Month: December 2022

Air travel demand continues to grow at a rapid pace. This growth is increasing airport delays and the number of stressed ground services. How will ground support keep up with this growth?

Increasing Air Travel Demands

Several factors contribute to increasing air travel demands, such as population growth, economic development, and the rise of low-cost carriers. As more people are able to afford air travel, airlines are adding more flights and routes to meet this demand.

This growth in air travel is putting pressure on ground support services, which include everything from check-in and baggage handling to aircraft fueling and deicing. With more flights and passengers, airports and airlines struggle to keep up with the demand.

Growing Demand Projections for 2023

The airline sector is predicted to reach profitability in 2023. Airlines are expected to achieve a global net profit of $4.7 billion on $779 billion in revenue (0.6% net margin). 

This growth poses challenges for ground support equipment (GSE) providers, who must keep up with demand while meeting new safety and efficiency standards. The demands are greater as airlines strive to turn around aircraft more quickly and efficiently. In addition to traditional services like baggage handling and catering, GSE providers will need to offer increasingly sophisticated solutions.

Ground Support Obstacles in 2023

The number of air travelers is expected to grow significantly in the next few years, outpacing the growth of available airport infrastructure. This will create significant challenges for ground support providers, who will need to find ways to handle increased demand while still providing a safe and efficient service.

One of the biggest challenges will be managing aircraft congestion on the ground. With more aircraft movements, there will be an increased risk of collision and delays. Ground support providers will need to develop new procedures and technologies to help manage this congestion and keep flights moving smoothly.

Another obstacle will be handling the increasing number of passengers with diverse needs. Air travel is becoming increasingly accessible, which means that airports and airlines must be prepared to accommodate passengers with a wide range of disabilities and needs. This includes everything from those who require special assistance during their journey to those with emotional support animals.

Finally, ground support providers will need to find ways to deal with the increasing amount of baggage passengers bring. This luggage often needs to be stored securely and efficiently, which can be a challenge in itself.

With proper planning and preparation, however, airlines can overcome these obstacles and ground support providers can successfully meet future challenges.

How AI Can Improve Ground Support Efficiency During Worker Shortages

To accommodate this growth in air travel, airports and airlines should start investing in new technology and equipment to improve ground support operations. This includes AI technology which helps produce invoices for billable ground services with unparalleled precision. As a result, airlines can avoid customer disputes or nearly eliminate revenue losses for frequently overlooked occurrences such as aircraft re-departures, further GSE support, or a return to gate. Because most relevant operations are detailed tracked, the AI can handle invoicing for you.

This system has the potential to significantly improve efficiency during periods of high demand when there may be a shortage of available workers. By using AI to staff more efficiently, ground support can ensure that clients’ needs are met, even during times of high demand.

Also, with the assistance of AI, you may reduce jet engine and APU utilization, resulting in lower fuel consumption and, as a result, lower CO2 emissions.

Conclusion

As the demand for air travel continues to grow, it’s important that ground support can keep up with the increased demand. Fortunately, AI is available. By working with a reputable AI software company like Synaptic Aviation, you can ensure that your needs are met and that you get the best possible service.

Ready to put our artificial intelligence to the test? Allow Synaptic Aviation to show you how simple and successful it is to operate. Request a demo today by visiting www.synapticaviation.com or calling 844-505-4496.

Why airport apron efficiency is critical right now? Airport aprons must be able to accommodate arriving and departing aircraft without delay, not only to increase customer satisfaction but also to cut back on fuel costs and reduce CO2 emissions. When an aircraft arrives at an airport, it must be able to park at an available gate or stand swiftly. Once parked, the aircraft must be unloaded and reloaded with passengers and baggage. All of this must happen in a timely manner so that the aircraft can take off again without delaying other arriving or departing aircraft.

Apron management is responsible for ensuring that all activities on the apron are conducted in a safe and efficient manner.

Solutions for Improving Airport Apron Efficiency

1. Implement an apron management system: An apron management system can help optimize traffic flow and reduce congestion on the airport apron.

2. Increase ground services coordination: Improved coordination between ground services providers can help to keep aircraft moving and avoid delays on the apron.

3. Increase ramp capacity: Increasing the number of aircraft parked on the ramp at one time can help improve apron efficiency.

4. Improve lighting and signage: Better lighting and signage on the apron can help pilots to more easily find their way around and improve safety.

5. Implement new technologies: New technologies, such as AI technology from Synaptic Aviation, can assist airlines in avoiding delays by elevating the awareness of ground service providers and providing real-time alerts during turnaround.

Rising Fuel Costs Make Efficiency a Priority

The rise in jet fuel prices is a major challenge for airlines, as this cost typically accounts for 20% to 25% of total operational costs. The price of jet fuel increased by more than 70% in the first six months of 2022, marking one of the steepest increases since at least 2002 and putting unprecedented pressure on the airline industry’s cost management.

As airlines look to cut costs, airport apron efficiency is an area of great opportunity as airlines lack an effective and practical way of measuring excess use of engine time or APU time. Aircraft fuel is one of the largest operating expenses for airlines, and rising fuel costs have made efficiency a priority.

Apron operations account for a significant portion of an airport’s overall ground movements. Inefficiencies in apron operations can lead to longer delays, which can ultimately impact an airline’s bottom line.

Several tools contribute to apron efficiency, including AI. To improve efficiency, airports need to consider these tools and find ways to optimize operations carefully.

Improving Efficiency on the Ground Contributes to Reducing CO2 emissions.

Excess fuel burned produces CO2 emissions, so a system capable of tracking and alerting about opportunities to reduce engine and APU time while on the ground can automatically help airports and airlines to achieve sustainability goals without any major investments or changes in procedures. 

Reducing Delays Keeps Customers Happy

With the increased demand for air travel comes an increased need for efficiency at airports. Unfortunately, many airports are struggling to keep up with the demand, which can lead to delays. Delays not only cause passengers frustration but can also lead to lost business for airlines and other businesses that depend on air travel.

That’s why it’s so crucial for airports to focus on reducing delays. There are a number of ways to do this, such as investing in new technology, improving communication between airlines and ground crews, and increasing the number of staff members on the airport aprons. Implementing even a few of these changes can significantly reduce delays and keep customers happy.

How AI Technology from Synaptic Aviation Can Help

AI technology has the potential to revolutionize airport apron operations and improve efficiency in several key ways. Synaptic Aviation’s AI tool provides extensive visibility into the baggage loading process as well as insight into an inbound or outbound flight’s landing, taxiing, or docking status. This new clarity enables you to communicate effectively within your team and with customers, resulting in several new enhancements, such as lessening passenger wait time, managing to keep passengers informed, improving passenger comfort, and increasing on-time performance.

Overall, the use of AI technology from Synaptic Aviation has the potential to improve airport apron efficiency greatly. This is especially important in the current environment, where efficient operations are critical to keeping airports running smoothly.

Conclusion

Why airport apron efficiency is critical right now? The world’s airlines are flying fuller planes than ever, and they’re expected to fill even more seats in the coming years. That’s good news for travelers, but it also means that airport aprons must be able to handle the increased traffic while doing so responsibly. This article has explored why airport apron efficiency is critical right now and some of the ways that it can be improved. 

Artificial intelligence use in aviation is frequently overlooked in customer service, but a cutting-edge partner like Synaptic Aviation can assist you in easily implementing a technological solution.

Are you ready to put our AI to the test? Allow Synaptic Aviation to demonstrate how easy and effective it can be to implement. Request a demo at www.synapticaviation.com or call 844-505-4496 today.