BUSINESS STRATEGY
In choosing a path of digitalisation and innovation , the industry has a prime opportunity to improve its sustainability credentials and make long-term improvements to the passenger experience . If there was ever a time to improve and transform the industry , it ’ s now .
Accelerating innovation and digitisation uptake of digital technologies and fast-tracked innovation across the industry . As summarised by the IATA in its post-pandemic vision for travel , there is a need for a flexible approach and resilience . In turn , this brings an urgency to put available technology to use , to provide this flexibility and unlock the full benefits which are achieved with global coordination rather than isolated approaches .
WHAT AIRLINES AND AIRPORTS ARE UNDERSTANDING , TOO , IS THAT THESE SHORT-TERM SOLUTIONS HAVE LONG- TERM BENEFITS TO THE PASSENGER EXPERIENCE .
In the wake of the industry ’ s worst financial year , the aviation ecosystem has been tasked with how to restart operations with increased agility , depleted resources and significantly less revenue . One need only look at the reports coming out of the UK ' s airports in recent months to realise that a systemic change is needed within the sector for it to find its feet again . COVID-19 outbreaks within the UK Border Force , influxes of passengers following updates to the traffic light system and lastminute schedule changes are just some of the recent issues that airlines and airports have had to contend with .
The benefits of innovation and digitisation are clear , but the industry has been notoriously slow to adopt new technologies . Focusing instead on cosmetic improvements such as wider seats , catering and in-flight entertainment , the sector has arguably been too short-sighted in its approach to improving the passenger experience .
While the appetite to digitise and innovate may have been there , it had been stunted and delayed by the mammoth task of addressing legacy infrastructure and regulations . Fastforward to 2021 and digitisation is no longer an exciting project to one-day explore , but rather a critical process to fully embrace .
Monika Wiederhold , Global Lead for Safe Travel at Amadeus , said : “ The current need to handverify health documents while maintaining social distance means that some of our airline customers need around 90 % of their check-in staff to process just 30 % of passengers .”
Operating at this level is simply not viable long-term . These issues have accelerated the
This acceleration of digital innovation has manifested itself across the whole aviation industry ecosystem . Up until 18 months ago , the use of biometrics in airports , for example , was in its infancy but with the need to digitally verify identities tied to test results or health passports and contactless methods now critical to inhibiting the transmission of COVID-19 , biometric technology has gone mainstream .
What airlines and airports are understanding , too , is that these short-term solutions have long-term benefits to the passenger experience . The recent biometrics trial at Istanbul airport , which was initially introduced to encourage passengers to touch as few surfaces as possible on their journey throughout the airport , also led to a 30 % reduction in passenger boarding times .
Improving the passenger experience in terminals has been at the forefront of digital initiatives like the pre-ordering of products and services in airports without needing to queue or enter the retailer . Airlines , like those within the Lufthansa Group , have launched self-service baggage tracers , allowing passengers to file a missing bag report in moments by submitting their flight , baggage and passenger details a handful of steps using their smartphone .
Airlines are having to invest more in conversational and self-service technology to enable them to talk to passengers in a humanlike way but with automation . This requirement has been driven by the unprecedented scale of disruption and subsequent interactions they have had to manage with their customers .
Additionally , they have had to introduce more automated workflows around recovery – for example when there are cancellations or disruption . Communication in real-time , issuance of vouchers and refunds to customers is now more instantaneous . This has changed the passenger experience for the good . No longer do you simply get a text from the airline to say your flight is cancelled , with no reasoning , and then spend hours on the phone to get a refund processed .
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