Issue link: https://resources.genetec.com/i/1022411
FM: Self-service bag drop and self-boarding gates are no longer enough – time management is the new frontier. Flow monitoring is already a reality, but we're now working on pro-activity and predictive systems. It will lead to a direct connection with passengers so our customers know how long it will take for each part of the process. For example, we're developing 'guide to your gate' services for smartphones where we'll send information, such as the availability of parking slots or robot valet parking, straight to your car. Are airports starting to think more about the passenger experience? OJ: Starting isn't really the right word. Here in Europe, airports have made the customer experience a clear focus over the past decade – it's something that's been linked to the emergence of airport brands. Consider how things were 15 years ago. The airport was essentially like a tunnel that you walked through at the beginning and end of your airline experience. In the inter vening period, that old experience has been completely disrupted, not least by the plethora of communication channels that have appeared in that time. Social media and messaging apps, airport TV channels, and smartphone and watch apps have appeared in the past seven or eight years, and the take-up has been exceptionally high. FV: In North America, it's a similar story. Right now, everybody's focused on delivering an end-to-end passenger experience that starts when they leave their home and ends when they board the aircra. So, trying to reduce stress and improve flow-through and predictability for the passenger is key. But that doesn't always meld with the goals and objectives of security. For example, how do you make a seamless experience that includes taking off your shoes, standing in a queue for an unpredictable amount of time, and being selected for a more intimate relationship with your favorite TSA agent? FM: Exactly. Now our customers are passengers as well as airlines. Our business model has transformed, and today airports are like cities, with the sort of services you would find downtown. In our terminals, we provide unique experiences such as world-premiere shops, such as Nespresso and Victoria's Secret. In Paris-Orly, we recently opened three new business lounges and will open six more over the next two years. Charles de Gaulle already has the second-biggest concentration of hotels in the Paris region. We're not just beginning to think about it – we're moving fast. What is the potential for using data at airports? OJ: e airport is the ultimate theater of life, and with all those interactions comes data. But it's the airlines that still hold the vast majority of the personal passenger data. Airports mainly hold aggregate, anonymous data, with some exceptions, depending on the nature of the interaction a person has with them. e potential is there, but to break through we need to finally see examples of airlines sharing data with airports to the benefit of the overall travel experience. e airports best positioned to do that are probably in the Gulf, where the home carriers and hub airports share strong ties. Olivier Jankovec is Director General at ACI Europe. Airports Council International Europe represents more than 600 European airports. It works with members on issues such as airport capacity, competition, economics, climate change, security, safety regulation, research, and innovation. 3 Airports