Leveraging 21st century technology to transform a mid-sized domestic airport into a large-scale international hub with a capacity of 25 million passengers per year.
Done.
China’s new Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport used Unisys Centralized Integrated Information Management System to upgrade operations based on real-time visibility into key processes and performance data.
Business Challenge: Integrating Systems to Facilitate Rapid Growth
To meet the demands of surging passenger travel in Asia coupled with the expected spike in travel during the 2008 Olympic Games, Guangzhou International Baiyun Airport (GBIA) was faced with the challenge of rapidly expanding into a large international hub. The target was to increase passenger handling capacity to 25 million people, expand apron space to accommodate 66 aircraft and grow freighthandling capacity to 1.1 million tons – all by 2010. And it had to complete the transformation while still ensuring the continuity, integrity and security of operations.
Three areas were critical to airport’s success:
- Alignment and integration of existing IT assets and processes: Typical airports today operate with 400+ systems and 500+ business processes – few of which interoperable. Most airports don’t see the connections between data, process and systems, but GBIA sought visibility into those linkages so as to identify and avoid potential bottlenecks and future problems as it rapidly expanded operations.
- Real-time visibility into flight information: At the old airport, flight information updates were distributed in 2-3 minute intervals, rather than in real-time. This lack of current schedule data could lead to delays in critical apron-related tasks and flight departures.
- Automated allocation of critical resources: To ensure smooth, efficient operations, GBIA needed to constantly allocate and manage stands, gates, baggage belts for incoming flights, check-in counters for departures and other resources. That required integrated data and automated management tools.
The Solution: The Right Partner and Next-Generation Infrastructure
To coordinate future planning, control daily operations, and centralize accounting and reporting functions, Unisys designed and deployed a Centralized Integrated Information Management System (CIIMS). CIIMS integrates information flow from a variety of internal and external systems, collating and storing data in a central database and furnishing actionable information back to the airport community. And to support the transition, Unisys also provided detailed process models and workflows showing the connections between key systems, data and operational functions.
The backbone of the operational environment is the Unisys Airport Operations Management Solution, a high-volume database at the core of CIIMS. This database constantly receives data from airlines, agents and air traffic control, and disseminates it in real-time to passengers, airport staff and government agencies. In addition to handling the airport’s invoicing, it also includes a sophisticated reporting capability that allows precise measurement of GBIA’s operational effectiveness.
Among the systems and data CIIMS integrates:
- Flight information display system and air traffic control
- Departure control
- Baggage handing
- Building management
- Docking and guidance control
- China Southern Airlines flight operations via SITA network
CIIMS also incorporates a highly flexible Operations Resource Management System that is responsible for long-term planning and automatic allocation of contact and remote stands, based on proven optimization techniques and rules and preferences set by the airport and airlines. For example, an airline may want all its flights assigned to gates near its lounge or ground handlers may group airlines that they handle in the same area. And an Apron Management System monitors activity and sends proactive alerts when baggage and cargo unloading, aircraft cleaning, meal delivery, refueling or other critical tasks fall behind schedule and threaten on-time departures.
Results: Higher Revenue and Customer Satisfaction, Lower Costs
Recognized as one of most advanced airport systems ever built, CIIMS has given GBIA the flexible, reliable IT infrastructure it needs for highly streamlined and secure operations. The system supports 24x7 operations and provides 99.5 percent availability, based on features like automatic failover to back-up systems and resilient network and disk configurations.
With visibility into how disparate operations and processes influence flight schedules, GBIA has improved on-time departures, with direct impact on both passenger and airline satisfaction. Check-in agents have access to the latest flight information, allowing them to provide better service to travelers and updated flight information from the Air Traffic Control and airline systems is available in real-time.
Improved productivity and efficiency have given GBIA more capacity at less cost. The airport now allocates contact stands automatically, virtually eliminating the possibility that incoming aircraft will be forced to wait for free stands. And more movements per day can be managed with the same number of resources, resulting in higher revenue from landing fees and more passenger traffic.
With its operations secured, the airport can focus on cost and performance gains. Integrated systems have allowed GBIA to cut operating expenses through reduced power consumption. If certain sections of the airport are not used during off-peak hours, the system can turn off air conditioning in that section of the building. Gate and counter assignment information is used to determine when and where air conditioning and lighting can be turned off.
What’s the bottom line? GBIA has the advanced, integrated infrastructure and applications it needs to secure operations today and compete with world-class airports in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing tomorrow.
Why Unisys?
Why do leading transportation organizations around the world choose Unisys? Because we deliver:
- Organizational visibility: clear understanding of the connections between strategy, process, applications and infrastructure
- Insight: better, faster decision-making based on integrated data and systems
- Agility: the ability to move nimbly and take advantage of rapid market shifts
- Security: risk mitigation, predictability and stability in key operations
- Focus: solutions that address core operations – passenger processing, loyalty programs, cargo management and regulatory compliance
- Experience: 50+ years experience and consultants from the executive ranks of the industry
- Leadership: “must-read” publications like Unisys Scorecard, Fast Forward and AirCoreNEWS; regularly quoted experts
- Results: systems that process 30% of world’s airline passengers and 35% of the world’s air cargo
- Relationships: 200+ airlines, including 19 of the world’s top 25; 600+ airports and leading industry groups
- Scope: leadership, solution design and delivery all over the world – the Americas, Europe and Asia / Pacific
