Airport Integration of Operational Systems, Passenger Processing & Baggage Systems

Systems Integration

Project Start date:  A series of projects, latest major Systems Integration began in 2003, complete in 2004, with further functionality delivered in an upgrade in 2006.  The system is under continuous enhancement, with regular improvements and modifications. Ultra and Zurich are now working together on the development of UltraSIS, a series of web based modules designed to provide staff and management information.

Project Content:  UltraFIDS, UltraDB, UltraTrak, Systems Integration

Project Scope & Performance: Ultra has provided and supported UltraDB and UltraFIDS for Zurich Airport for more than 20 years.  In that time, Ultra has performed two wholesale technology refresh upgrades in a live airport operational environment.  The most recent contract replaced the previous upgrade, performed in 1996.  Phase1 began in May 2003, and completed on schedule and within budget with live cut-over in February 2004. 

Phases 2 & 3 of this rolling replacement of integrated airport systems were completed in March 1996 with the last module implemented being a General Aviation Slot Management system.

Under a separate contract, Ultra installed a Baggage Reconciliation and Tracking System which was handed over to live use at the end of 2006 and upgraded with increased functionality in 2007.

Ultra and Zurich are currently working together on the development of web based staff and management information capability, beginning with staff information pages and delivering a de-icing system in late 2011.

Complexity and System Integration:

The Ultra systems for Zurich provide an operational database, airport systems integration and flight information displays for both staff and public.  This central system, which was migrated to the latest hardware platform, Oracle RDBMS and Ultra product software during Phase 1, is integrated with other airport systems via a large number of legacy interfaces.  The interfaces include those to Swiss Information Systems, Swiss Traffic System, Baggage Handling Systems, Stand Planning System and Air Traffic Control system or to a resource planning tool of the major handling agent. 

The system also provides a data feed and update notifications via an open standards XML-based interface with Zurich’s webMethods Integration Broker.  The operational data sourced from the legacy data feeds and user input to Ultra’s database is used via the IB to drive a management information portal.

Function-rich Windows-based clients are widely used for operational data update, alarm notification and FIDS administration. Web-based clients are also increasingly used to provide browser-based -client access to the integrated operations data provided by the Ultra systems.

The initial movement of the system to Ultra’s latest product line opened up possibilities for further functionality to be effectively incorporated in the later phases of the contract:

• Managing and recording all ground movements

• Incorporation of Business Flight and General Aviation operational functions
• Provision of an integrated billing capability to the Airport’s billing system.
• Recording and reporting of historical data, including an existing 10 years’ worth of archive data
• Integration with the SCORE scheduling system to provide a Seasonal Schedule Management System
• General Aviation Slot Management

Hardware was supplied by Zurich Airport.  The system is installed on IBM P520 using the latest p6+ processors. The system is distributed across 2 computer rooms and several nodes, performing different functions such as FIDS display, schedule planning etc.

System Architecture: