Cloud, biometrics to change airport experience

Airports are increasingly identifying the need to switch to next-generation cloud systems in order to improve operational efficiencies in a challenging marketplace, according to an insight paper by Amadeus.

The report - It makes sense to share: making the case for the cloud in Common Use airport technology - collects the viewpoints of over 20 senior IT leaders from the airport industry to investigate the business case for adopting cloud-based common use systems at airports.

Rising business pressures from stakeholders and competitors mean airports must make the most efficient use of IT resources to operate effectively and work more collaboratively with airlines, while looking for alternative revenue streams to remain competitive. The paper indicates that modernising approaches to common use systems is one route to alleviate these challenges in a world that has access to the latest models of cloud computing.

The paper goes on to highlight that the industry is now ready to adopt next-generation common use solutions to maximise the operational and commercial performance of the sector. However, some airports still have doubts stemming from concerns about resilience, privacy, security and risk, although the report suggests attitudes to these issues are gradually changing.

“Today’s set-up is reliant on outdated technology and is not really embracing the revolutionary capability of the internet,” says Michael Ibbitson, CIO, London Gatwick Airport, and a contributor to the report. “Each airline using our CUPPS [common use passenger processing system] system needs to build integration locally, on-site. The aviation industry has tried to address the problem with the development of CUTE [common use terminal equipment] and CUPPS standards but, in doing so, seems to have reinforced the existing structure rather than instigate change.

“It is time to embrace technology as quickly as possible and develop a fundamental shift in aviation IT.”

Common use technology has evolved little since CUTE was created in 1984, which is still more popular than the much newer CUPPS, formed in 2009. Interviewed airports find these platforms to be outdated, inflexible, complex, slow, bulky and cost-ineffective, which affects the whole airport eco-system.

Biometrics

Nearly eight in 10 Australians support the use of biometric-based security measures to verify the identity of passengers boarding aircraft at airports. However, they do not support airport retailers using biometrics to make customised sales offers, according to the 2014 Unisys Security Index.

The Unisys Security Index is an annual global study that provides insights into the attitudes of consumers on a wide range of issues related to national, personal, financial and internet security. The study, conducted in Australia by Newspoll, surveyed 1201 adults between 14 and 19 March 2014.

The survey found 75% of Australians said they are willing to provide biometric information such as a fingerprint or photograph so that an automated boarding gate can confirm their identities when they board a flight.

“We have seen longstanding support for biometrics in immigration and customs processing, but these new findings show that there is a willingness to extend this level of identity verification throughout the passenger’s airport journey to confirm that only approved passengers are boarding  flights,” said John Kendall, security program director, Unisys Asia Pacific.

The survey also found 71% of Australians said that they would be willing to provide personal biometric data to prove their identities as frequent travellers of low security risk.

However, only 33% of Australians surveyed said they were willing to provide biometric information in order to access customised retail offers in the airport. And 63% said they were not willing to do so.

“While Australians are willing to give up some sensitive personal information in return for the convenience of faster processing through the airport, they are not willing for the same information to be used for the convenience of personalised retail offers,” Kendall said.

“This may be because immigration and customs processing are mandatory and recognised as core security processes which already have systems and processes in place to protect personal data. Whereas retailers may not yet have earned that level of trust in their ability to protect data, or shopping convenience is simply not seen as a serious enough reason to give up personal biometric data.  This issue will gain scrutiny as retailers make more use of big data analytics to collect, combine, interrogate and use information about their customers,” said Kendall.

“The result clearly demonstrates that Australians are discriminating when it comes to the use of personal biometric data and are wary if the use is not directly linked to a security-related initiative in the nation’s airports,” he said.

Image courtesy Jnpet under CC.