Category: Airports

While this assertion may appear counterintuitive, operating a plane in the air is now much safer than operating one on the ground. Over the past decade, U.S. airlines have flown over eight billion passengers with no fatal crashes and only one passenger death. We have seen airlines report more incidents on the ground than in the air—when an aircraft is on a runway or taxiway, it is more prone to human error or incidents. The key to safety improvement in the aviation industry has been to extract relevant data and deliver it in real-time to the right parties. With this in mind, AI in airports may be useful to analyze ground operations data and alert crew members to take immediate action.

Why Are Flight Operations Consistently Getting Safer?

It is of the utmost importance to ensure passenger and pilot safety to prevent loss of life. Additionally, fatal crashes can cost over a billion dollars in damage and insurance consequences. This also includes the damage to an airline’s reputation, which leads to less business and less revenue.

The airline safety revolution propelled many of the changes that improved flight safety. Federal regulators, airline executives, and pilot union leaders collaborated to launch safety programs that would collect data, and pinpoint hazards that cause malfunctions, mistakes, and crashes. Pilots, airline carriers, and government representatives shared or received data on pilot errors and potential crashes. This exchange came with the expectation that pilots and airlines would not face disciplinary action for handing over this information.

In fact, they were rewarded for sharing mistakes—and punished for withholding errors. This served to create a culture of accountability and safety without fear of retribution.

By combing through massive amounts of data, experts were able to pinpoint error patterns that continued to repeat over and over again. These patterns became necessary safety lessons that pilots and airline crews voluntarily incorporated into their new solutions.

One of the most important facets of the situation is that airlines made voluntary changes, which proved to be much more effective than enforcing government regulations.

Another important piece to consider is that applicable data proved essential to spotting these patterns. While the industry may experience data overload, extricating relevant information from the big data available makes a sizable difference in preventing incidents.

How Can We Apply These Methods to Ground Operations?

As a similar method, AI in airports can function as a data collection method that helps improve the safety of ramp operations. An artificial intelligence tool can send proactive alerts to members across a variety of different ground support crews and third parties, who must work together in sync. While it is easy for these parties to become disjointed, this advanced solution ensures that all crews are all on the same page when it comes to safety. It can help prevent:

• Dangerous driving maneuvers around an aircraft still on the ground
• Incorrect placement of safety cones
• Non-compliance with safety vest regulations
• Other unsafe situations that compromise aircraft safety

An AI tool with computer vision technology can take in the vast amounts of data that come from analyzing the crews and processes on the ground. The more data your tool takes in, the better it becomes at optimizing your operations.

Request a Demo and See Our AI in Airports Like Yours

In collaboration with airlines, Synaptic Aviation tools can collect useful information from vast amounts of data and send real-time alerts to relevant parties, providing airlines with unmatched smart data analytics to improve aircraft safety on the ground.

Are you ready to test an AI solution? Let Synaptic Aviation show you how simple and effective it can be to implement. Request a demo today at www.synapticaviation.com or contact us at 844-505-4496.

Ground and ramp safety are paramount to all successful aircraft operations. Airport ramp accidents can derail success metrics, such as profit, environmental sustainability, and efficiency. The process to rectify these losses begins with a culture of accountability and safety automatically reinforced by an effective artificial intelligence tool, such as Synaptic Aviation.

The Dollar Cost of Airport Ramp Accidents

According to data compiled from several international airlines, the Flight Safety Foundation estimates that 27,000 ramp accidents and incidents occur globally each year. That amounts to one safety incident per 1,000 flights. The consequence of these incidents is airlines losing a whopping $10 billion per year. Much of these costs are related to flight cancellations, schedule disruptions, and maintenance costs, but they also incorporate medical expenses for worker injuries.

The largest concern is that many of these incidents do not meet the deductible threshold for insurance, which requires airlines to account for these costs out of pocket.

What Causes Ground Accidents?

