Airports and Ground Handling - Essay Example

Airports and ground handling Introduction According to Graham pp 14), airports are an essential part of the transport system. Air transport is a crucial component for the development of the global economy as it provides the needed infrastructure that enables transportation of passengers and freights regionally and internationally. A well functional air transport system must be one that is effectively and efficiently managed thus is capable of timely services delivery for the satisfaction of the customers’ needs. Management of the airports and air transportation system would necessitate a close collaboration between the top management of air transportation system including airline managers, handling agents, government agencies, as well as specialist agencies and the airport operators. The airport operators vary significantly in relation to the ownership, management structure, funding and degree of autonomy, thus making the manner with which one airport is managed to be significantly different from the other. Nevertheless, each airport operator is faced with challenging tasks of coordinating all services to enable the efficient functionality of the airport system. Each airport operator has a unique responsibility, but all assume the overall responsibility for control and coordination of the operations of the airport. In an attempt to understand the nature of work of the airport operations and the management system of the airports, this paper will analyze some of the future challenges operators are faced with, as well as analyze some of the consequences of these challenges. The paper will also provide an analysis of some of the mitigation measures that can be employed by the airport operators in the event of the potential future challenges. Future challenges to the airport operators Terrorism Airport operators are charged with the responsibility of ensuring the safety of passengers and freight through the development of a safe airport environment. However, in some instances, there have been reported incidences when terrorist have managed to evade the security checks and measures in some of the modern and technologically sophisticated airports and managed to spill terror to the airline passengers and crew. An example of the June 8th 2014 terrorist attack on Jinnah international airport, Pakistan, resulting to the death of 36 people is an indication of the sophistication of terrorist attack on airports. Current terrorist attacks on airports are indications that terrorism in the 21st century has revolutionized and points to the development of more sophisticated methods that could be used by terrorists in the near future to execute their plans (Luongo 2011, pp.134–159). Terrorism is one of the major challenges that the airport operators will face in the future. Increased incidences of terrorist activities evidenced trough radicalized groups like the Islamic state in Iraq and the Boko haram in West Africa are indicators of the impending future escalation of terrorist attacks. Increased terrorism lowers the incidences of air transport both for humans and for freight lowering revenue derived from the airline transportation system. Inferring from the past experience, the 2007 Glasgow International airport terrorist attack is an indication of the extent to which modern terrorism are willing to use brutality to execute their mission (Gallagher 2010, pp. 61-83). Being the second busiest airport in Scotland after Edinburgh Airport, the terrorist attack on Glasgow resulted to cancelation and delay in flights that slowed some of the key operations of the airport resulting in loss of revenue. Attacks like the one witnessed in Glasgow are anticipated to be on the rise in the near future, if appropriate crackdown is not implemented on terrorist organizations thus posing a future threat to airport operators. Advancement in technology The current rate of technological development in the airline system is twice as high as it was in the last decade. The nature of competition among different airline companies is technologically oriented with each airliner attempting to provide the customers with technologically advanced services for economic benefits to the airliners. The high advancement in the technological system poses a challenge to the airport operators who are expected to keep abreast with the modern and emergent technology. The modern aircrafts are built with technologically sophisticated appliances that make the operation of the airplanes computerized and semi-autonomous. Technological advancements like the German’s Lufthansa availing broadband internet on international flights, is a technological mode of competition for attraction of more customers. To conform to the dynamics in technology, airport operators must be technologically advanced as their airliner counterparts; like Virgin Atlantic, which has established plans to offer standardized access to Wi-Fi in its lounges worldwide. In order to effectively coordinate and control the airport, the airport operators must upgrade to technologies that are an equal match to the ones used by the modern airplanes. Owing to the proliferation of the internet use and the availability of the tablet computers, the airports of tomorrow will be forced to provide services like the roaming agents with the tablet computers. The application of the roaming agents will be to provide information to the passengers whenever necessary at their own access through internet. The application of new technologies like the roaming agents are pushed by the advancement in technology as initiated by the airlines thus airports must conform to the changes. The main challenge in technological advancement to the airline operator will be the constant need to upgrade to a more technologically relevant operation system thus increasing the cost of operating the airlines. Additionally, failure by the airport operators to conform to the new technological advancements puts them at a risk of potential hackers. On 12th April 2015, the Hobart international airport website was hacked and fed with pro-islamic militant messages. The hacking of the airport websites can be instigated by terrorists for purposes of destabilizing the operations of the airport thus granting them easy passage for execution of their schemes. Hacking of the Hobart international airport website insinuates at future threat to the airport operators (Wilson 2006, pp. 69–88). In the current airline market, almost all activities in the airport that were formerly done through human labor are carried out by machines that need little operation by humans. In the near future, the situation is set to increase tremendously as robotic machines will be used to operate airports. The input of humans in the future airport operations will be minimum as robotic machines will be responsible for the management of activities in the airports in a synchronized manner. An example like the case of the Indianapolis international airport use of robots to assist passengers