Passenger Terminal Conference

Passenger Terminal CONFERENCE 2014 gives the inside track on the driving forces behind the airport industry, and with more than 300 key industry professionals speaking over three days. A taste of what’s in store from some of the specialist sessions…

Passenger Processing Check-In and Self-Service – one day – 25 March
Conference Chair, Al Lyons, has two key objectives for this track, dedicated to giving delegates the edge when it comes to streamlining check-in without alienating passenger experience. Lyons, Firmwide Director of IT and Electronic Systems at HOK in the United States, says, “Delegates will learn how current, emerging and anticipated future technologies and passenger processing trends will improve passenger experience and reduce costs, along with the pros and cons of dedicated airline passenger processing systems, common-use systems, and shared-use systems.”

Streamlined check-in processes don’t come much faster than the new drive-through check-in system at Palm Springs International Airport in the USA. Thomas Nolan, Executive Director at Palm Springs,says his session is far from a standard speech: “This is not your typical new in-line baggage handling project presentation – it introduces the trendsetting idea of giving passengers the option to remain inside their vehicles when checking-in for a flight.”

With a study on new passenger processes at Brussels Airport, Peter Cornillie, VP Ground Operations and Airport Service at Brussels Airlines, is set to focus on the wider passenger experience in action. Cornillie says, “It does not matter who the passenger is or the reason why he is flying; what really matters is that he or she should have a great experience when departing or when landing.”
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Technology, Systems Integration, IT & ICT – one day – 26 March
The Integrated Environmental Media System (IEMS) at LAX was designed to evoke an era when travel was romantic and fun. The airport’s largest IEMS is the time tower designed to evoke the emotions a traveller would experience in the Grand Central Stations of old. But this is a clock like no other – it features changing content, focusing on different cities around the globe, with video representing the romance of travel, and imagery based on destination cities.

Roger A. Johnson, Deputy Executive Director, Los Angeles World Airports, will take delegates through this unique concept, and says the system is making quite an impact: “The passenger reaction has been outstanding. I have not yet gone into the terminal where I haven’t seen at least a dozen passengers with their smartphones out taking picturesand/or videos, and we have had several passengers state they almost missed their flights because they were so mesmerised.”

How many versions of a single piece of data can there be? During implementation of its key operational systems, Birmingham Airport was able to redefine some of its key operational data. Wayne Smith, Head of Information Services at Birmingham Airport Limited, UK, says: “By integrating their AODB with their new CUPPS systems and reengineering some of their business processes, they were able to introduce a greater level of data accuracy than they have ever seen previously.” In his presentation, ‘A Single version of the truth’, Smith will outline this journey, using real-life examples.
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Baggage Processing, Tracking & Identification – one day – 27 March
John Beasley, Head of Baggage Strategy at Heathrow Airport Ltd, UK, will explain how he helped create a strategy for baggage handling at Heathrow as part of the airport’s bid to be Europe’s hub of choice. He will highlight how his strategy was designed in a complex environment involving airlines, alliances, shareholders and regulators, and how it will be realised through a benefits-driven, programmatic approach.

In Hon Wei Lim’s discussion on Baggage Systems of the Future, the focus is on Singapore’s new Changi Airport Terminal 4. Lim, Manager, Baggage Handling System, Changi Airport Group, Singapore, says: “The audience will have a glimpse of the design of the Individual Carriage System (ICS), from the development process through to realising this baggage handling system of the future – all despite tight project timelines.”
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Aviation Security, Border Control & Facilitation – three days – 25, 26 & 27 March  
Philipp Kriegbaum a former criminal investigation officer, is Chairman of ACI World’s Next-Generation Screening Task Force, and Vice President of Corporate Safety and Security at Fraport AG Germany. He leads this discussion focusing on key issues such as how much security it takes to outweigh risk, and attempting to find out if risk-based travel-friendly and efficient security is truly possible.

Abdul Hameed Abalary, Managing Director, KAIA Jeddah Airport, Saudi Arabia will look at how to strike the optimum balance between aviation security and facilitation, and the impact of 9/11 on the revenues and profitability of the airline industry. He will weigh up the economic loss for airlines and airports, caused by queues and delays linked to security, asking if it is possible to optimise, without compromise.
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