Gatwick International Airport in south-east England may be a major hub that serves over 45 million passengers a year, but there’s no easy way to get from terminal to terminal. And, if you're confused, don't expect much help from airport signs nor the ground staff. Well, not anymore.
The airport with the world’s most efficient single runway has now undergone a major makeover in passenger services and real-time decision making with a new community mobile app. And all of it, courtesy of a Keralite.
Hailing from Kothamangalam in Ernakulam, Abhilash Chacko works as the head of IT commercial and innovation at the airport. The community mobile app conceptualised by Chacko can effectively share data with all stakeholders of the airport. The app can be used across different airports to help share real-time data with the airport community.
Interestingly, Chacko conceptualised the app after an incident at the airport left him red-faced. Excerpts from an interview with Chacko, where he talks about the app and his early days in Kerala:
How it all started
One day, as I was walking through the check-in area, a passenger approached me and asked about his flight’s check-in zone. I didn’t actually know it. He looked at my ID card and asked, “Do you not work here?” That embarrassment triggered the idea of an airport community app.
We launched the app in early 2016 and now, it has more than 10,000 active users at Gatwick. It can be enabled for any airport with a few weeks of data integration work.
What it does
Airport community app is meant for the workforce on an airport campus, including the employees of the airport, airlines, handlers, contractors, retailers, restaurants, nearby hotels, transportation companies, cleaning companies, as well as the members of the govt agencies.
It is a digital platform, which brings the organizations and its employees together and keeps them in tune with what’s happening in the airport.
It also helps the staff members to assist passengers with real-time information, perform their role better and improve their company’s performance. Please note that it is not meant for the passengers.
The app has data from multiple airports and a user can see information depending on the permission granted by the respective airport. After Gatwick launched it, more than 10 other airports have adopted it.
Key players involved
I came up with the idea and worked with AirportLabs to create a multi-airport app and the strategy to get multiple airports to adopt it.
I also came up with the initial user interface design, ensured the cost is low with less than a year payback. AirportLabs took the idea forward with several additional features and made it a platform, which has digitized parts of airport, airline and handler operations as per the original vision.
The app got an overwhelming support from Gatwick business units and partner airlines.
The benefits
Making real-time information available to the workforce made it easy for them to make decisions and assist passengers. For example, during the airport disruption events, they will be able to respond to passenger questions. They will be able to see the passenger flow graph and accordingly adjust their resourcing/breaks. The airfield team can see the aviation milestones and make decisions accordingly. Employees can find a range of things such as airport contact numbers, retail offers, etc.
Economic viability
At Gatwick, we got the return on investment in less than one year because we could reduce the cost of SMS for keeping everyone informed. We worked with AirportLabs to ensure that it is made available to other airports at a very reasonable price, sharing the development and support costs across multiple airports. The commercial framework is structured based on the volume of passengers and hence, even small airports can benefit from it. AirportLabs will be able to provide that to interested airports.
Requirements to deploy the app in Indian airports
In order for it to succeed, an airport has to ensure two things:
1) System capability to share real-time information from the airport’s operational database
2) One or two people within the airport company, who believes in the idea, the ones who will enthusiastically promote the concept and its adoption across the airport.
In Kerala
Yes, Kochi airport can make use of a community app. Once the app is in use, the immigration personnel will be able to see how many people are going to arrive at the airport each hour and plan for it accordingly. A particular airline’s staff and their handlers or agents can see all operational messages related to that airline on a channel the app has defined for them. These things will improve airport operations and reduce confusion. And the value delivered by the app will increase as the airport expands.
More ideas in store
We are working on 20 different ideas at the moment. I am sure some of them will be useful for other airports as well.
Reminiscing Kerala
I come from a humble background. I studied in Govt High School, Neriamangalam and did my B.Tech degree in College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram. I am thankful for the merit-based admission system in state engineering colleges, without which I wouldn’t have been able to reach this position.
I visit Kerala once in a year. I miss meeting my relatives and friends. But most of my friends are settled outside Kerala.
In love with...
Kerala’s greenery, clean water and the fact that most people have got basic facilities. Awareness of the dangerous effects of pesticides is a plus. Compared to other Indian states, ours is a less corrupt government.
Dislikes
Heat, humidity and silly comedy shows on Malayalam channels.
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