On enhancing government strategy and the travel experienceHow is Abu Dhabi Airports aligning its growth strategy to support Abu Dhabi’s broader economy, and what role does its existing network play on this front?
BRYAN THOMPSON: A core part of our mandate is to promote aviation, which has historically been a cornerstone of the Abu Dhabi economy. However, we are also looking at how we fit within the government’s broader strategy by working with stakeholders like the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority to maximise our capacity in improving traveller experience and bringing airline traffic from high-priority tourist markets. Our facilities are the front doors of the emirate; therefore, we are ideally positioned to contribute to Abu Dhabi’s tourism ambitions in a meaningful way. A major factor of Abu Dhabi’s appeal as a destination is its unique heritage and culture, an aspect we aim to capitalise on by strengthening Arabian hospitality as a key component of the emirate’s brand.
Each of the airports within our network plays a unique role, delivering niche functions that support our overall mandate. Our flagship facility is Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH), the main gateway to the emirate and the terminals that comprise the bulk of our operations. The expansion of AUH, known as the Midfield Terminal Building, will play a critical role in creating capacity for future growth in air traffic and passenger demand, in addition to allowing us to segregate products and experiences for various airlines more effectively. Likewise, Al Ain International Airport (AAN) continues to grow at a sustainable rate and represents a door to the Eastern Region. Future plans for AAN will be centred around improving passenger experience and generating more economic activity in the adjacent free zone, particularly as we aim to capitalise on growing e-commerce and logistics business. Al Bateen Executive Airport, a unique facility catering to corporate jets and maintenance, repair and overhaul projects, faces no current capacity constraints, thus upcoming improvements will address runway maintenance and costumers’ overall experience. Lastly, two smaller airports in Sir Bani Yas and Delma are being overhauled to upgrade safety and security systems to ensure that they measure up to other facilities in the network.
To what extent is ICT being utilised to improve operational efficiency and passenger experience?
THOMPSON: Digital transformation in airports has accelerated dramatically as technology has evolved, however, the true impact of these innovations lie within their ability to significantly enhance customer experience. We can more proactively market Abu Dhabi and its hospitality if passengers are not delayed by queuing. Working together with relevant government stakeholders, we have been able to deploy automated border solutions and e-services that expedite immigration processes and ensure people move as easily as possible without compromising security. For instance, process optimisation has been advanced by working in conjunction with immigration authorities on Smart Gate, a product that currently has over 12m registered users and will be undergoing further improvements.
Ongoing digital transformation does not only allow us to measure queues, but to create common platforms that allow for prediction and intervention. We have installed sensors to control baggage and the formation of queues, and deployed centralised control services that allow us to detect escalations in delays. These systems direct employees to intervene or speak with customers to address any issues. Once we have an established common network in place, we will look into automating the learning process, whether by machine learning through algorithms or by artificial intelligence that caters to parking allocation, queue management or other airport functions that could benefit from big data. The internet of things will not only improve passenger satisfaction by reducing wait time, it will shape the future of duty free offerings by enabling more experiential shopping and the adoption of virtual reality, especially as passengers will have more free time to enjoy these experiences due to less queuing.
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