​​New opportunities for the aeronautical sector

The Covid-19 pandemic caused the worst crisis ever known for the aviation sector. With government restrictions forcing many airlines and airports to reduce many of their staff and cancel thousands of daily flights, which has negatively impacted not only the quality of service provided to passengers but even the image of one of the most important industries for the global economy.

 

Now, we could say that we are in a post-pandemic era and airport activity has been recovering almost to the level of two years ago. We are plunged into a chaos of flight cancellations, long lines, and delays, and now the most important airports have many limitations in takeoffs and landings due to a lack of qualified personnel and high traffic volumes.

 

This personnel crisis particularly affects passenger control of aircraft handling, including flight attendants and at this point, we could ask ourselves, if the sector has already recovered, what are they waiting for to hire more staff? Well, the answer is more than simple, first of all, airlines and airports are not offering very attractive conditions, and secondly, hiring security-related personnel requires a very specific profile, and preparing them for these vacancies can even take more than 6 months.

 

So how can the current crisis in the aviation industry be alleviated? 

 

Many of these cases could be significantly improved with a restructuring of their resources. Still, the reactivation practically all at once did not allow many to prepare in advance and foresee this situation.

 

However, the implementation of innovative technologies that allow them to perform specific actions and at the same time provide them with the necessary security required by this sector could be essential and we must evaluate whether it is really necessary to hire more staff or whether to invest in technologies that support these more specific areas and help reduce the time of this specialized personnel. 

 

For these areas, software such as Pax AIMS is available, which allows airlines and airports to keep track and control passengers at any port facility, deploying fixed or mobile checkpoints and all by scanning boarding passes, which helps to validate passenger lists. 

 

Additionally, this software can be integrated with Pay AIMS which is responsible for collecting this data to initiate the debt collection process. In this way, concessionaires can optimize their resources and use them where support is most needed while ground personnel have tools to facilitate their daily tasks.

 

What are airport taxes and how do they work?

Surely you have noticed that when you purchase an airline ticket, there are different prices, which add up to a stipulated amount for your ticket.

Beyond a simple flight ticket, a specific amount is always reflected when you purchase your ticket.

One of the amounts that appear on your flight ticket is estimated by the transportation service, that is, the airline. However, there is another price that corresponds to the popular airport tax. 

A fee is different from a tax since a fee corresponds to a fixed amount or tax that is added to the provision of a service. In this case, the airport tax is the amount fixed for the use of airport facilities. 

This fee is set by the government and the airline is then responsible for paying the airport tax to the airport. 

The airport tax is charged on both domestic and international flights and is reflected on the departure ticket. For example, if you purchase your ticket through a web page, where not only the airport tax appears, but also other established fees. 

This amount is not the same in all airports worldwide, it varies according to governmental stipulations, that is, the price of the fee is different at El Dorado Airport, at Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport, and so on, worldwide. 

Secure and optimal administration 

That is why airport management systems must be agile and optimal to ensure a safe and timely collection relationship. Nowadays, there are different management software. 

However, at GP Nauticals we provide specialized software for the management of aviation administration. 

PAY AIMS in conjunction with AERO AIMS, is software that is integrated to perform billing at the airport level. 

AERO AIMS, is in charge of managing all airport revenues, including the airport above tax, to subsequently generate an invoice. 

Then, with PAY AIMS, the final step is to generate the payment of the total collection or the collection from the airport to the airline. 

This way, you will be able to integrate several services in one to optimize time and minimize the margin of error. If you want to know more, please visit our products section

 

 

 

Technologies for airport management

In our articles, we talk about the digital transformation in the airport sector and the benefits it brings, to  passengers and also to the administration. 

The passenger’s opinion is more critical, from the entrance to an airport, the user becomes the judge who will give the final verdict, to evaluate improvements in the airport sector. 

This is reflected in the results provided year after year by Skytrax, which not only rewards airlines but also airports. 

That is why, we see that airports continue to break new ground and go beyond barriers to provide comfort, confidence, and punctuality from start to finish. 