To begin solving this issue, we must first determine the root causes behind these incidents. While the general cause tends to be human error, we have found that there are several specific factors that lead to airport ramp accidents:

• Violating ground safety procedures
• Disregarding worker fatigue
• Inadequate worker training
• High turnover rates for staff

Ramps contain a complex flurry of activity within a limited amount of space. Ground staff teams need to supply fuel, unload baggage, move cargo, and perform maintenance on aircraft in the same area.

While flight schedules often contain padding to try to account for delays, many delays occur due to preventable causes—and not solely due to uncontrollable factors, such as weather. A new approach is necessary: ground teams require more communication and accountability to get flights out on time. With this approach in mind, you can eliminate delays and become more efficient in your operations without the need to add bulk to your schedules.

How Does AI Mitigate Human Error?

Our Ramp Operations Optimization Tool (ROOT) covers several bases when it comes to preventing airport ramp accidents.

Track Unsafe Ground Crew Behaviors

Many unsafe behaviors result from worker fatigue. That is why AI acts as an additional pair of eyes to correct dangerous activities. From missing safety cones to FOD walks not conducted, our AI sends real-time alerts to team members and prompts them to correct their actions.

Promote Safe Aircraft Maneuvers

Many accidents occur due to aircrafts striking personnel or other objects on the ground, leading to injuries and airplane damage. Our AI tool can detect ramp obstacles and verify the presence of guide crews to promote safe aircraft driving. 

Valuable Crew Training

From arrival to departure, our computer vision technology captures details that are easy for ground crews to miss. Our AI cameras log events and record high-definition videos that get sent to a searchable database. Quickly and easily find videos to train your ground personnel and introduce a culture of safety.

Request a Demo Today

Resolving the root cause of your airport ramp accidents may seem complex, especially due to fast-paced work environments. Fortunately, our Ramp Operations Optimization Tool (ROOT) is easy to incorporate into your daily work schedules, largely because of its automated nature. Let us show you how simple and effective it can be to implement. Request a demo at synapticaviation.com or contact us at 844-505-4496.

Can airports prevent holiday travel delays? The state of AI in the aviation industry suggests it is possible.

Flight delays cause considerable harm to airport customer satisfaction during the holidays. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic and the stress it put on the industry, holiday air travel was marked by hours-long waits at the gate and on the tarmac due to inclement weather–the number one reason for holiday travel delays–and other issues. While some things are beyond the control of airport managers and staff, the need for optimized processes is clear, and that’s where Synaptic Aviation can help.

Travelers dread flying during the holiday season, and not without reason, which means airport personnel need to do everything in their power to keep customers happy. The rise of AI in the aviation industry can help assuage travelers’ fears and increase customer satisfaction by reducing delays during the holidays.

Are certain locations more prone to delays than others during the holiday season?

While it might seem logical that airports located in cooler climates would experience more delays during the holidays because of snow and ice, according to a study conducted by Magnify Money, airports in warmer locations are not spared.

In the study, the airports with the highest reported percentage of delayed holiday flights between 2008 and 2017 were:

·   Chicago Midway – 61.5% of flights delayed

·   Chicago O’Hare – 61.6% of flights delayed

·   Newark Liberty – 62.2% of flights delayed

·   Denver – 64.1% of flights delayed

·   New York Kennedy – 64.8% of flights delayed

·   Houston Hobby – 66% of flights delayed

·   Oakland – 66.1% of flights delayed

·   Salt Lake City – 67.5% of flights delayed

·   Baltimore – 68% of flights delayed

With Houston and Oakland as outliers in these statistics, it is apparent that no airport is exempt from delays at one of the busiest times of the year.

How AI in the Aviation Industry Helps Mitigate Travel Delays

With increased reliance on AI in the aviation industry, airport personnel and managers still have a way to overcome some common obstacles that are under their control.

Here are a few ways AI can help reduce the occurrence of delays during the holidays.

Increased Safety

Injuries and equipment damage on the ground prior to takeoff can delay a flight significantly. AI in the aviation industry has come a long way in preventing injuries during loading. For instance, Synaptic Aviation helps eliminate unsafe driving on the apron, ensures ground crew are wearing all required safety equipment and clothing, and sends a warning when vehicles are improperly parked and loading bridges are not fully retracted.

