As airports continue to embrace innovation to improve the passenger experience, Ryan Ghee takes a look at some of the most recent and eye-catching initiatives.
Dubai International partners with Deliveroo on food delivery service
The DeliverooDXB service is initially available for passengers in Dubai International Terminal 3, A-Gates.Dubai International (DXB) has partnered with food delivery service Deliveroo to launch a first-of-its-kind airport F&B delivery service in the region.
The initiative – named DeliverooDXB – enables passengers to have freshly-prepared food delivered straight to their boarding gate within minutes of ordering. Passengers can simply place an order on Deliveroo’s app or website, or via a link on DXB’s high-speed, free Wi-Fi service.
Eugene Barry, Executive Vice President of Dubai Airports’ Commercial and Communications Group, said: “DeliverooDXB is a truly ground-breaking service that brings an extra level of convenience to our customers. Our mission to completely reinvent the airport experience is rooted in implementing innovative concepts, as demonstrated by this partnership with the world’s best food delivery brand.
“Now passengers can receive delicious food from our food & beverage outlets while they wait to board, all made possible by the expertise of Deliveroo and our world-beating Wow-Fi service.”
The service is initially available for passengers in DXB Terminal 3, A-Gates. There are currently over 10 participating outlets including Costa, Giraffe, Café Chocolate, Picnic, Paul Bakery & Restaurant, Pulp Juice, Carluccio’s, Le Pain Quotidien and McDonald’s.
Anis Harb, Deliveroo General Manager, GCC, added: “With our riders now delivering to the gate, there is no reason to miss breakfast, lunch or dinner even when passengers may only have minutes to spare before boarding.”
İGA reveals baggage tracking, self-service and mobile app plans for Istanbul New Airport
The implementation of a baggage tracking solution will ensure that Istanbul New Airport satisfies IATA Resolution 753.
Details continue to emerge about how technology will be used to provide a positive customer experience, and optimise passenger and baggage processing at Istanbul New Airport.
SITA has been appointed to implement a baggage tracking solution at the airport, which will allow airlines to meet the IATA Resolution 753 baggage tracking requirements from the very first day of operation. The solution will provide the IT infrastructure needed for airlines to track bags at key points in the journey, including check-in, transfer and arrival. Resolution 753 will become effective on 1 June 2018.
Yusuf Akçayoğlu, CEO of İGA Airports Construction, said: “We fully understand that having the right technology will be essential to the successful operation of the new airport and future-proofing it for decades to come. It is also critical to ensuring our passengers fully benefit from our new, world-class facilities by providing innovative systems that make the journey through the airport enjoyable and effortless.”
İGA has also revealed that passengers will be able to make use of self-service bag drop, and biometric-enabled e-gates will be installed at the border control checkpoint.
Meanwhile, İGA is investing in a mobile app to provide real-time journey information and easy access to a digital loyalty programme. In addition, passengers will be able to provide real-time feedback, and request information and assistance based on their specific location in the terminal.
Istanbul New Airport is scheduled to open in 2018 and will initially be able to accommodate 90 million passengers a year, eventually rising to 200 million following all stages of construction.
Greenery creates calming ambience in FRA’s Departures Hall B
The greenery in Departures Hall B has been introduced to help create a calmer ambience.
A new look for Departures Hall B at Frankfurt Airport has been unveiled, complete with green waiting areas to create a more relaxing ambience.
Departures Hall B, which is at the heart of Terminal 1, has received a complete facelift. The area is now brighter, and more open and welcoming for passengers. The project restores Departures Hall B to its traditional function as a central marketplace and meeting point at Frankfurt Airport.
A new restaurant is flanked on both sides by green waiting areas. Lush greenery shields the seating areas from the bustle of the terminal. In addition, a new lighting concept immerses the waiting areas and nearby restaurant in a pleasant, warm light.
The information desk has also been renovated and provides passengers with easy access to information on departures, arrivals and the airport’s service offering.
3D sensors to be installed across London Luton Airport
London Luton Airport has invested in 3D sensors and software to measure KPIs such as queue lengths, and waiting and processing times at passenger touchpoints across the terminal.
A total of 24 Xovis 3D sensors featuring automated queue detection will be installed. These ceiling-mounted sensors will count and track passengers anonymously, and the software will visualise the KPIs on real-time dashboards.
Kimberly Kennedy, Senior Manager Passenger Services, London Luton Airport, explained that the system will help to “streamline our processes, improve the passenger experience and increase satisfaction”.
“We are investing £150 million to transform our airport and need the most accurate and reliable technology to gather quality data,” Kennedy added.
Schiphol launches Personal Security Pass pilot project
Personal Security Pass time slots can be reserved between four days and 75 minutes before departure.
Passengers departing from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol can now take part in the Personal Security Pass pilot project, which allows them to reserve a specific time slot to go through security.
Passengers on select flights to Schengen destinations can reserve their security pass online. They can then use a dedicated entry gate in Departure Hall 1.
Applicable flights can be checked and time slots can be reserved between four days and 75 minutes before departure through the Schiphol website and app.
The thinking behind the initiative is to test whether travellers value the certainty of having a fixed time to go through security, and how it can impact processing times at the security checkpoint. If the pilot project proves successful, the Personal Security Pass will be rolled out for general use.
During the pilot, 30 passengers will be able to use the dedicated entry gate every 15 minutes, and over 400 time slots will be available each day. The pilot will run until 11 December 2017.
