aéronautiques (SITA) using a common
needed, including the airline’s own website, set of standards.
third-party websites, mobile apps, GDSs and By combining scheduling and seat
traditional travel intermediaries. An airline’s availability information with the Fare Quote
availability display shows all flights for a ­System an ARS provides the best fare for
particular route (or city-pair) and the avail-
able seats in different classes. The availabil- Table 7.1. Examples of booking codes
ity display usually includes the airline’s own used by airlines.
flights and those of code-share partners using
the airline’s flight codes. If direct flights are Booking class Code
not available the availability display will show
First Class F
connecting flight options.
First Class Premium P
Fare quotes and rules
First Class Discounted A
The Fare Quote System stores fares and
rules for each booking class. Fare rules First Class Suites R
regarding booking and ticketing deadlines, Business Class C
stopovers, maximum or minimum length
of stay and blackout dates are stored for Business Class Premium J
each fare. Airlines typically divide seats into Business Class D
cabin classes (e.g. first, business or economy Discounted
class) and booking codes that contain differ-
ent fare quotes and rules. Booking codes are Economy Y, Q
also known as booking classes or fare classes. Economy Premium E, S, W
A single cabin class may contain several book-
Economy Discounted B, H, K, L, M, N,
ing codes (see Table 7.1), which are shown
T, V, X
on the passenger’s booking confirmation and

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 TOURISM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

every seat. Real-time decision support systems, Electronic ticketing

such as schedule optimization systems and The final key function of an ARS is tick-
revenue management systems, determine the eting. Historically airlines required passen-
fares (see below) by monitoring the demand gers to travel with paper tickets to validate
and supply of seats and using algorithms to their reservation. Electronic tickets, or
maximize revenues. Once determined, these e-tickets, were devised in the mid-1990s
fares are fed into the ARS and GDS for ­display. and became mandatory for all IATA airlines
in 2008. Once a reservation is confirmed,
Passenger information
passengers are provided with a hard copy
The third core function of an ARS is to or electronic copy of their e-ticket itinerary,
store passenger information required for which contains a record locator and itinerary
reservations, check-in and other operational details. An e-ticket itinerary also includes
procedures. Bookings for individual passen- the terms and conditions of carriage, fare
gers or groups are stored using a passenger and tax details (including the fare basis
name record (PNR). A PNR contains the code), fare restrictions and baggage allow-
passenger’s name, contact details, payment ances. The e-ticket allows the passenger to
details, frequent flyer number and a record check-in online or at the airport to obtain
locator. The record locator is a six char- a boarding pass. Because of these different
acter alphanumeric code used to access a check-in procedures an ARS must manage
reservation. The PNR also stores special e-tickets at a number of touch points.
service requests (SSRs) such as seat pref-
erences (e.g. aisle or window), special meals
(e.g. vegetarian, kosher, diabetic), wheelchair Decision support systems
requests, and assistance for unaccompanied Airline managers make many decisions
minors. It is therefore important that the about an airline’s flight activity. Computer
passenger information in an ARS can be systems can analyze such situations and
transmitted to other systems. For example, recommend solutions to problems, par-
before a flight departs a passenger name ticularly scheduling and control problems.
list (PNL) is transmitted to departure and These systems are based on sophisticated
gate control systems so that passengers can models called Operations Research (OR)
be checked in and a flight manifest can be models, which use “what-if?” and sensi-
generated. Special service requests are trans- tivity analyses to investigate the impact
ferred to flight operations and catering sys- of various factors on operations. Skilled
tems while passenger data are transmitted staff with OR training build and use
to customer loyalty databases to update fre- these ­models. Decision Support Systems
quent flyer accounts. Data from a customer (DSSs) based on OR models constitute
loyalty database may also flow to the PNR a significant amount of airline computer
to populate fields with existing information applications. The following section will dis-
and passenger preferences. Data needed for cuss the DSSs used for fleet management,
financial systems and reporting are transmit- flight and crew scheduling, revenue man-
ted to back-office systems. agement and flight operations.

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 Chapter 7: Aviation and Information Technology

Fleet management The complexity of scheduling is due to the

The aircraft fleet represents a significant invest- wide range of inputs that impact the airline’s
ment and investors expect profits. IT solutions operation and its ­passengers, including:
can optimize the use of the fleet as follows:
● Strategic goals: strategic decisions
1. Fleet acquisition: an airline needs data
such as which markets to serve, how to
to support decisions about what type, when
respond to competing schedules and pric-
and how many of each aircraft to acquire
ing, and access to resources such suppli-
(Belobaba et al., 2009). IT systems provide
ers, employees and terminal facilities can
information such as operating costs and prof-
impact the long-term viability of routes.
itability of different aircraft types on particular ● Route network: route networks ensure
routes. This information is linked to schedul-
that aircraft utilization is maximized and
ing and revenue management data, although
connections are convenient for passengers.
aircraft acquisition may also be based on ● Passenger demand: airlines use sophis-
­customer preferences (Bhatia, 1988).
ticated revenue management models to
2. Fleet assignment: the assignment of air-
project demand for each route (see below).
craft to routes should maximize profits while
Scheduling flights on high demand days
ensuring the efficient use of the fleet. Com-
and times optimizes load factors and profits.
puters model time–space networks to ensure ● Alliances: an airline must consider not
the optimal assignment of an airline’s fleet.
only its own schedules but also those
3. Fleet maintenance: safety regulations require
of alliance partners so that connecting
close monitoring of the maintenance schedule for
flights are convenient.
each aircraft. Computerized systems ensure that ● Aircraft type: operating characteristics
all aircraft receive maintenance checks at speci-
such as the capacity, range and fuel effi-
fied intervals. Databases contain information
ciency of different aircraft, maintenance
about each aircraft and the maintenance schedule
schedules and turnaround times all impact
for individual parts. They generate reports so that
scheduling.
checks and servicing are not overlooked. ● Human resources: the availability of
Fleet management systems are intricately flight crew and industrial relations leg-
linked with flight scheduling systems, as we islation governs the working conditions
will explain below. of flight crew. Maximum shift durations,
recuperation and changeover of fresh
Flight scheduling systems crews need to be considered (see below).
Flight scheduling is a complex task requiring ● Environmental and safety regula-
route-planning to maximize an airline’s return tions: airlines and airports must com-
on investment in aircraft, terminal facilities ply with stringent environmental and
and people. Route selection considers the most safety requirements, including inspec-
profitable routes and the frequency of ser- tions, maintenance schedules and noise
vice on those routes. We can develop a better restrictions, which affect scheduling.
understanding of the role IT plays in schedul- ● Airport restrictions: curfews, congestion,
ing by adopting an input–output perspective. air traffic control, landing slots and gate