Optimized Operations

Optimizing operations helps ensure smooth transitions between flights. With AI technology, airports can track the progress of loading and unloading, fueling, and catering services.

Real-Time Alerts

AI can also provide alerts to those who need to know when things go wrong. Synaptic Aviation’s technology allows airport personnel to set their own parameters for alerts so that they can correct course for common negative events.

Better Training

AI in the aviation industry also allows airports to customize their training depending on the most common mistakes. Trainers can use the video captured by Synaptic Aviation’s AI to demonstrate and correct improper procedures and mistakes that happen during operations.

AI in the aviation industry is more sophisticated than ever. Are you ready to implement it for your customers?

Ready to see how AI can improve your airport and keep your customers satisfied? Having the ability to understand immediately the root cause of your operational disruptions on the ground is priceless. Synaptic Aviation has the technology to provide the answers automatically and with no effort. Request a demo at synapticaviation.com or contact us at 844-505-4496.

How is AI supporting airport-airline optimization efforts? This article explores an answer.

Industry commentators have shared a common concern during the COVID-19 pandemic: we need to be more tech-savvy and adaptable to survive a new world order.

We propose a quick exercise: when you decide to fly again, and you are in the boarding area of the departing gate, peek outside the window and see the work happening around the aircraft…notice if anything has changed since the first flight you ever took. Except for some technological advancements that help ground crews to be in control of baggage load-offload (so your bags are not left behind), you’ll be surprised to learn that ground operations use nearly the same methods, resources, and equipment that were introduced at the beginning of the jet age. That is ripe for disruption.

With recent advancements in AI, airport ground operations will suffer a transformation, and mostly because these emerging technologies track ground activities and deliver usable real-time information that results in tangible cost reductions and improve the passenger experience; AI has been proven to help mitigate delays and increase safety.

Airports and airlines need to prioritize including AI in their near-term optimization plans if they want to secure a path back to sustained profitability.

AI Increases Feedback to Help with Airport Optimization

Airlines can automate the collection of airport data and then intelligently analyze it to realize massive gains in efficiency.

As airports increase in size and travelers change the way they travel, small fixes in airport optimization will help make for a smoother boarding and loading process.

With continual feedback from AI systems, such as video playback capabilities and real-time alerts that allow operators to correct course, airports and airlines can see exactly where they can improve performance and create a plan to enhance their operations.

Get Better Insights into Planning

Emerging AI systems are showing their ability to provide recommendations, informed by data that would be impractical and virtually impossible to collect manually. With relevant insights provided by the data collected it is now possible to understand the true root cause of service disruptions and predict when they will reoccur.

Operators cannot only see where performance is best and where it is lacking but also how all the moving parts of ground servicing fit together. From aircraft loading-offloading and fueling to features that detect risky behavior that could lead to accidents and damaged equipment, AI helps create a full picture for users.

Flight Operations Are Getting Safer, but There’s Still Room for Improvement

Airport and airline safety has improved progressively in recent years. Unfortunately, airports are continuing to be built and operated with insufficient safety measures for passengers, pilots, and support crew members and it is not a surprise that most aircraft incidents and damages occur now on the ground. Collecting and exchanging critical safety data could allow airports to identify dangerous hazards before takeoff, increasing flight safety.

AI and Airport Optimization Example: Ground Operations

With easy-to-use AI tools for data collection, organizations can now ensure the safety of their ramp operations teams. With AI from Synaptic Aviation, users can receive a proactive alert of any safety or efficiency issues they are facing so they can relay information where it is needed. Our technology makes it easier for everyone to stay on the same page, improving ramp security measures considerably. For example, our AI can detect:

• Dangerous maneuvers around aircraft during loading and unloading
• Whether safety cones have been placed properly and in a way that maximizes efficiency
• Worker compliance with safety protocols

Airports will rely on AI tools in 2022 in order to optimize operations based on a variety of factors. Our tools use video sensors and vast amounts of data from the ground to identify where operators have gone wrong and how to fix mistakes in the moment to be able to recover.

