The Digital Transformation of Airport Operations
Marco is a technology leader with over 15 years of experience in building complex, real-time, and safety-critical systems for the Air Traffic Control (ATC) and airport operations industries. Having started as a student intern in 2010, Marco now leads the technology organisation of Searidge Technologies as the Chief Technology Officer.
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Imagine a world where data from air traffic control (ATC), airlines, and airports worked in unison. Where the aviation industry had shifted away from legacy, isolated technology architectures and towards a model built around service delivery and common data platforms. Where additional data streams, such as weather and passenger volumes, flow seamlessly to allow everyone to make better and longer-term decisions.
The importance of a data strategy
Getting to this stage doesn’t just happen. It takes careful thought about what an airport is trying to achieve, both operationally and strategically. Marco argues that process is absolutely vital: “You need to have a clear vision for your enterprise architecture – you need an individual or group that is accountable for the enterprise architecture who knows what all the systems are, which systems need to talk to each other and how that is going to be achieved.”
But once that work has been done, there are huge advantages. “There is a real benefit to airports taking control of their data and running their systems on a single platform, because the data communication is all centralised, while also remaining cyber secure. Data integration is no longer point-to-point, it becomes a unified data model where everybody within the operation can access information without having to incur integration costs over and over again.
There is a real benefit to airports taking control of their data and running their systems on a single platform, because the data communication is all centralised, while also remaining cyber secure.
“Data should belong to the customer not the technology provider, no matter who the vendor is – it should be easy to retrieve the data. You need to own your data so that you can control your destiny and what you want to achieve operationally.”
Chorus - The Airside Digital Platform Making Digital Transformation Possible
Chorus, developed by Searidge Technologies, is a cloud-native, non-proprietary digital technology platform that integrates data in real-time across aviation operations.
In line with the new service delivery model-based architecture, Chorus provides services to different users in different ways, all on one common platform. Airports and air traffic control (ATC) are not locked into Chorus from a data or technology perspective – the customer is in control.
Technical diagram credit Searidge Technologies
Overcoming the roadblocks
Of course, none of this is entirely straightforward, otherwise everyone would be doing it. It takes a complete change of mindset and willingness to break down silos, “There are many factors that can stop or delay airports adopting a new service delivery model, including stakeholder relationships, data jurisdiction issues, and timeline issues with safety assurance and regulations.”
“Releasing data is not always something that everybody wants to do. There are cases where information from the airline would be helpful in the airside operation, for example, how many passengers are on board and their onward journeys. Airlines are sensitive to releasing this really commercially valuable information, but it would be helpful to know in certain situations, such as stand allocation priority.”
The Integrated Airport Centre (IAC) at HKIA - Photo Credit Searidge Technologies
“Safety is also paramount, which can slow down the process of implementing new technology systems. There are other regulated industries that progress faster than aviation, such as banking and healthcare, but there are important reasons why it takes a little longer for us.”
“Hong Kong Airport was a great example of a customer that is very aware of digital transformation, where they want to go as a business, and what business and operational outcomes they want. The timing was perfect where both sides – ATC operator and the airport – came together to make an investment at the same time.”
Hong Kong Airport was a great example of a customer that is very aware of digital transformation, where they want to go as a business, and what business and operational outcomes they want. The timing was perfect where both sides – ATC operator and the airport – came together to make an investment at the same time.
Looking to the future
It is difficult to predict what the future holds because there is an ever-accelerating pace of change. Who would have predicted five years ago that large language models and AI would be where they are today? However, aviation is so safety critical and regulated that the change is a lot slower.
AI has been used by Searidge in the airport space to detect aircraft and vehicles in images since 2016, but the operational outcome still relies on the human operator taking executive control in making the decision. Recently, the industry received its first draft guidance from an international panel of experts on how to regulate and certify AI systems in aviation. It will take a long time in the aviation industry to bring in these new technologies, ensure they are safe, tested and certified, especially with a shift as big as moving from deterministic algorithms to AI-driven decision making.
Chorus is a digital platform from Searidge Technologies that integrates data in real-time across aviation operations.
It was used in the Hong Kong International Airport digital transformation project.
Digital transformation is a journey, not something that happens overnight. Airports of any size and technology maturity, no matter where they are on their digital transformation journey, can benefit from implementing an open enterprise architecture. For the aviation industry to reach its ambitious goals, such as achieving net zero while also increasing passenger volumes, technology suppliers need to collaborate, be open, and derive value from each other. The value to the airport customer and the ultimate end customers, the passengers, is greater by implementing an open technology architecture as opposed to continuing with siloed systems.
Digital transformation is a journey, not something that happens overnight. Airports of any size and technology maturity, no matter where they are on their digital transformation journey, can benefit from implementing an open enterprise architecture.