like when asking for direction, a robot can connect a passenger to a real human through an attached tablet. Additionally the integrated robot loading at Amsterdam airport Schiphol is an aspect of the use of robots to revolutionize speed and efficiency in the handling of the freight. These examples indicate the future direction of the application of robotic technology in the management of airports. The use of robots in the operations of the airports in the future would increase the cost of management of the airports. Nevertheless, if the airport operators want to remain relevant to the changes that will be brought about by technological advancements, investment into modern technology is inevitable. The application of machines in the operations of the airport would be significant for fast handling of cargo and security checks. However, these machines come with a huge financial burden of installation that must be incurred by the airport operators. Management of congestion Over the years, there has been an increased number of passengers using airline services. This been orchestrated by an increase in the international trade making global travels a necessity. Evidence of an increased number of air traveling is indicated by the expansion of some of the airports and their facilities to accommodate more passengers. Increased number of airline commuters has also been fueled by the growing levels of the capacity of the airlines to accommodate the increased number of passengers. Airport operators face the challenge of accommodating the increased number of travelers and cage. The increased congestion in the airports poses challenges to the airport operators, as they will be necessitated to expand the airline facilities to accommodate the increased congestion. Addition to the increased challenge of financial burden needed to expand airline facilities most airports lack enough space to accommodate the desired expansion thus limiting their capacity to contain the increased number of airplane commuters (Czerny 2010, pp.371–380). Possible mechanisms to mitigate the challenges To maintain a competitive advantage in the dynamic airline sector, it is crucial that the airport operators device mitigation measures to counter the potential future challenges to their operations. Terrorism is a global menace that demands the involvement of national and regional governments for mitigation. Nevertheless, preparedness on the part of airline managers is inevitable as a mitigation measures against terrorism attacks (Luongo 2011, pp.134–159). Companies such as Rigaku are working on security check devises like the hand held Raman scanners. These would be hand held appliances that can be used by security team by pointing it at a suspect and instantly detect for explosives or illicit materials. Procurement of modern and sophisticated security appliances like the metal detectors, hand held Raman scanners and body scanners for identification of explosives and terrorist contrabands that could be a security threat would be a necessity for mitigating security threats in the airports. Inferring to challenges that emanate as a result of technological advancement, it is important to understand that an advancement in technology is an inevitable fact that airport operators must embrace. The airport operators can mitigate the issue of technological advancement by designing a team of technocrats who analyze changing trends in technology and recommend periodic improvements to the technological system of the airports. This to ensure that the airports are kept abreast with the changes in technology and adapts to the changes (Wilson 2006, pp. 69–88). Despite some airports being in constricted vicinities inhibiting their expansion like La Guardian airport in New York, there is a need to reduce congestion in the airports as a way of adapting to the feature trends in airway travelling and transportation. Congestion in airports located in smaller areas can be reduced by appropriate planning of the interior design of the airport that permits a smooth flow of traffic of people. This equally be synergized by developing adequate technology that will aid in clearing people and freight from the airports thus maintaining a minimum number of passengers and cargo at all the time. Congestion in the airport can also be minimized through giving the passengers adequate information like the use of strategic screens to display information concerning flights for active decision making by the passengers. Additionally, the solution of congestion in the airports can be solved through expansion of the airport by creating of additional terminals and runways. Nevertheless, financing of additional terminals and runways is an expensive endeavor thus; airport operators must seek for alternative sources of financing projects of such magnitude. Financing of these projects could be acquired through grants from the government or loans borrowed from financial institutions like banks. This help in the solution of the financial burden that expansion of airports attracts (Czerny 2010, pp.371–380). In the events of expanding airports for reduction of congestion, environmental arguments often ensue. This is addressed through following of the protocol as stipulated by the country’s environmental policies and management to ensure that the expansion of the airport is within the confines of environmental laws and regulations governing the process. Conclusion Air transport is an important sector in the development of global economy. The airport is thus an important facility for the realization of the air transportation goals. Appropriate management of the airports is an important factor for effective functionality of the sector. Nevertheless, as provided in the study above, airport operators are anticipated to face some future challenges like security threat, technological advancement and congestion. In order to mitigate these challenges, the airport operators must conform to new systems of technology and security measures to avert future threats for the functionality of the airports. Other future developments in achievement of future perfection in airport operations could be optimization of existing terminal infrastructure through a controlled and efficient transfer of passengers arriving and traveling to different destinations as a congestion mitigation measure. Bibliography Anne Graham., 2014. Managing airports: An international perspective. Fourth edition. Czerny, A.I., 2010. Airport congestion management under uncertainty. Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, 44, pp.371–380. Gallagher, M., 2010. An Analysis of the Public Reporting to Lothian and Borders Police on Perceived Terrorism-Related Matters after the Glasgow Airport Terrorist Attack in 2007, Luongo, N.E., 2011. Acts of terrorism in airports : Air carriers , states and airport operators ’ liability and security duty. Management, 5, pp.134–159. Wilson, C., 2006. Terrorist Capabilities for Cyber-attack. In International {CIIP} Handbook 2006. pp. 69–88. Read More