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 TOURISM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

availability can limit departure and arrival base destination (i.e. a round trip). Sometimes
windows for a particular route. Some air- deadheading is necessary, which involves flying
ports also have physical limitations restrict- crewmembers free of charge on other flights. It is
ing the type of aircraft that can land. inefficient and is avoided whenever possible. The
● Contingency planning: exogenous and challenge for an airline is to minimize costs by
erratic factors such as weather, air traffic finding the minimum number of crews to cover
control delays and technical failures must all scheduled flights. A pairing optimizer also
also be considered by scheduling systems. identifies reserve crewmembers in case sched-
The outputs are flight schedules that uled crewmembers cannot fulfill their duties.
maximize load factors and revenue per avail­ A pairing optimizer considers various
able seat mile (RASM) and minimize costs per inputs to create the most efficient schedule for
available seat mile (CASM). These inputs and the airline. Examples of inputs are crew requests
outputs mean that airlines face a complex set for their preferred routes, crewmember senior-
of variables. The input–output approach helps ity, and their base city. Other constraints are
us to understand that the ideal schedule for work rules, such as maximum work hours stipu-
an airline amounts to the optimization of the lated by industrial relations or unions; mini-
entire company, or in the case of alliances, the mum rest periods; and cost parameters such as
entire industry. This optimization is difficult to salaries and budgets. IT plays an important role
achieve without technology. Flight scheduling here as computers run the complex algorithms
systems provide an IT solution to model vari- that underpin scheduling solutions. Although
ous scheduling scenarios using these inputs and computers do much of the work, crucial choices
outputs. A sophisticated flight scheduling sys- and decisions are still made by managers.
tem allows decision makers to adjust the inputs
Revenue management
to model the effects on load factors, revenue
and costs. Flight scheduling is a never-ending Revenue maximization is a major focus of
task because schedules fluctuate with market airline management. Like hotel rooms (see
and competitive forces and seasons. Chapter 9), airline seats can be sold at different
prices. Airlines can maximize revenue and load
factors by selling the right seats, at the right
Crew scheduling systems price, to the right people, at the right time.
Once the flight schedules have been deter- According to Belobaba et al. (2009), there are
mined, the pilots and flight attendants must be two components of revenue management. The
scheduled. A computer program called a pair- first is price differentiation, whereby seats on
ing optimizer assembles flight schedules for the same flight are offered at different prices
each crewmember. The process of requesting a with different rules and features. The second is
particular schedule is called bidding. Generally the use of yield management to determine the
each crewmember submits their bids monthly. number of seats (booking limits) for each fare
The monthly work schedule allocated to a crew- class at any given time.
member is called a line, which consists of a series Maximizing revenue requires an under-
of crew pairings. A crew pairing is a sequence standing of the market, historic trends, com-
of flights or legs that start and end at the same petitor behavior and pricing. Leisure travelers

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 Chapter 7: Aviation and Information Technology

are more price sensitive and have greater flex- Flight operations systems
ibility than business travelers. As a result they Airlines and aircraft manufacturers employ a
are attracted to low-cost seats. In peak times range of IT solutions to support the opera-
(e.g. Friday afternoons) an airline has to control tion of a flight. Feeding passengers is one
the seat price so that not too many seats are sold of the most complex challenges faced by
at a low price when passengers are willing to pay airlines ( Jones, 2006). A large airline like
more. The main objective is to preserve some Emirates employs over 5400 staff and pro-
seats for later booking by high-yield travelers. duces 125 different menus and over 70,000
Airlines use Revenue Management meals a day. Flight catering systems capture
Systems (RMSs) to calculate the booking special meal requests and manage the order-
limits on each fare class for future flights. ing, storage, preparation and delivery of
These RMSs forecast future demand for dif- meals. A range of systems order and track the
ferent fare classes so they can fill each seat ingredients required and monitor the fresh-
with the highest possible revenue. An RMS ness, quality and quantity of ingredients so
typically includes the following ­capabilities: that orders meet passenger demand. For this
1. Historical data: capturing and analyzing reason, the flight catering system interfaces
historical booking data to identify patterns with the ARS. Like restaurants (see Chapter 9),
and trends. airlines and flight catering companies use
2. Forecasting: predicting future demand recipe-costing systems to track meal costs.
based on historical data and other inputs. Bar codes and radio frequency identification
3. Modeling: recommendations on booking (RFID) chips keep track of trolleys, trays,
limits and overbooking levels that optimize cutlery and crockery to reduce the incidence
expected flight revenues using mathematical of lost items.
models. Airlines also employ IT systems to manage
4. Decision support: interactive decision operational safety. Most airlines have developed
support allows revenue managers to review, and implemented integrated Safety Manage-
accept or reject booking limits and overbook- ment Systems (SMSs) to report, monitor and
ing levels (Belobaba et al., 2009). manage incidents. Examples of such incidents
include human error, food safety and accidents
RMSs automatically update booking limits in the galley, fluid leaks, mechanical and elec-
and forecasts at regular intervals leading up to trical malfunctions. Systems that capture these
flight departure. Historical data are combined incidents provide reports to be analyzed by
with actual booking information to deter- management to improve operational safety.
mine whether demand for different fare cat-
egories is consistent with forecasts. Airlines
sometimes develop their own RMSs but IT Marketing and customer
solutions are also provided by software ven- relationship management
dors and GDS vendors. A good example of In previous chapters we reviewed how the
the latter is the revenue management compo- travel industry has adopted the Internet, social
nent of the Altéa Suite provided by Amadeus media and mobile technologies for marketing
(see Industry Insight). and customer service applications. Here we

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 TOURISM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

discuss how airlines use these technologies to and will cause dissatisfaction if they are not
engage directly with passengers by providing present.
information, bookings and loyalty programs. 2. Pivotal features that support trust and
interaction between the airline and its pas-
Direct bookings sengers will create satisfaction. Features like
Not surprisingly, the Internet has had a secure online transactions and frequent flyer
major impact on the marketing and distri- management tools enhance the utility of air-
bution of airline seats. The airlines have a line websites.
“love–hate” relationship with the GDSs 3. Supplementary features such as the abil-
and OTAs. GDSs and OTAs are an indis- ity to make special requests, buy upgrades,
pensable part of their distribution chain, ancillary products and complementary prod-
but they also increase the distribution costs ucts can enhance satisfaction but may not
per booking (Koo et al., 2011). The Inter- cause dissatisfaction if they are not present
net provided airlines with new opportunities (Benckendorff, 2006).
to sell seats directly to passengers (Klein, Airlines offer a range of supplementary fea-
2002). Many LCCs emerged at the same tures, such as add-ons, upgrades and ancillary
time as the Internet and the dominant busi- products and services during the booking pro-
ness model was based on direct distribution cess. Many airlines use product bundling by
rather than paying commissions and fees to providing passengers with the opportunity to
intermediaries. The Internet allowed LCCs book complementary products such as accom-
to bypass intermediaries by using their own modation, car rental and other services. Typi-
internet booking engines (IBEs) (Harcar cally these products and services are sourced
and Yucelt, 2012). To further entice passen- through white-label affiliate programs pro-
gers concerned about online trust and secu- vided by major OTAs and rebranded by the
rity, many LCCs offered discounts for direct airline. The dynamic packaging of these
bookings on their websites. As a result, the products often results in a lower price than
direct online booking of airline seats spread booking each product individually. Many air-
and full service airlines replicated this func- lines also provide smartphone apps that allow
tionality. Today, most full service airlines passengers to find and book flights, manage
use a multi-channel model to sell tickets their booking, check-in and receive notifica-
through GDSs and OTAs as well as their tions and offers.
own websites, but LCCs have focused only
on the latter.
Loyalty programs
Airline websites provide passengers with
greater choice and control over seat purchase. Full-service airlines offer customer loyalty
Website features can be grouped into three programs known as frequent flyer programs
categories, which influence satisfaction dif- (FFPs). Passengers become members of these
ferently: programs to receive benefits, and enroll in
the program to accumulate points (or miles)
1. Basic features such as flight information, corresponding to the distance flown on the
booking and check-in tools are expected airline or its alliance partners. Members can

