Contributed By Sh.N.B.

Mathur General Manager (IT),AAI Legacy An airport in many parts of the world is managed by an Airport Manager (AM), who may be the sole person in the cadre or there may be a line of hierarchy around him with some of his colleagues to control terminals separately as Airport Terminal Managers (ATM). AM or ATM Rooms may have a working table with a PC, a CCTV terminal, a Telephone and a few registers to carry out all his controls. ATM fundamentally is responsible for the cleanliness, attending to VIPs, and is also supposed to resolve any other problem that may arise while discharging his duties which he learns by experience and also through free advice available to him from various colleagues working who necessarily, may not be from the same organization to which ATM belongs to. He has to religiously maintain a log of his activities which gets conveyed to superiors only on the next working day. The more he writes the better is his appraisal by his superiors. Important events are conveyed through Telephones or hotlines. Naturally this is not the efficient manner in which an airport should be managed. An airport is a multi-tasking multi-organization location, prone to frequent technological changes, and where all agencies have to perfectly be in-tandem with excellent communication among them. Airports world wide are adopting a total airport management concept in differing configurations. This brings in a drastic change in the management style where Information Technology plays a very important role.

Management Concerns

Following are the management concerns at an airport which should be addressed using systems approach: Multi-agency environment an airport has multiple agencies working and each tends to create its own empire with its own infrastructure.

Fragmented automation islands of information exists at the airport and a consolidated view is lacking Duplication of Infrastructure besides spoiling the aesthetics at the airport it taxes space availability and some times creates operational confusion

Reliable flight information lacking single point flight data is missing resulting in each agency operating its own data with its own means of acquiring information which is normally not reliable

Analog Surveillance of Terminals - makes it tedious to track risky situations Security Systems not on-line any security lapse or hazard detected cannot be conveyed to all concerned without loss of time New Concept

The new concept in airport management essentially revolves around the following: Creating Work flows for on-line working in Back-office automation

Integrated systems environment Having a Centralized Database Deployment of Business performance and Intelligence Tools Creation of Airport Operational Control Centres Rugged Information Display Systems Intelligent Surveillance Resource Management System Access Control Systems Common Use Infrastructure to keep operation cost to minimum A total automation in information management along with process definition and process based integration of systems for each of the activity performed at the airport, monitored in real-time scenario, is the crux of modern management style. Steps in the implementation

A common use network and other common use facilities are created in the first step to provide a platform for further systems creation and integration.

Next step is to study and upgrade systems, wherever necessary, at the airport. Office automation is essential to facilitate creation of database. Manual operation, if any, will remain unmanaged. It has to be avoided and kept to minimum.

Integration of the systems follows - this may be using various techniques depending upon the architecture of the consolidated system design. Simple to very complex techniques are available but it is always advisable to go for simpler techniques for easy subsequent maintenance, management and future growth.

Creation of Airport Operational Database (AODB) - which may be created separately for an airport or it may be a customized database for the airport forming a part of a group of airports having remotely installed Centralised Servers. Larger airports can be thought of having local servers in addition to Centralized Servers.

Once the AODB is available it has to be linked to the processes identified for the activities at the airport, and Workflow to carry out each process is then created and assigned to the relevant users.

Control Centres are created to monitor group functions having perfect integration and data flow among them. These control centres are called Airport Operational Control Centres (AOCC). Following are some of the centres a bigger airport will have.

a. i. ii. b. c.

Operation Management Center Resource Management System Access Control System Flight Slot and Scheduling Center Flight Crisis Management Center

d. e. f. i. ii.

Building Management Center Airport and Flight Safety Control Center Security Control Centre Security Surveillance Center Security Investigation Center Helpline and Helpdesks are created for contact with the passengers, public at large and the visitors at the airport. Self-service kiosks are essential for accessing information and services availed by the passengers and visitors. An intelligent access control is also essential to restrict the access to authorized areas only. Constraints Modern management concepts have their own constraints because it is capital intensive exercise which a Finance man does not easily approve as lot of its benefits are not measurable, and cost benefit analysis becomes a difficult exercise. Then as it needs a great deal of automation a timely and accurate data input is very essential. Regularity in working is normally abhorred. Modern Airport Management needs to be technology laced and people friendly to benefit the user fraternity .Unless we resort to TOTAL AIRPORT MANAGEMENT CONCEPT we cannot usher in best solutions and services for our airport users.