ADB Safegate
ADB Safegate discussed its solutions for airports with IASEA. They have also shared which airports to emulate and how airport systems will be more innovative. Learn more about them in this interview.
Q: After 2 years of industry change, airport advancement, and digital acceleration, how has ADB Safegate’s solutions evolved, improved performance at airports, and managed complex operational challenges?
ADBSG understands that airports have an imperative need for digital acceleration during the pandemic and what its adoption means for their operations, customer service, and stakeholders’ engagement. ADB SAFEGATE has been working closely with the industry to support this digital transformation across Airside, Apron, ATC, and AOCC by integrating and orchestrating their strategic and tactical operations so airports can operate at optimum efficiency while collaborating with airlines, GHA, ATC, and other stakeholders on the go, anytime, anywhere. Hence, we utilised these two years to invest heavily in our portfolio, where advanced innovation has been introduced, as well as work on the transformation of our workforce to capitalize on this innovation and pass on the unique benefits to the industry’s stakeholders.
Q: What do you think will make airport systems more innovative?
Airport systems at digital airports need to be more intelligent and shall be governed by data-driven operations supported by actionable insights through complementing technologies like AI/ML and IOT. It’s getting more and more apparent to airports that unified digital platforms for their operations and stakeholder collaboration are beneficial to their sustainable growth. In line with the Industry 4.0 revolution, the Airport 4.0 concept is critical, with airports on track to have smart operations where decision-making is based on data and a predicted approach.
Q: Which airport(s) in Asia do you think others should emulate when it comes to airport systems (operational performance, baggage management, gate products) and why? Please provide case studies if possible.
All major global hub airports in Asia, including but not limited to HKG, SIN, SHA, PVG, DXB, AUH, DOH, and KUL, have been on an accelerated digital transformation journey in various operational aspects, be it digital apron, digital towers, digital APOC, or connected airport operations, and have been sharing their insights on KPI improvements, operational efficiency, ease of operations metrics, etc. that emerging hubs and upcoming greenfield airports can emulate. Each of these airports' journeys has been a case study for us. I'm pleased to see these leading airports taking a focused approach, with a dedicated team or units deployed to accelerate digital transformation and capitalize on the smart airport concept. These prestigious airports are working closely with OEMs like ADB Safegate to share their experiences and identify relevant innovations to be introduced in their best interests.
Q: What are some of the challenges airports in Asia are facing now, and how are they keeping up with their European counterparts?
The challenges for Asian airports are more about their readiness to respond to foreseen growth in passenger and air traffic, which is reflected in industry projections. Implementing technology-driven terminal, apron, and airside operations comprehensively on operating airports is one of the biggest challenges, both operationally and commercially, and we have been engaged in supporting our customers with alternative and creative options. Another challenge is the shortage of skilled manpower, which was induced by COVID, and now airports are struggling to fill the gaps during the recovery phase.
In short, the key focus is improving OTP (on-time performance) using technology, leading to fully automated operation. Hence concepts like smart airports, Airfield 4.0, A-CDM, Digital Apron, Digital Tower, etc are the key areas on which airports are focusing in this era.