Global aviation is becoming one of the fastest growing industries in the world. With air passengers continuing to grow at a rapid pace, most large airports have now effectively become cities and include stores, hotels, restaurants, banks and more. Going forward, there is a very real need for airports to get smarter and not just bigger in order to meet the operational and capacity challenges they face.
Before looking at expansion, airports need to look inwards. The Internet of Things (IoT), automation, big data and AI are fast becoming part of the aviation ecosystem, along with integrated data collection and better real-time communication channels.
The potential for connected assets, real-time visibility, asset tracking, and condition monitoring cannot be understated.
To meet these challenges, airports are managing thousands of rotating assets with IBM Maximo Asset Management. The on-time and safe arrivals of millions of passengers rely on these complex assets to be operational. Buying food, using the bathroom, checking in, picking up baggage – all of these elements contribute to overall customer satisfaction and can impact which airport becomes the destination of choice for travellers. Travellers don’t realise how many times they will come into contact with Maximo during their journey!
Leveraging the immense amount of data from Maximo, enabling stakeholders to learn from the past and help predict the future to make informed decisions, is a key part of any smarter airport’s digital transformation.
For example, a smart sensor reading on a baggage carousel falls outside a set parameter triggering an alert within Maximo. This alert automatically generates a work order. Using analytics, the maintenance team can assess the best time to service the asset with minimal impact to travellers. By reviewing the historical data, they can decide on a temporary fix and plan a replacement during low flight arrivals as to not disrupt service.
With Maximo and built in Cognos capability, maintenance planners are able to address imminent maintenance needs so issues don’t become emergencies and customers remain happy.
The smarter airport is more than a vision, it’s a must have. With the right technology in place, it has the potential to create a safe and secure environment, unique sense of place, and personalised experiences for everyone. Maximo helps get air travellers to their destination on time today, and encourages them to travel through the airport in the future.