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 Chapter 7: Aviation and Information Technology

also accumulate points through shopping and applications and social media to deliver rel-
co-branded credit and debit cards. Points are evant, time-critical procedural information to
redeemed for air travel, upgrades, priority passengers such as essential airport and flight
seating, airport lounge access, complementary information, notifications of gate openings
travel products or other goods and services. and changes, alternative flights in cases of
Databases keep track of points and man- cancellations or missed flights and provid-
age the relationship between airlines and ing compensation, and offers and coupons
FFP members (Yang and Liu, 2003). These ­(Amadeus, 2012). Mobile devices also offer
databases are a good example of a Cus- airlines an opportunity to sell upgrades, even
tomer Relationship Management (CRM) after the passenger has arrived at the airport.
system because they enable airlines to store The combination of mobile devices and social
individual information about customers and media creates a mechanism for the exchange
their preferences to build long-term relation- of suggestions, complaints, testimonials and
ships and encourage repeat business. Ideally, ratings throughout the journey. As we have
FFPs should connect to the airline and part- seen in Chapter 5, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
ner ARS so that points can be automatically uses social media to update passengers about
awarded after a trip. Dedicated websites for delays, cancellations and alternative arrange-
frequent flyer programs allow members to ments. This is a good example of a high-tech
manage, claim and redeem points. Since these solution supporting a high-touch response
points are valuable, security is tight to ensure in an otherwise increasingly automated pro-
that computer hackers cannot access frequent cess. Later in this chapter we will explore how
flyer accounts. All of these functions mean airlines and airports work together to deploy
that FFPs are underpinned by sophisticated technologies to support the entire passenger
hardware and software systems. journey.
Airlines can now combine big data and
social media profiles with FFP accounts Departure systems
to provide personalized offers. Since FFP Departure control systems
points are a liability for most airlines, mem-
A Departure Control System (DCS) auto-
bers are encouraged to redeem their points
mates the processing of passengers at the air-
for products and services that do not impact
port. This includes managing airport check-in
the airline’s profitability. Predictive analytics
and boarding, checked bags, load control and
combine big data, statistical analysis and arti-
aircraft checks. DCSs typically have the fol-
ficial intelligence to make predictions about
lowing functionality:
offers that FFP members are likely to respond
to. In this new world of big data, privacy and 1. Check-in: support for touch points includ-
how personal data is used is important. ing check-in counters staffed by airline repre-
sentatives, self-service kiosks, mobile check-in
Customer service and online check-in.
Airlines were early adopters of the web and 2. Boarding passes: able to issue electronic
email as customer service tools (Dickinger and and hardcopy boarding passes formatted
Bauernfeind, 2009). Airlines now use mobile according to IATA standards.

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 TOURISM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

3. Seat allocation: each passenger must be outside North America they are provided
assigned a seat or given a choice of available by third-party vendors such as Amadeus,
seats displayed on a graphical seat map. Travelport and SITA. These vendors are
4. Checked baggage: ask passengers to developing “next generation” DCSs as part of
confirm the number and weight of checked the re-­engineering of airline Passenger Ser-
bags, automatically calculate excess baggage vices Systems (PSSs). They use an integrated
charges, and issue bag tags according to IATA database and open architecture to allow res-
standards. ervations, check-in and other services and
5. Load control: automate the task of calculat- maintain a consistent view of passenger infor-
ing load distribution and balance by using load mation. To see an example of an integrated
factors, seat allocations and baggage weights. system, watch the following video from Ama-
6. Passenger identification: capable of scanning deus: http://youtu.be/GMH1podAzCo/.
passports to verify the identity of passengers.
7. Denied boarding: deny boarding if details
are missing from the PNR, if the flight is
overbooked or if there is a perceived risk.
8. No shows and standby passengers: “no
show” passengers have a reservation but
do not turn up for boarding. Alternatively,
standby passengers arrive at the airport with- http://youtu.be/GMH1podAzCo
out a reservation when they have missed a
flight or wish to take an earlier flight. The Next generation DCSs are using mobile
DCS must be capable of allocating empty technologies to fulfill some of the functions we
seats to standby passengers at the last minute. have discussed. Ambient intelligence, some-
9. Interline connections: passengers trave- times referred to as the “Internet of things”,
ling on interline tickets or connecting flights allows airlines to track passengers and baggage,
should be able to check baggage through to allowing passengers to check-in, clear secu-
their final destination. In the case of delays, rity and board their flight using RFID chips
the DCS identifies alternative flights and embedded in FFP membership cards or Near
connections and transfer, rebooking and Field Communication (NFC) capabilities
rechecking of ­p assengers. in smartphones. Watch the following video
10. Interoperability: the DCS must interface from SITA to see DCS applications of NFC
with the ARS to identify, capture and update in aviation: http://youtu.be/XfTitxVbiUI/.
PNR reservations. The DCS will change the
status of a passenger to checked-in, boarded,
flown or another status. The DCS may also
be connected to immigration control for visa,
immigration and passenger no-fly watch lists.

The DCSs used by most North Ameri-

can airlines are incorporated into ARSs but http://youtu.be/XfTitxVbiUI

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 Chapter 7: Aviation and Information Technology

Airlines use these technologies to aircraft journey. The dispatcher is like a “big
automatically issue boarding passes and brother or sister” to the pilot and air traffic
baggage tags when passengers enter the control to ensure a safe journey. The pilot
terminal. They also can issue text messages and the dispatcher jointly share legal respon-
or social media updates to passengers. The sibility for flight safety. A dispatcher prepares
use of this technology has enormous poten- a flight plan for each journey and has the
tial, however, the data management raises authority to delay, divert or cancel a flight at
challenges regarding privacy and security. any time. The dispatcher also calculates the
weight of the aircraft, the amount of fuel
required, the flight distance, maintenance
Gate control limitations, weather conditions and other
Flight arrivals in airports must be coordi- factors affecting flight safety. Dispatchers are
nated with airport facilities. Each flight based at an airport where they use sophisti-
needs a gate assignment upon arrival and must cated IT tools to remotely monitor all aspects
depart the gate on time to not cause delays of a flight’s progress. Real-time monitoring
in other flights. An arriving aircraft needs a allows the dispatcher to track the flight path
skyway to disembark the passengers into the and other aircraft in the same area, and pre-
terminal and access for vehicles to service dict arrival and departure times. IT systems
the aircraft in preparation for another flight. also monitor meteorological conditions and
Examples of such services are foodservice, the aircraft position relative to obstacles,
cleaning, fueling and maintenance. airspace regulations and temporary flight
In determining the best utilization restrictions so that flights can be diverted
of gates, computer models consider arrival if there are safety concerns. Dispatch soft-
times, aircraft types, turnaround time, gates ware packages also monitor the maintenance
of connecting flights (particularly for hub status of the aircraft. Examples of software
and spoke route structures) and cost. The packages include Flight Dispatcher Pro and
best gate pattern for arrivals uses resources Flight ­Vector.
most efficiently. Many ­ airports, however,
do not have enough gates to accommo-
date the number of incoming flights. Often In-flight technologies
airlines must deplane on the runways, bus
A range of in-flight technologies are used
passengers to the t­erminal, and service the
onboard to service passenger needs and to
plane on the tarmac. Computer technology
ensure safety. These IT applications can be
can mitigate the inconveniences caused by
divided into passenger technologies and
gate shortages by ensuring maximum use of
crew support systems.
available gates.

