Will Competing Priorities and Regulatory Pressures Challenge the Airline Industry’s Ability to Transform the Passenger Experience – or Simply Fuel Record Investments?

I travel a lot. I also attend a lot of industry events convening airline/aviation, transportation, and government leaders. Every time I do, I can’t help but think about technology. 

Now, I know what you’re thinking: ‘You work for a tech company. Of course you’re always thinking about technology.’ 

But in these instances when I’m travelling – when I’m outside my bubble, hearing other people’s perspectives and seeing how differently things work around the world – I can’t help but wonder how many technologies marketed as ‘solutions’ are really solving today’s problems. I also see many places under the wing, above the wing, and in airports where technology – or different technology – could be inserted to make the travel experience better. 

For example, if RFID tags were put on every checked bag instead of just a barcoded tag, airline staff would never have to tell a traveller they couldn’t locate a lost bag. There wouldn’t be an hours-long hunt for it across multiple airports, frustrating staff or the traveller. Strategically placed RFID tags could also help crews turn planes around faster by speeding up inventory and equipment safety checks. Additionally, digitising inspection checklists on mobile computers could give crew members real-time updates on progress and issues that may need addressing. But these are just a few ways technology could be better used by those in the travel industry. 

I attended the Passenger Terminal Expo earlier this year and was party to several conversations with airline executives and airport operators about ‘transformation’. They debated what more can be done, and what must be done, to improve traveller experiences, increase workforce capacity (without increasing workforce size), and protect profits.

While many had a wish list of changes separate from their ‘non-negotiables’ list, I believe that many of the changes they pondered are more necessary than nice-to-have right now. 

For example, security was a major talking point in the context of transforming the traveller experience, supply chain management, building capacity, and risk reduction. As such, there were many questions raised about the adjustments that airline and airport operators need to make to their systems or processes:

• Are there certain technology-related practices or tech-supportive processes that should be fundamental at this point but aren’t? 

• Are there tools available to improve offensive and defensive security postures that may be underutilised at the moment?

Personally, I feel that if more physical touchpoints below and above the wing were digitised and automated then both the traveller experience and security would naturally be improved. We could: 

• Direct travellers to self-service kiosks or mobile apps to reduce wait times, which would also allow for multifactor authentication when sensitive information is shared.

• Use biometric screening during check-in to streamline security checks and boarding processes.  

• Utilise RFID tags and real-time tracking technology for smart baggage handling, which helps from an accountability perspective in terms of security as we would know who handled the bag and when or who left an abandoned bag. It could also reduce lost baggage claims (26 million in 2022?!), which protects profitability. Fewer lost bags, fewer payouts, more traveller satisfaction and loyalty.

There are also techniques and tools that could aid with security and safety risk mitigation while also improving supply chain and labour management:

• Predictive maintenance: AI-powered software can help predict equipment failures and schedule maintenance, which reduces aircraft downtime and helps improve air and ground safety. (It’s already used in other industries today, such as field service, manufacturing, and energy.)

• Demand forecasting: AI-driven demand forecasting has been used by retailers, healthcare providers, manufacturers, and others who want to improve their inventory and resource management capabilities. It’s worked well for them and can easily be applied to aviation supply chains to help with everything from catering prep to on-board safety equipment refreshes, proper stocking of blankets and pillows, or even labor planning. Are you scheduling the right people for the right flights or shifts based on current and anticipated demand? Are they getting enough of a break so they can properly rest and recover (which is important from a safety perspective)?

• Blockchain technology: Yes, this is still very valuable for transparency and traceability purposes. It can help you track parts and materials to ensure authenticity and reduce fraud, which is fundamental to air travel safety and security. Chain of custody verification must be indisputable.

• Real-time monitoring technology: There are a host of internet of things (IoT) devices that can be used for real-time monitoring of aircraft parts and supply chain logistics, to include RFID, real-time location solutions, machine vision, sensors, and more. Whether you’re supporting consumer or commercial air operations, you need to be confident in the current status of every asset. That’s one of the reasons why international transporter Jet Air Services SPA (JAS) started using RFID in its warehouses in Italy to assist with shipment prep and loading.

Another hot topic at Passenger Terminal Expo was crisis management and resilience planning. 