Request a demo at synapticaviation.com or contact us at 844-505-4496 to learn how our AI technology can help you improve your airport operations.

While safety is a key part of airport ramp operations, the complexity of ground operations often results in accidents, many of which could have been prevented. According to the Flight Safety Foundation, 27,000 airport ramp accidents and incidents occur every year across the globe, or one per 1,000 departures. These incidents translate into about $10 billion in costs every year for airlines.

What causes airport ramp accidents?

Human error continues to be a major cause of preventable airport ramp accidents. Among the most common human-error-related safety issues that may lead to an accident are:

• Speeding
• Unsecured luggage
• Personnel movement in restricted areas
• Not following safety protocols

Why do airport ramp accidents occur?

Speeding

Despite speed limits that apply to all apron vehicles, many drivers travel too fast, which can increase the odds of an accident. Some vehicles that operate on the ground are heavy—too heavy to stop quickly if they are violating speed limits.

Airports and airlines can reduce speeding violations using various technologies that track how fast each vehicle travels on the apron. Synaptic Aviation’s AI technology can track unsafe driving habits on the apron, alert in real-time about it, and prevent it from reoccurring while allowing ground operations personnel to review and learn from mistakes.

Unsecured Luggage

Improperly loaded luggage can become unstable during transit. If a piece of luggage falls out of the cart transporting it to or from the aircraft, it becomes foreign object debris (FOD). If it is undetected or if personnel fail to retrieve it in a timely manner, it can cause accidents and injuries to others driving on the apron.

AI technology from Synaptic Aviation accurately detects pre-arrival FOD walks and alerts the relevant parties to help them keep the apron clear and safe.

Personnel in Restricted Areas

In a perfect world, ground support personnel would not enter into restricted areas, but it still happens quite often. For instance, if they are in a rush, they may drive GSEs near the jet engines or under the wings of an aircraft to cut down their time. Doing so not only increases the risk of damage to the aircraft and GSE but also could put ground support lives at risk.

Preventing movement within restricted areas can be difficult because it can happen fast. However, with AI technology that detects movement in predetermined restricted areas, ground support managers can show their crew when these mistakes happen to help them learn from them.

Not Following Safety Protocols

Complacency is often the root cause of many accidents on the apron. Unfortunately, excess confidence hunts experienced workers and new hires alike, and what seems to look like unnecessary or redundant but necessary tasks are ignored resulting in injuries and costly damages. Making safety stops before approaching the aircraft with a vehicle or following the correct driving patterns in the proximity of the engines can add unnecessary time or complexity to each task but those procedures were implemented for a reason. With the use of Ai technology on the ground, it is easy to detect risky behaviors and take steps to prevent them before they become habits.

Training personnel about the consequences of ignoring safety protocols can help mitigate future occurrences. It is critical for everyone working on the apron to promote a culture of safety and our AI technology helps to ensure that team members on the ground have the necessary tools to learn about the risks and the common mistakes in their environment. With a smart video database and notifications that are triggered in real-time, it is now possible to provide relevant feedback to put safety at the center of what they do.  

Synaptic Aviation for Better Safety Monitoring

Interested in learning how Synaptic Aviation can help you and your team stay safe on the apron? Request a demo at synapticaviation.com or contact us at 844-505-4496.

Air travel difficulties are on the rise. Here are some of the primary causes to help you keep your customers happy.

1. Air traffic control issues

One of the most common reasons for flight delays is issues with air traffic control. Air traffic controllers have a challenging job, and even a tiny mistake can cause significant delays.

2. Weather

Bad weather is another major factor that can lead to flight delays and cancellations. Strong winds, thunderstorms, and even heavy snow can make it difficult or impossible for flights to take off and land safely.

3. Maintenance or mechanical problems

Sometimes, delays are caused by maintenance or mechanical problems with the plane itself. These issues can range from small things like a broken coffee maker to more serious problems like engine failure.

4. Runway congestion

If an airport has a lot of traffic, it can lead to delays as planes have to wait their turn to take off and land. This is especially common during busy travel times like holidays.