Passenger technologies
Flight dispatch The passenger seat is a hub of computer
An airline dispatcher is responsible for technology. Seat backs now include touch-
planning and monitoring the progress of an screen in-flight entertainment (IFE)

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 TOURISM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

systems and communications tools such own devices to access content streamed
as phones, WiFi and the ability to com- wirelessly during the flight. This “bring your
municate with flight attendants and other own device” approach is more common on
passengers. Video screens in the seat back LCCs.
allow passengers to view live satellite televi- On-board connectivity allows passengers
sion or video on demand (VOD), listen to to communicate with people on the ground
music, shop for duty-free items, order on using the Internet. These services are sup-
demand food, send and receive email, play ported by satellite communication, which is
video games and even ­g amble. A visual not as fast as ground-based I­nternet access.
Geographic Information System (GIS) However, they do allow passengers to browse
display that shows the location of the the web, send emails and text messages and
aircraft and its progress is also provided. update social media. Passengers can also
Live video footage from external cam- make bookings at the destination after they
eras and information on aircraft speed, have left home. Some airlines provide sat-
estimated time of arrival (ETA), dis- ellite phones while others provide a mobile
tance traveled, times at the origin and phone or WiFi signal so passengers can
destination and outside temperature can use their own phones. Some new systems
be accessed by passengers. Some IFEs also allow passengers to call passengers in
also provide services for disabled travelers. other seats or play in-flight games together
For example, closed captioning technology (see Industry Insight). These social features
provides hearing-impaired passengers with will be more common as airlines experiment
text streamed along with video and spoken with new technologies.
audio. These systems can stream text in
different languages. Several airlines from
Islamic states also provide Qibla directions Crew support systems
to allow Muslims to pray toward Mecca A flight will usually be supported by two
(e.g. Emirates, Etihad, Malaysia ­A irlines, crews, the flight deck crew including the
Qatar Airways and Royal ­Jordanian). captain, first officer, flight engineer and the
Hardware manufacturers for IFE cabin crew, consisting of a customer service
systems include Panasonic Avionics Cor-
­ manager/purser and flight attendants. Both
poration, Thales Group, Row 44 and On crews use different IT systems to s­upport
Air, but the content is licensed from content their functions. Pilots traditionally kept
service providers. The latest systems com- their flight papers and other information
municate wirelessly through an on-board in a large briefcase; however, some airlines
intranet. Video and audio content is stored have replaced these with tablets. Unlike
on the main IFE computer system, allow- paper-based systems, these tablets are easier
ing for on-demand viewing by individual to carry on board and the information can
passengers. Some IFEs are compatible with be updated as conditions change. Once
XM Satellite Radio and iPods, allowing pas- onboard, the flight deck crew use a variety of
sengers to listen to their own music. Some IT systems to support navigation, commu-
airlines also provide apps for passengers’ nication and the maintenance of flight logs.

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 Chapter 7: Aviation and Information Technology

Industry Insight: Virgin America

Virgin America is a relatively new and small player in the US market but since its launch
in 2007 has received numerous industry awards. The airline is often acknowledged for its
state-of-the-art “Red” in-flight entertainment system. The seatback system offers a simple
touchscreen interface with a number of features:
● on-demand video and audio;
● live satellite television (news, sports events);
● an MP3 library with over 3000 songs and the ability to create your own playlist;
● interactive Google Maps;
● games, including multi-player games that allow travelers to compete with other
­passengers;
● on-demand food and beverage ordering and digital shopping;
● ability to send a drink to another passenger; and
● messaging passengers in other parts of the plane.

The airline also offers in-flight WiFi access and has developed apps for passengers
to use their own devices to access in-flight entertainment. Future
plans involve additional features that provide more control and
personalization. The airline is exploring systems that remember
individual passenger favorites for future flights including chan-
nel and food preferences. For an overview watch http://youtu.be/
io39lxCIIBo/.

The cabin crew provides important make alternative arrangements should there
services to passengers in the main cabin be any delay. In the future, flight crew may
of the aircraft. One of the most important use wearable technologies such as Google
roles of the flight crew is to ensure that the Glass to access passenger information
passenger list (also called the manifest) is from the flight manifest to personalize
correct. Airlines traditionally used paper the experience. During the flight wireless
lists but tablet computers are increasingly point-of-sale (POS) devices can be used to
being used to store and update these lists. facilitate the sale of beverages, movie head-
Tablets can also be pro­gramed to include sets and duty-free products on board. In
other useful information such as timetables, the case of LCCs, the use of technologies
safety information and detailed passenger such as these may reduce labor costs if fewer
information such as meal requests, frequent flight attendants are needed. The cabin
flyer membership and itineraries. They also crew also relies on a range of communica-
enable the crew to know which passengers tion ­systems to communicate with the flight
have connecting flights, enabling them to deck and with passengers.

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 TOURISM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Airports and cargo handling and concessions. Similarly,