After the experience we all went through with the pandemic, the consensus is that the airline/aviation industry must continue to prioritise and maintain pandemic preparedness. Health and safety measures such as contactless processes, enhanced sanitation and health screenings on aircraft and in airports can help put wary employees and travellers at ease and help minimize call-ins due to illness. (Covid isn’t the only virus that tags along with travellers.) These are things that can easily be managed with the same type of mobile technology used in retail and clinical healthcare environments.

But we can’t stop there, and industry leaders know it.

Some airline and airport executives were very interested to learn how they can better facilitate regular audits and inspections to ensure safety and operational standards are being upheld. Again, it’s all about ‘trust, but verify’, traceability, and accountability in the airline industry. The flying public (and crew) want to know that every measure is being taken to both protect them and ensure the smoothest flight possible. 

While the first step is to create a digital record of every transaction in airports, on aircraft, on the tarmac and even back to the point of production, it’s not enough to have a record. You must be able to retrieve and analyse that data in real time to understand what is happening or not happening from a process perspective. 

• Are the proper security checks happening at the gate? (Is a scan of an ID and boarding pass happening? Facial recognition verifying the person standing in front of the agent with the picture on the large screen? Or is someone just looking to make sure the names seem to be the same and letting people pass?)

• Are ground crews pencil whipping certain inspection elements because flights are behind, weather conditions are terrible, or they’re just tired? (You could tell this by how quickly checklists are being completed on a mobile device that tracks keystrokes and timestamps). 

• Have recalled items been quickly pulled from service or aircraft immediately grounded for maintenance and repairs when a potential issue is reported? (You’ll be able to see when alerts were sent and rectification actions taken.)

• Where else do things seem to be happening too quickly or too often? Where are those patterns emerging that indicate potential safety or security issues could arise?

• Why are things taking so long? If planes are consistently leaving late because the crew can’t turn them around fast enough, it’s not enough to interview crew members. Look at the digital records. What happened from the time the plane landed to the time the next flight took off? What was scanned? What RFID tag reads took place? What reports were submitted? If something should have only taken 10 minutes but it took 30 minutes to get marked as ‘complete,’ you can start asking why. Maybe there was an isolated situation or maybe this is becoming a pattern that indicates operational changes need to be made. Maybe 30 minutes is how long it takes to properly complete safety checks, so more time needs to be built in between flights (and crews completing checks in less than 30 minutes need to be retrained to ensure they’re being thorough.) 

The point is…

There’s a way to digitise and automate in ways that both elevate the traveller experience and mitigate operational risks so you don’t have to treat security or capacity-building projects as competing priorities with every other ‘wish list’ item. You could simultaneously achieve multiple objectives by laying a better technology foundation. You can (finally) respond to the change in customer expectations and the need for greater efficiency and sustainability without having to address each ambition or issue as its own line item and multi-year project.

Of course, no digitisation or automation effort is going to land the results you want if you don’t have a solid wireless connection to facilitate these workflows and information flows.

That’s probably why most airline and airport leaders at the Passenger Terminal Expo indicated that they’re going to invest more in advanced communications systems. They know this underpins any effort drive greater efficiency and functionality between aircraft, air traffic control, and ground services. 

So, if you have any digitisation or automation plans, or you simply want to open more communications channels, it’s worth exploring private wireless rather than just traditional Wi-Fi or cellular options. I know several industry leaders were demonstrating or asking about the viability of using private 5G networks to replace Tetra push-to-talk (PTT) systems to facilitate more data and voice applications airside – and what was being pitched seemed like they could work quite well for different communications use cases. 

Because I spend my days living and breathing technology, I know how much easier my journey to the airport, through the airport, on the plane, and at my destination would be if we could just get everyone on the same page, using technology in the most fundamental ways. 

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Curious how technology is being used by other airlines and in other airports around the world? Interested in learning about the technology that you could infuse into your current processes to improve visibility, accuracy, safety and other business targets? 

Check this out. 

You may also want to bookmark this article, as it talks about the use of barcode versus RFID technology in airports, on aircraft, and across aviation industry services: 

The Barcode at 50: Time to Reassess RFID

The JAS Italy story is also a good read. The international transporter reports 100% accuracy on air cargo package loading since introducing RFID technology across its warehouse operations. Find out why RFID made such a difference. 

And, finally, you can see what Air Asia is doing to better manage safety equipment checks here: 

How One Airline is Using RFID to Mitigate the Risks of Rushed Cabin Inspections