5. Late-arriving aircraft

If the plane that was supposed to take you to your destination is late arriving, it can cause a domino effect of delays for other flights. This is often out of the airline’s control, as it can be caused by things like weather or other delays at the plane’s original departure airport.

6. Crew availability

If there is a problem with the plane’s crew, it can cause delays. This could be anything from the staff not being able to arrive on time to one of the members becoming sick and needing to be replaced.

7. Air travel security issues

Security issues, such as long lines at security checkpoints, can also lead to flight delays. Sometimes lack of security personnel can cause problems, as well.

8. Passengers

Believe it or not, passengers can also cause delays. Things like passengers taking too long to board the plane or baggage issues can make it difficult to get a flight off on time.

9. Airport construction

Sometimes, airport construction can lead to delays, as it can cause things like congestion and closures of certain runways.

10. Airline policies

Lastly, airline policies can also contribute to flight delays. For example, if an airline has a policy of overbooking flights, it can cause problems when there are not enough seats for all of the passengers.

Conclusion: AI Can Help Air Travel Difficulties

As you can see, there are a variety of factors that can contribute to air travel delays and cancellations. Unfortunately, there is no one easy solution to fix the problem. However, understanding the causes can help you prepare for future delays and make the best of a difficult situation.

Looking to reduce your airline or airport’s delays and cancelations? AI can help you streamline your processes. Request a demo at synapticaviation.com or contact us at 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.

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.

In today’s fast-changing business world, and with more ultra-low-cost carriers emerging in the market it is critical to be focused on opportunities to be efficient and manage costs. By improving turnaround time, airlines can gain an edge and outperform their competitors. But how do you achieve this goal if you don’t have accurate, timely data? Find out in this article why better data is essential for improved turnaround times and how Synaptic Aviation can help you get there!

Better Data Can Help You to Gain a New Understanding of Your Turnaround Performance and Help to Close the Gaps. 

You need better data if you’re trying to improve your airline’s turnaround time. That may seem like an obvious statement, but it’s often overlooked. Too often, organizations focus on improving processes and procedures without ensuring they have the data necessary to make informed decisions or be certain they are solving the right problem.

But having better data can help you improve your turnaround time in several ways:

Automatic Aircraft Turnaround Tracking

If you’re looking to improve your aircraft turnaround time, it’s crucial to have a system that can track and generate timestamps of ground service tasks automatically and precisely and trigger alerts when events deviate from the norm in real time.  

Synaptic Aviation offers a system with automatic aircraft turnaround tracking that allows consistent automatic detection of turnaround activity and determines the root cause of disruptions. Having immediate access to insightful operational data is an eye-opener and a game changer because often, the real cause of disruption is not as obvious, or it defies our learned logic. 

Real-Time Alert Information with Timestamps

Getting data in real-time is a game changer. With Synaptic Aviation’s AI technology, you can be sure that you will be alerted about most service failures as they happen so you can minimize the impact. With the ability to review timestamped data as it is occurring, you can also see when avoidable mistakes are happening or discover patterns that allow you to get a new understanding of the issues and prepare action plans to prevent reoccurrence in the future.

Having the right information with easy and immediate access allows personnel to make decisions based on the most current information available, leading to better and more effective decision-making, reflected in quick turnaround times and improved efficiency.

Vendor Performance Data

Having accurate and real-time vendor performance data is essential for making informed decisions during aircraft turnaround and providing feedback, especially when SLAs are not met consistently or when there are patterns that indicate that a business partner is struggling. 

The Synaptic Aviation system captures ground services with enhanced detail and is your one source of truth. In addition, vendor performance improvements and audit automation produce savings of up to $26K per gate per year + $15K per airport/per year on vendor audit automation.

Safety Data

Safety is a key factor that can get compromised when allotted turnaround times are reduced due to a lack of arrival readiness, putting pressure on ground crews that must rush to complete their tasks in less time and thus prone to cut corners. Improving arrival readiness by accurately identifying root causes is the first step to minimizing risky behaviors by crew members. Then the Ai also monitors for routine safety compliance to prevent personnel injuries and aircraft damage. Collecting safety data and alerting is only half the battle – you also need to ensure that your data is delivered swiftly. 