contemporary ATC procedures would not be
Traditionally airports were managed by gov- possible without the navigation and surveil-
ernments and were seen as important assets for lance technologies used to manage air traffic.
economic and defense capabilities. ­However, The sustainable management of airport land
many governments have privatized their air- also requires the use of technology to monitor
ports by either selling the infrastructure or by noise, air and water quality, and wildlife. The
offering long-term leases to private airport following pages will focus on these technolo-
management companies. The privatization of gies and how they are being used to enhance
airports has resulted in a strong commercial passengers’ experiences in increasingly busy
focus, which has in turn influenced services and complex airports.
at both private and public airports. Modern
airports are complex ecosystems of businesses,
services and features. The scale and size of
Passenger processing
some airports makes them similar to small Airlines use a variety of departure and gate
cities. The modern airport terminal houses a control systems to support passengers as they
range of features such as check-in facilities, journey through an airport from check-in to
security, customs and immigration, ground boarding. Airports work together with air-
handling, baggage and cargo handling, and lines and IT to provide these systems. The
concessions such as food, beverage and retail passenger journey can be viewed as a series of
outlets. Terminals are either domestic or inter- touch points consisting of pre-arrival, check-
national, with international airports requiring in, security, pre-boarding, boarding, transit
more security and services. The terminal can and arrival. As Fig. 7.2 indicates, the first five
also be divided into the landside (i.e. areas touch points occur at the origin airport while
before security clearance) and airside (i.e. areas the last two stages occur at transit or destina-
beyond security clearance), which are man- tion airports.
aged differently. Other areas of the airport
include air traffic control (ATC) and the Pre-arrival
runways and aprons used for take-off, land- In the past airports and airlines have focused
ing, taxiing and parking aircraft. Managers of on managing passengers once they enter the
privatized airports have also sought to maxi- airport. However, more rigorous security
mize their return on investment by developing measures and rapid growth in air travel have
unused airport land for warehousing, conference created considerable challenges. Fortunately
centers, accommodation, leisure, golf courses, new technological advances allow airports
entertainment, shopping, personal services and airlines to shift processes to the pre-
and even residential areas. arrival stage. For example, passengers are
These complex airport ecosystems required able to check-in using the Internet or a
a range of IT applications to ensure the mobile device before they arrive at the air-
smooth transit of passengers. Computers, port, ­reducing waiting times and congestion.
tablets, kiosks and mobile devices are used Airports are also using geofencing,
intensively for passenger processing, baggage which tracks passengers using an airport or

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 Chapter 7: Aviation and Information Technology

ORIGIN AIRPORT TRANSIT DESTINATION

Pre- Pre-
Check-in Security Boarding Stopover Arrival
arrival boarding

Fig. 7.2. Stages of the passenger journey.

airline app installed on their mobile device congestion and waiting times. Notifying pas-
(see Chapter 6 for more detail). Virtual sengers that they will miss their flight allows
geofences are built around an airport at dif- airports and airlines to reduce airport crowd-
ferent proximities and triggers are attached to ing caused by delayed passengers.
each fence as shown in Fig. 7.3.
When a passenger is en route to the air- Check-in
port the app uses the device’s global positio­ The check-in process is increasingly man-
ning system (GPS) to detect the passenger’s aged before passengers arrive at the airport,
location. As they approach the airport dif- but there has been a major shift away from
ferent triggers can be activated. For exam- check-in counters to self-service kiosks. These
ple, a geofence set at 10 kilometers from kiosks are linked with an airline’s DCS and
the airport could determine whether the passengers can check-in by entering their
passenger has enough time to board their name and destination, record locator, frequent
flight. If the passenger is late, the system flyer membership card or passport.
can send an automatic notification offer- Passengers can also check-in at the
ing to rebook them. If the passenger is early air­port using their mobile devices (SITA,
the system might notify them about lounge 2013b). As they enter the terminal a
access. As the passenger gets closer to the geofence automatically checks the passen-
airport they can be notified about avail- ger in and issues electronic boarding passes
able parking spaces. Similar technology can and luggage tags for collection. The passen-
notify “meeters and greeters” when a flight ger can be notified about boarding times and
has landed and when passengers have dis- gate information and may also receive spe-
embarked and cleared customs so that wait- cial offers such upgrades, priority boarding
ing time is minimized. and lounge access. Passengers with checked
These possibilities are possible because bags can leave these at a self-service bag
of GPS, RFID, NFC and other transmis- drop. Mobile apps communicate wirelessly
sion technologies in mobile devices. While with the airline’s DCS so that the status
innovations automate and improve the pas- and details of passengers are automatically
senger experience, they also offer strategic and updated when they are checked in. Board-
operational advantages for airports. Inform- ing passes can be stored electronically on
ing passengers about available parking spaces the mobile device using an airline’s app or
and guiding them to the terminal can alleviate apps such as Apple Passbook or Google

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 TOURISM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Automated
parking entry

D gates 50–59
C gates 40–48
Terminal 2

E ? Terminal 1
? ? B gates 20–39

? ?
?
P
Terminal 3 Domestic
? Garage International A
gates A1-A12
? ?

F gates 66–90 International

? Terminal ?
Automatic Main Ha ?
?
?
check-in International G
gates G91-G102
P International
Garage A

upon entry
to terminal International P
Garage G

Parking
availability

Directions
to terminal

Notification and
offer to book
later flight if late

Fig. 7.3. An example of geofencing around an international airport.

Wallet. Additional luggage fees can be paid boarding passes, identification and notifi-
using these apps. In addition, roving air- cations when passengers cross the geofence
line or airport representatives use tablets to threshold of a defined location.
attend to any check-in issues. In the future
self-service check-in kiosks are likely to Security and immigration
disappear from airport departure areas (Ama- The protection of passengers, staff and air-
deus, 2012). We may also see virtual service craft is one of the most important consid-
agents guiding passengers through check- erations for an airport. The role of airport
in at airports. security systems is to identify and manage
Since GPS is not reliable in indoor envi- external and internal threats. Internal threats
ronments, the functionality described above occur when employees inside the terminal
relies on micro-location technologies such as pose a risk to passengers or their belongings.
NFC or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). BLE, Security ­systems monitor baggage and ground
also known as Smart Bluetooth, is the tech- handling facilities to prevent baggage or
nology behind Apple’s iBeacon. Using BLE, cargo theft and tampering. External threats
an airport or airline can define more tar- arise from passengers and other unauthorized
geted “micro-locations” to trigger an activity. individuals. Both employees and passengers
The technology can be used with apps such can pose a threat by carrying weapons, explo-
as Passbook to display passenger itineraries, sives or other dangerous items on board.

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 Chapter 7: Aviation and Information Technology

Threats are managed using equipment to Entry system used in the USA. In the future,
scan people, screen baggage and detect explo- IT will be able to identify individuals using
sives. The perimeter is monitored by elec- traits such as their walking gait, body­­language,
tronic alarms and CCTV cameras. CCTV heart rhythms or DNA profiles (Amadeus,
cameras are also used throughout terminal 2012). Watch the following video from SITA
buildings, car parks, runways and apron areas. to see an example of biometric technologies:
Staff access to the airside of the airport is http://youtu.be/xrk7hwqKCZw/.
controlled by self-locking doors unlocked by
PIN codes, ID cards or biometric scanners.
At most airports both passengers and staff are
required to clear security checkpoints.
Security screening usually involves the
following steps.

