AVIATION NEWS                                      Back To Index Page
Feb 2007

IT experts aim to empower air traveller

     Yelahanka (Bangalore): IT experts from Wipro, IFS India and TCS presented delegates attending the 'International Conference on Aviation' at the sixth Aero India Show here, the possibility of IT applications at airports, and what the future holds for the average air traveller. The two-day conference was organized by the Ministries of Civil Aviation and Defence in association with FICCI and Farnborough International Limited. Features like a baggage check-in from home, a quick security check and killing the waiting-time game, till the mobile gives you an alert, were discussed, with a probability of them becoming a reality in the near future for airline travellers. The panellists were of the unanimous view that most airports have not made any significant attempts to rejuvenate their business model because of their monopolistic functioning. Also brought out was the fact that airport technology landscape has remained cumbersome and less flexible owing to the existence of a wide range of vendor products, custom built applications, ERP systems and hardware devices without much interconnection; and rudimentary use of technology as the current airport business model has been designed for relatively lesser competition and control on business creation. Driving the use of IT in the modernization of airports is the growing traffic and more cross border travel, environmental constraints, increased security threats, need for quicker threat information processing and quick security processing. The need of IT is also felt to attract more spending and create direct customer ownership framework, need for economical slot management solution framework and an integrated, intelligent dynamic resource management solution. Speakers underlined the need for re-designing the current systems to enhance pleasant passenger experience, improve operational efficiency, look beyond traditional revenue sources and reduce wasteful spending. Capabilities that ensure that the technology within an airport becomes a value creator not a support function. The participating panellists were Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Chairman, Jupiter Capital, Sam N. Mathew, Head of Client Solutions, Wipro, Chandan Chowdhury of IFS India and Shrimanikandan, Global Head, Airports Industry Sub Practice, TCS.
-Feb 10, 2007