Synaptic Aviation system has PLB in safety envelope alerts (pre-post), pre-arrival FOD walk alerts, cone placement tracking, and exception reporting using electronic tracking. It has real-time reporting and alerts, which result in behavior change, reducing employee injuries and aircraft damage.

Video Database for Training and Review of Aircraft Turnaround Procedures

Aircraft turnaround time is a critical metric for the aviation industry and directly impacts an airline’s bottom line. To improve turnaround times, it is essential to have a good database of videos documenting past aircraft turnaround procedures. Think of this feature as your ground data recorder. 

Synaptic Aviation’s AI has a video database that can be used for training purposes so that new employees can learn from the mistakes of others and avoid making them themselves. It can also be used forensically, so that management can see where improvements need to be made.

So, if you want to improve your aircraft turnaround time, start by collecting better data to focus on solving the right problems. Only then will you be able to make the improvements necessary to achieve your goals.

Improve Your Turnaround Time with Technology from Synaptic Aviation

Your business’s success depends on your ability to meet aircraft turnaround goals. When it comes to turnaround time, every minute counts. We can help you improve your turnaround time with our cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology.
With Synaptic Aviation, you can be confident that your aircraft will be ready to take off on time every time. Contact us today to learn more about the system and how we can help you improve your turnaround time.

Airport aprons are high-stakes, high-traffic areas where constant vigilance is required to protect passengers, crew, and airport workers. Due to the high volume of daily aircraft movements and ground support equipment operations, it is imperative to have real-time visibility into the whereabouts, movements, and actions of all objects and personnel on the apron. In 2023 alone, several incidents have highlighted this need:

• On January 3, a ramp agent was fatally injured after being ingested into an aircraft engine at Montgomery Regional Airport.
• On January 19, a JetBlue airplane struck a parked aircraft as it exited the gate at JFK International Airport.
• On February 3, a Boeing 787 being towed into an adjacent gate clipped the winglet of a United Airlines Boeing 757 at Newark Liberty International Airport.
• On February 10, five people were hurt after a shuttle bus struck an Airbus 321 on the taxiway at LAX.
• On March 6, two United Airlines aircraft clipped wings at Boston Logan International Airport.

The Synaptic Aviation system was designed specifically to prevent such incidents. Synaptic Aviation’s AI is revolutionizing the way in which ground service crews work by keeping every stakeholder informed about aircraft movements and ground support routines in real-time. This article will explain why real-time alerts from Synaptic Aviation AI are critical for safety on airport aprons.

Recent IATA Study Reveals the Need for Enhanced GSE and Other Damage Prevention Measures

The IATA recently released a study that emphasizes the need to transition to Enhanced Ground Support Equipment (GSE) to prevent the annual cost of ground damage from doubling to nearly $10 billion by 2035. The study found that:

• Motorized GSE striking the fuselage of the aircraft is the primary cause of aircraft ground damage.
• Widebody aircraft have a ten times higher ground damage rate than narrowbody aircraft.
• Belt-loaders, cargo-loaders, passenger stairs, and passenger boarding bridges are responsible for 40% of total incidents, making them the primary focus for transitioning to Enhanced GSE.
• Transitioning 75% of these equipment types to Enhanced GSE with anti-collision technology would reduce the current expected ground damage cost per turn rate by 42%.

In addition to transitioning to enhanced GSE, the aviation industry needs to improve the way they monitor the apron and alert all stakeholders of potential hazards.

How Synaptic Aviation’s AI Can Help Support Your GSE and Reduce Damage Incidents

Avoid Property Damage on Airport Aprons

Property damage is a major concern on airport aprons. Vehicles, aircraft, and ground support equipment are all at risk of collisions due to their constant motion and necessary contact. Significant property damage and expensive repairs are starting to emerge primarily due to three recent developments:

1. Newer aircraft are made primarily of composite materials instead of aluminum alloys; this makes for more invasive damage and expensive repairs with longer return to service cycles.
2. After COVID, the industry is experiencing higher turnover rates in ground personnel which makes the ramp fertile ground for mishaps.
3. The Ultra Low Cost Carrier (ULCC) phenomenon is putting pressure on the industry to lower costs and operate with higher efficiencies, which often translates to thin margins for ground service providers and fewer safety nets.   