1. Confirming the identity of travelers.

This is done through visual and electronic http://youtu.be/xrk7hwqKCZw/
checks of passports and boarding passes, or In the previous section we demonstrated
biometric systems (see below). how NFC and BLE technologies can be used
2. X-ray baggage screening. Carry-on to check passengers in and provide them with
luggage and checked bags are screened
­ information. The same technology can also
using X-ray machines monitored by security notify passengers about security waiting times
personnel. so that they can select the fastest lane. These
3. Body screening. Passengers are usually services benefit the airport by streamlining the
screened by walking through a metal detector. passenger journey and reducing waiting times.
Some airports have also installed backscatter
X-ray scanners that conduct a non-invasive Pre-boarding
full body scan.
Passengers enter the airside of the terminal
At international airports passengers can be after they have cleared security and immigra-
screened at security and immigration points by tion. When travelers are in unfamiliar airports,
using new non-intrusive technologies such as they have a critical need for information about
electronic passports, smart ID cards, electronic airport activities and facilities, preferably in
tags and biometrics. Biometrics identify indi- their own language. Flight Information Dis-
viduals based on physiological traits such as play Systems (FIDS) display flight departure
facial structure, iris patterns, fingerprints and and arrival times, gate numbers and baggage
voice recognition. Most countries now issue carousel locations on wall-sized displays or
e-passports with an integrated RFID chip individual monitors, which may contain mul-
containing information about the passenger timedia and graphic displays.
and when coupled with biometric scanning, Many airports provide free WiFi and
can be used to verify identity. Examples include facilities for travelers to recharge their elec-
Australia’s Smartgate system and the Global tronic devices. This is done with power cords

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 TOURISM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

and adapters, however inductive electrical displayed on FIDS, such as flight status, gate
systems can recharge passengers’ devices changes and walking distances to terminal
wirelessly. This technology will be common gates. Watch the following video to learn more:
in airports and other public settings over the http://youtu.be/plfXqnmJdqE/.
next decade (Amadeus, 2012).
Airports have their own apps to assist
passengers, and independent apps such as
GateGuru cover multiple airports. Airport
apps provide maps and navigation tools,
information about concessions and amenities
and connectivity to the FIDS. They also use
location aware services to push offers and cou-
http://youtu.be/plfXqnmJdqE/
pons from concessions to passengers. Some
use augmented reality to assist with navigation, Modern terminals offer a bewildering
the presentation of information and special array of shopping, dining and entertainment
offers, often in multiple languages. Airport facilities to passengers. Concessions are com-
apps also facilitate social media interactions mercial businesses that operate within the ter-
between passengers. Apart from free WiFi, minal. Typically these businesses offer food and
facilities allowing passengers to download beverages, shopping, and leisure and entertain-
entertainment for in-flight viewing are likely ment. Concessions typically pay a proportion
to become more common. of their profits to the airport, which then has a
A common thread throughout our discus- vested interest in maximizing the profitability
sion has been the use of mobile phones to navi- of each concession. Airports can use business
gate through key touch points of the passenger intelligence technologies to monitor how pas-
journey (SITA, 2013b). These technologies are senger traffic flows impact purchase behavior,
not just consumer focused; companies such as allowing the airport to adjust retail elements to
SITA are developing business intelligence tools maximize non-aeronautical revenues.
that provide real-time performance data such Concessions use point-of-sale (POS)
as passenger volumes, queue times and dwell systems to record and process transactions.
times in different parts of the terminal. Loca- Duty free shopping in particular requires
tion aware technologies such as GPS, WiFi, information processing to ensure merchan-
NFC and Bluetooth enable airport stakehold- dise is sold only to bona-fide travelers. Com-
ers to anticipate and plan for peak events and puter systems are needed that connect with
disruptions. They also enable airlines to see the flight information systems to ensure the right
location of their passengers, allowing staff to merchandise is delivered to the right flight
take proactive measures for on time departure. at the right time. Airports also use technol-
This information can be displayed on tablets ogy to entertain passengers while they wait
alongside CCTV footage, allowing airport for flights. Examples include the use of tech-
stakeholders to manage passenger flows and nology in 6D cinemas (e.g. Schiphol airport),
traffic. Tablet devices also update information gaming zones (e.g. Hong Kong International

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 Chapter 7: Aviation and Information Technology

Airport), electronics zones and science There is scope to use mobile devices to
museums (e.g. Changi Airport), interactive streamline the boarding process even more.
walls and tables for games, media and infor- New innovations will dynamically update
mation (e.g. Dubai Airport), and simulated boarding passes. Boarding passes saved to
experiences. an Apple Passbook coupled with Bluetooth
There is scope for massive multi-player technologies such as iBeacon and biom-
games (MMPGs) using the airport environ- etrics allow passengers to board by passing
ment (Amadeus, 2012). This gamification through an electronic screening point –
of the airport environment could involve essentially a geofence. This approach would
geocaching, where passengers use clues to reduce queues at boarding gates and load the
discover different features of the terminal. aircraft more quickly.
A good example of how this might work in
reality is Ingress, Google’s augmented reality
game in which users join one of two teams Stopover
to take control of various portals seeded Some itineraries require a stopover to change
throughout the terminal. Watch the following flights at a transit airport. Transit passengers
video to see how augmented reality has been are likely to use IT facilities discussed at the
used in a retail environment in Sydney, Aus- pre-boarding stage, including free WiFi, air-
tralia: http://youtu.be/0AwUK0XuOHQ/. port apps and FIDS. Transit passengers also
have special needs to freshen up, get in touch
with loved ones, rest and relax. Airports provide
free computer terminals where passengers
can access the Internet. Digital information
indicates where showers and quiet zones are
located. Sleep pods are common in airports
with large numbers of transit passengers.
http://youtu.be/0AwUK0XuOHQ/ These pods contain special lighting and audio
to lull guests to sleep and alarms to rouse
Boarding them for their flight. Mobile apps can also
Boarding commences with a passenger support passengers who have missed a con-
announcement, which in busy airports can necting flight by booking alternative flights.
create significant background noise. Some
airports have a silent policy requiring passen-
gers to use FIDS or mobile passenger devices. Arrival
Alerts sent to a mobile device can announce Airlines and airports have focused heavily
the boarding process. Standard IATA Bar on the departure experience. However, there
Coded Boarding Passes (BCBP) automate is a need to consider the arrival experience
the matching of boarding passes with the pas- because the destination airport is often the
senger list. Boarding passes are scanned with first impression visitors have of the destination.
an optical scanner that reads the bar code Free WiFi is once again an indispensable tool
from paper or a mobile screen. for arriving passengers. While passengers wait

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 TOURISM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

