The American Association of Airport Executives\u2019 (AAAE)\nAirport Consortium on Customer Trust (ACT) Program, comprised of innovative\nairport leaders and aviation industry experts, has released its summary\nfindings of a digitization pilot sponsored by Dallas Fort Worth International\nAirport (DFW). Supported by industry partners, the pilot aimed to investigate\nhow the application of new technology could improve the efficiency, safety, and\nresiliency of airside operations throughout a commercial airport\u2019s apron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through the use of video artificial intelligence and\nintegrated systems, the pilot at the Texas airport sought to harmonize gate\nactivity between the aircraft, airline operations, airport operations, and\nground handlers. The real-time data enables use of predicative analytics to\nreduce aircraft turnaround times, minimize delays, improve planning, measure\ncompliance, and enhance the safety and efficiency of the connected gates at\nbusy airports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDFW is committed to digital transformation and working with\nAAAE and industry partners on initiatives like the intelligent apron that will\nenhance the customer journey and facilitate proactive operations,\u201d said DFW\nVice President, Information Technology Services, Michael Youngs. \u201cDFW is proud\nto sponsor this project and excited to share the findings with our colleagues\nin the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur aim for this pilot was to establish the practicality\nand potential value of embarking on a transition to the intelligent apron with\nthe technology that exists already today. This is not a 5-to-10-year vision,\nbut a 2023 or 2024 solution to address today\u2019s post-pandemic challenges,\u201d added\nTom Duffy, global business development advisor for ADB SAFEGATE. \u201cIt is amazing\nand also very gratifying to see what we can accomplish when the industry comes\ntogether in an open and non-commercial collaboration to solve common problems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This research summarizes the future possibilities for\naviation regarding the intelligent apron and wider themes of digitization. Airports\ncan use the research conducted at DFW to assess and determine the merits of\ndigitizing apron operations at their facilities. The white paper provides\nexamples of use cases, a sense of the potential business cases, and an overview\nof the technical feasibility. This pilot confirms technology and new tools\nexist today to enhance airside safety, and improve collaboration and\ntransparency, of airport operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n