Synaptic Aviation AI’s real-time alerts can help to reduce potential damages effectively by warning about imminent danger, changing people’s behavior from repeated alerts, and by highlighting trends that can lead to accidents. A quick example is our ability to interact with the ground crews via the A-VDGS (Advanced Visual Docking Guidance System) and use the information display to stop a docking if a high-risk situation is detected. Synaptic Aviation’s alerts are delivered swiftly, avoiding potential collisions, reducing the likelihood of costly property damages, and fostering a culture of compliance. 

Encourage Behavioral Change to Avoid Injury

Airport aprons pose a risk not only to aircraft but also to airport employees. Workers face risks of falling or being struck by moving objects due to the constant traffic of vehicles and equipment on the apron.

Synaptic Aviation AI’s real-time alerts can help promote staff behavior change, lessening the potential for injury on airport aprons. To help operators avoid potential dangers, the AI provides real-time data about where and how often vehicles and other pieces of equipment are being moved at the present time. The technology also allows for better training by providing stakeholders with a visual record of incidents so ground crew can learn from mistakes.

Synaptic Aviation’s goal with the technology is to also partner with ground service providers and help them to win by creating a culture of safety by providing tools with immediate feedback about risky situations and alerts that are relevant and timely. This has the potential to improve the morale of airport workers and foster a safer, more pleasant atmosphere in the workplace.

Help Your Bottom Line

Since our Synaptic Aviation AI elevates safety and decreases the likelihood of property damage and personal injury, it also helps airports increase their bottom line. Airports save time and money by increasing efficiency and optimizing operations, ultimately boosting their bottom line.

By providing real-time updates about the movements of aircraft, service vehicles and ground personnel, Synaptic Aviation’s AI can help to optimize ground servicing, providing a new level of operational awareness while helping stake holders to get a new understanding of what is impacting operational performance so that each team can focus on solving the “right” problem. 

Airports and airlines can increase their bottom line by reducing the likelihood of collisions and other incidents on the apron, which in turn reduces the need for expensive repairs and maintenance.

Get Clear Visuals for Better Accountability

Finally, Synaptic Aviation AI’s real-time alerts can boost airport apron accountability as well. Operators can be held more responsible for their actions when they have a clear picture of where their vehicles and equipment have been and where they are going.

The Synaptic Aviation system is a “Ground Data Recorder.” Its real-time alerts can also serve as a valuable record of apron activity, allowing operators to look back on the information and analyze it for improvement opportunities. Opportunities to optimize operations and increase efficiency can be found here, as can threats that need to be dealt with.

A culture of safety can be promoted on airport aprons with the help of real-time alerts from Synaptic Aviation AI. The health of employees, the standing of the airport, and the aviation industry as a whole can all benefit from this.

Conclusion

Synaptic Aviation AI’s real-time alerts are crucial to maintaining order on airport aprons. Its ability to track aircraft and other vehicles in real-time has the potential to reduce the likelihood of accidents, optimize operations, increase accountability, and spread a culture of safety and compliance.

Complex and ever-changing, airport aprons are home to a wide variety of vehicles, pieces of machinery, and people. Without adequate risk management, the movement of such entities can introduce potentially disastrous hazards. Synaptic Aviation AI’s real-time alerts are a powerful resource for mitigating these threats, empowering operators to make educated decisions and take preventative action.

Enhanced safety measures and individual responsibility will become increasingly important as the aviation industry develops and expands. With Synaptic Aviation’s technology, airports can boost safety, cut costs, and increase efficiency, all of which contribute to a long-term, financially rewarding aviation industry.
Get in touch with us today to find out more about Synaptic Aviation AI and how we can assist you in maintaining a safe environment on airport aprons and fostering a culture of safety in the aviation industry.