Airport News

Airport News

Copenhagen Airport has given Google Glass the thumbs up following a successful trial by its passenger services team. Working with SITA Lab, the technology research group at SITA, the trial at Copenhagen Airport has seen positive results from both passengers and the airport service team.

Marie-Louise Lotz, director, Customer Care, Copenhagen Airport, said, “The feedback from our passengers and service team has been overwhelmingly positive. We found Google Glass very easy to use and more user-friendly than other devices such as tablets. We can reduce the amount of paper our duty managers need to carry to give great customer service, such as duty rosters, desk allocation sheets, peak prognosis, passenger numbers and cruise arrivals. And because the devices are hands-free, our managers are not focusing on a screen and can engage better with our passengers.”

The team also noted that having access to services like Google Translate and gate, baggage or flight information would help them improve the dialogue with passengers. Sharing information with other colleagues on duty by using the camera for documentation purposes and publishing photos on a closed work forum promotes instant interaction between duty managers.

Speaking at the Air Transport IT Summit in Brussels, Jim Peters, chief technology officer at SITA, said, “SITA has led the way with airlines and airports in the trials of wearable technology, including Google Glass. The killer benefit is that this technology is hands-free and enables a new way of working. At Copenhagen Airport we have seen real benefits for both passengers and service staff. From an operational point of view, the ease of adoption and the user-friendliness of the Glass devices are great – it only takes a day for staff to familiarize themselves with the new equipment.”

According to Peters, there are, however, still some technical issues to iron out. “The devices need improved scanning capability, battery life and reduced heating during operation,” he explained. “But the potential for widespread usage in the air transport industry is great. SITA will continue testing and researching the best ways for this innovative technology to be embraced by airports and airlines.”