for customs, immigration and baggage claim Baggage and cargo handling
they can access the Internet to make ground Airlines and airports must work together
transport or accommodation bookings. NFC to move baggage and cargo from check-
and BLE can push visitor information and in areas to screening points and on to the
e-brochures to mobile passenger devices for aircraft. While 99% of checked baggage is
later reading. delivered on time, lost or mishandled bag-
An arduous and time-consuming task gage still costs the industry an estimated
in international gateway airports is the pro- US$2.6 billion a year or about US$100 per
cessing of passengers’ immigration docu- piece of luggage (SITA, 2013a). For this
ments. When numerous flights disembark at reason airports and airlines invest consid-
the same time, delays can be long, and tired erable resources into baggage handling
passengers become frustrated. The biometric systems (BHSs), which track baggage
systems we discussed earlier can screen pas- and prevent lost luggage. Baggage tags
sengers and record their details before they with optical bar codes containing the tag
enter a country. In some countries scanners number, flight segments and destination of
and cameras capture travelers’ fingerprints each bag are the most common IT infra-
and photographs. In the future airports are structure used by BHSs. At check-in, the
likely to move towards intelligent ambi- tag information is scanned into a database
ent technologies to scan passengers for both linked with the airline’s reservation and
security and health risks as they arrive. passenger processing systems. This infor-
Governments have also computerized mation is also connects to a central bag-
immigration control by maintaining data- gage tracking system for all ­c arriers such
bases of individuals they do not wish to enter as SITA’s Bagtrac.
the country, such as the no-f ly list main- Computers track the location of indi-
tained by the US government. These data- vidual bags, travel itineraries and flight
bases are accessed when travelers show their schedules. Optical scanning technology
documentation upon arrival. The digitization reads bag tags as they move along conveyor
of passports and visas also facilitates the pro- belts connecting check-in counters, bag-
cessing of passengers. The latest systems use gage check-in points and aircraft at gates.
automated intelligent analysis to determine Computers control the conveyor junctions
risk profiles based on passenger data. and switches that ensure each bag ends up
Once passengers have cleared immigra- at the correct destination. A lost bag can
tion they go to baggage claim before they be readily tracked with a tag retained by
can pass through customs to the landside the passenger. The optical bar code on the
of the airport. IT applications to track and tag is used to access the database record
streamline the handling of passenger bag- and determine the bag’s location. SITA
gage are discussed in the next section. After and IATA provide a service called World
moving through customs, passengers can use Tracer to match found bags with lost bag
mobile apps to book taxis and other ground reports. Self-service kiosks at baggage
transport and some of these systems are dis- claim areas allow passengers to scan lug-
cussed in the next chapter. gage tags to lodge a lost luggage request.

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 Chapter 7: Aviation and Information Technology

Watch the following video to see how this to landing. The role of ATC is to ensure the
works: http://youtu.be/c5ZjnW7wwhc/. safe and efficient flow of air traffic (Belobaba
et al., 2009). This is achieved through the
use of four interrelated IT ­systems:
1. Communications systems: pilots and
dispatchers communicate with air traffic
­controllers using very high frequency (VHF)
over short distances, high frequency (HF)
shortwave or satellite-based communication
http://youtu.be/c5ZjnW7wwhc/ (SATCOM) systems for longer distances,
Many airlines also carry cargo and need and the Aircraft Communications Address-
IT to handle both reservations and tracking ing and Reporting System (ACARS) for data
systems separate from the passenger systems. transmission. Recent progress has been made
As with passenger baggage, optical bar with a new system called the Aeronautical
codes are used to track the cargo’s journey. Telecommunication Network (ATN).
Recent developments use ambient intel- 2. Navigation systems: pilots and controllers
ligence in the form of RFID bag tags and use a number of different navigation systems
RFID chips embedded in luggage. These during takeoff, cruising and landing. Signals
innovations increase the efficiency of pas- generate a visual display of the aircraft’s posi-
senger and baggage processing by supporting tion on a monitor.
automated check-in and self-service baggage 3. Surveillance systems: controllers use surveil-
drops. The technology also sorts and tracks lance systems to monitor the flow and position-
baggage more reliably, leading to faster deliv- ing of air traffic. Many rely on radar to display
ery of luggage to travelers at baggage claim. the position of each aircraft on a monitor.
Passengers on some airlines can track the 4. Flight and weather information sys-
status and location of checked bags through- tems: decision support systems help control-
out the journey, much like customers follow lers optimize the flow of traffic at congested
a package sent by a courier company. Web- airports. Flight plans are lodged and dis-
sites and mobile apps allow passengers to seminated by flight data processing systems
monitor their luggage location in real time, while weather information systems provide
including during flight if WiFi is available weather observations, forecasts and alerts
onboard. Amadeus (2012) predicts that by (Belobaba et al., 2009).
2025 all baggage will be self-scanning and Across all four of these elements IT plays a
that airports will employ robotic end-to-end critical role in providing controllers with the
baggage handling s­ ystems. real-time information required to track and
manage air space.
Air traffic control
Air Traffic Control (ATC) plays a crucial role Environmental management systems
in the safety and efficiency of aviation oper- Airports use IT to manage the environ-
ations, by tracking every flight from takeoff mental impacts of their operations by using

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 TOURISM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

environmental management systems (EMS). descent approach also alleviate some

Aviation impacts the environment at the local, noise (see Chapter 12).
regional and global levels. Examples of these ● Carbon emission reduction: computer
impacts include: design of engines and aircraft has also
dramatically improved fuel efficiency.
● Water quality: the quality of waterways
Passengers can purchase carbon offsets when
is affected by: runoff from terminal
booking flights through the ARS or web-
buildings, runways and aprons; deicing
site. Scientists are also using IT to moni-
operations; fuel leaks and spills and other
tor greenhouse gas emissions and model
solid and ­liquid wastes.
their impact on climate change.
● Noise pollution: noise from aircraft causes
● Water quality: computerized spraying
sleep disturbance and impacts on property
systems apply aircraft deicing fluids to
values.
reduce wastage, overspray and runoff into
● Air pollution: pollution from aircraft
waterways. Ice detection systems that
adversely affects air quality by increasing
rely on magnetostrictive, electromagnetic
greenhouse gases such as CO2 into the
and ultrasonic technologies detect the ice
atmosphere.
(Belobaba et al., 2009).
● Wildlife: aircraft movements impact
wildlife feeding, breeding and migra-
tion patterns and are a threat to birdlife
around airports.
Summary
To manage these impacts govern-
ments impose strict environmental regu- In summary, the application of IT in aviation
lations on airports (Belobaba et al., 2009). is ubiquitous, comprehensive and dynamic.
Technologies manage or reduce the impact The aviation industry has used IT intensely
of aviation operations on the environment, and creatively to thrive in a competitive and
including: volatile market. Its need for massive infor-
mation processing and data communica-
● Environmental monitoring: computers tions has created the many systems discussed
and specialized equipment are used to above. In the process, the airline industry
analyze, record and report air and water has become a classic example of the suc-
samples collected by airports as part of cessful application of information systems
the regulatory requirements. to operations, marketing and management. As
● Energy use: IT systems monitor energy demands on airlines and airports increase,
use and shut down non-essential services airlines must investigate and invest in new
when not in use. Chapter 12 discusses technologies to improve the efficiency, com-
these systems in more detail. fort and safety of air travel. Throughout
● Noise reduction: computers are used this chapter we have suggested how IT can
to model aircraft and engine designs improve the passenger experience and avia-
before prototypes are produced. New tion operations. A variety of technologies and
technologies supporting a continuous innovations are converging to streamline

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 Chapter 7: Aviation and Information Technology

passenger processing. The following video (INS), instrument landing system (ILS),
from Amadeus provides an excellent overview Internet booking engine (IBE), landside,
of future IT use in airports: http://youtu.be/ load factor, Local Area Augmentation
KwCUwgk1oko/. System (LAAS), low cost carrier (LCC),
­
married segment control, near field commu-
nication (NFC), New Distribution Capabil-
ity (NDC), no-fly list, operations research
(OR), pairing optimizer, passenger name list
(PNL), passenger name record (PNR), Pas-
senger Service System (PSS), predictive
analytics, price differentiation, product
http://youtu.be/KwCUwgk1oko/ ­bundling, radar, radio frequency identifica-
tion (RFID), revenue per available seat mile
(RASM), revenue management system
(RMS), safety management system (SMS),
Key Terms scheduled airline, special service request
(SSR), terminal, very high frequency (VHF),
Aeronautical Telecommunication Network VHF Omni Directional Radio Range (VOR),
(ATN), affiliate programs, air traffic control, workflow technology, yield management
Aircraft Communications Addressing and
Reporting System (ACARS), airline dis-
patcher, airline reservation system (ARS),
airside, ambient intelligence, apron, aug- Discussion Questions
mented reality, baggage handling system
(BHS), bid line, biometrics, Bluetooth Low 1. How will advances in smartphones and
Energy (BLE), booking code, cabin class, apps impact the marketing, distribution and
cabin crew, costs per available seat mile delivery of aviation products?
(CASM), charter airline, commercial airline, 2. Throughout this chapter we have iden-
concession, crew pairing, customer relation- tified a number of applications allowing
ship system (CRS), deadheading, decision airlines and airports to track passengers by
support system, Departure Control System using signaling technologies such as NFC,
(DCS), dynamic packaging, e-passport, RFID and BLE embedded in baggage tags
e-ticket, fare basis code (FBC), Fare Quote and smartphones. What are the pros and
System, fare rules, flag carrier, flight catering cons of these applications? What privacy or
system, flight deck crew, flight engineer, ethical issues might arise? How can airlines
Flight Information Display Systems (FIDS), and airports overcome these issues?
flight manifest, frequent flyer program 3. Visit the FFP website for an airline you
(FFP), global positioning system (GPS), know. Look for information about redeeming
Geographic Information System (GIS), and earning FF points (miles). List all the
high frequency (HF), in-flight entertain- ways in which members can earn and redeem
ment (IFE), Inertial Navigation System points. How does the technology on the

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 TOURISM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

website support the FFP? What improve- Supplement the information in this chapter
ments would you like to see? and in the video with your own research and
4. By 2020 the global airline fleet is expected discuss how IT can help airlines and airports
to be twice as large as in 2012 and by 2030 cope with the challenges of this expected
passenger numbers are expected to be dou- growth.
ble. Watch the following video from SITA to 5. Visit the website for Changi Airport in
learn more about this growth: http://youtu. Singapore and browse through the pages
be/NPi7aeP-LLo/. about terminal facilities and services. Note
down examples requiring use of IT. What IT-
inspired airport services do you expect to see
in 10 years?
6. How might airports and airlines use
new technologies such as augmented real-
ity to streamline and improve the passenger
experience?
http://youtu.be/NPi7aeP-LLo

Useful Websites

QR code Website Description

SITA Visit this website to get a good overview
http://www.sita.aero/ of the range of aviation sector services
and IT solutions offered by SITA.

Amadeus IT Solutions This website provides ­information about

http://www.amadeus. the IT solutions offered by Amadeus for
com/airlineit/ airlines and airports. Of particular note is
the ­Amadeus Altéa Suite.

Virgin America A world leader in flight ­entertainment

http://www. systems.
virginamerica.com/

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 Chapter 7: Aviation and Information Technology

QR code Website Description

SkyTrax Rating and reviews for over 681 airlines
http://www. and 725 airports.
airlinequality.com/

Boeing Boeing is a major manufacturer of

http://www.boeing. commercial aircraft and their website
com/ contains details about airline and airport
technologies.

Changi Airport Consistently ranked among the world’s

http://www. top airports, Changi Airport in Singapore
changiairport.com/ offers high-tech solutions for airlines and
passengers.

GateGuru An innovative app that provides a range

http://www.­gateguru. of features to streamline the passenger
com/ journey.

Future Travel Experience A useful website focused on the future of

http://www. the air travel experience, including useful
futuretravelexperience. news items, reports and content on a
com/ range of aviation technologies.

Case Study: SITA

SITA, originally known as the Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronau-
tiques, was formed in 1949 by a consortium of European and British airlines to create
cost efficiencies by sharing infrastructure and ICT networks. While ARPANet introduced
the first worldwide packet switching network, SITA developed the world’s first packet
(Continued )

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 TOURISM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Case Study. Continued.

switching network dedicated to business. This network, known as the High Level
Network (HLN), was implemented in 1969. SITA also introduced the world’s first air-
ground communications service (VHF AIRCOM) in 1984 followed by a real-time air-to-
ground voice communication system called Satellite AIRCOM in 1992. Recently the
company has developed Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) technology to support
mixed voice and data traffic. In 2005 the company co-­developed the OnAir system
with Airbus Industries to enable the use of mobile phones and other personal com-
munications devices onboard aircraft.
In the last decade SITA has diversified by developing a range of IT solutions for the
aviation industry. Today the company employs over 4500 staff in more than 200 countries.
The company manages a portfolio of technology solutions, which include:
● communications and infrastructure: voice, data, messaging, mobility and desktop
­applications to support aircraft operations, air–ground communications, air traffic­
­control and flight operations;
●  a irports: passenger processing, baggage management and operations
­management;
● airlines: passenger management, reservations, e-commerce solutions, fare and ­ancillary

services; and
● government: border management, biometrics, risk assessment and identity v ­ erification.
SITA also works proactively with the aviation community to develop systems and
standards to simplify communications and processes for air transport. Examples include
the WorldTracer baggage tracking system, common use terminal equipment (CUTE) and
“Type B” IATA standard messaging.
SITA invests about 5% of its revenues into research and development. This has r­ esulted
in: innovative location-aware smartphone and tablet solutions for “always ­connected” pas-
sengers, crew and staff; business intelligence apps that harness real-time ­information; aug-
mented reality in airports; and a social booking and check-in ­engine on Facebook. The
company is constantly updating its data centers and command centers with the latest
hardware and systems. SITA has invested in next generation passenger service systems
(PSS) and in 2013 unveiled its Horizon platform. Horizon provides an “end-to-end” pas-
senger system designed to capture information about the passenger from the sales query
through to the flight. It was built from the ground up using an ag-
ile service-oriented architecture that is ­accessible through multiple
channels and touch points.
SITA also produces a range of surveys and reports on
­industry trends and emerging technologies to support industry
­decision-making. For more information, watch the f­ollowing video
http://youtu.be/EkflsB617iQ on ­YouTube: http://youtu.be/EkfIsB617iQ/.
(Continued )

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 Chapter 7: Aviation and Information Technology

Case Study. Continued.

Study Questions
1. Why would airlines and airports outsource IT solutions to a company such as SITA?
What are the operational and strategic benefits?
2. Visit the SITA website at http://www.sita.aero/ and watch some of the videos to develop
a better understanding of this company. Compare and contrast the products and services
of SITA with Amadeus. If you were managing an airline, which of these companies would
you work with? Why?
3. SITA provides border control technologies that use biometrics. What are the advantages
and disadvantages of these technologies? Do you think that machines will eventually
­replace immigration officers?
Sources: Vikas (2011); SITA (2014)

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 TOURISM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

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