A sample of what we talked is the Passenger Terminal Expo, which this year returned to Paris to bring it new trends, innovations, and materials to improve the experience at airports worldwide. 

Technological proposals on demand…

This year has the particularity that the technological leap is imminent. From Artificial Intelligence proposals, intelligent surveillance, and interactive kiosks to easily find boarding gates and terminals. 

Intelligent baggage handling logistics and, many more offerings are just some of the challenges that port management will face in the coming years. 

This results in a wide range of options to further improve the technological development structures at large airports. 

And it gives rise to those airports that are still in the process of development, which can join these endless technological options that ensure sustainability, durability, and confidence over time. 

That is why, at GP Nauticals we rely on developing specialized software to provide the port administration, a window that allows us to manage payments, collections, and everything related to billing and administration in a simple way. 

In addition, our SUITE is integrated to improve the performance and management of an airport, thanks to the analysis and reports that allow you to visualize results firsthand. 

Meet PAY AIMS, AERO AIMS, and all the SUITE that GP Nauticals have to facilitate and optimize the time of administrative procedures. 

How is the security at airports?

Airports are one of the most regulated places in terms of security systems, but how do they manage to control the high amount of luggage and hundreds of travelers at the same time? In this article we will review how the different types of airport screening work and some of their most common practices to make their facilities a safe place for their customers and workers.

 

Concerning passengers, the first checkpoint they must go through is the one before entering the restricted area where they must check their boarding pass. Either employing a scanner that reads the code printed on their boarding pass or directly on their cell phone. It is expected that soon this control will be carried out using biometrics with facial recognition systems, as is already being done in many airports as a test. 

 

After entering the restricted area, passengers must go through a second checkpoint, where their hand luggage will be checked by a second scanner. At this point, the objective is to check that no passenger or employee can access the terminals with prohibited or potentially dangerous objects. For them, passengers must introduce their hand luggage, shoes, and other belongings, and using X-rays will be able to detect any restricted object.

 

This type of scanner at this checkpoint manages to greatly streamline the transit and entry to the facilities since this control should be done manually and individualized. 

 

But what about checked baggage? While passengers enter the terminal, the bags they have previously checked-in are also subjected to several security controls. Once they are received by the airline, the bags pass through the “cheeks yard”, which is nothing more than conveyor belts that take the luggage through 5 different types of control and allow them to avoid dangerous situations such as explosions or fires.

 

Once they have entered the terminal, the controls do not stop, passengers must pass through one or another checkpoint where their data is verified, especially before entering the aircraft. For this reason, airport security personnel play a fundamental role in risk detection and are a key part of the whole security system in the airport. They require very specific training and constant renewal, especially because this area is constantly renewing its technologies and, today they can rely on multiple devices for early detection of risks. 

 

For this reason, GP Nauticals has developed a software called Pax AIMS that allows airports to keep track, control, and audit all passengers entering the airport facilities, deploying fixed or mobile checkpoints and allowing concessionaires to validate boarding lists.

 

If you are interested in learning more about the company or any of its AIMS Suite products, you can visit its website https://gpnauticals.com/ or contact any of its consultants.

 

Digital transformation in the airport industry

With a continuously growing annual traffic volume, airport facilities commit to digital transformation. But this is not always very easy to implement for a sector that should not stand still, so how do make these changes most optimally without affecting daily operations? 

 

It is the human capital that experiences and addresses firsthand the implementation of technology that is reflected in the mutation and evolution of processes. For this reason, there must be a lot of organization, integration, and continuous collaboration between the board, the workforce, and the technology service provider to make a correct transfer of knowledge thus reducing resistance to change and encouraging active participation in the improvements to be implemented.

 

The continuous training of human capital is a key factor for the success of the digital transformation. Because it allows the management to ensure that all staff have the skills and willingness to work with the proposed new technologies and thus are willing to offer a better service to the end customer.

 

The ally providing the technology services must have extensive knowledge about the aeronautical industry and its standards, as this way they can anticipate their needs and facilitate the process, understanding in advance what is best for them, their times, and their current processes to thus offer the best recommendations related to the sector or even detect new opportunities and market niches.

 

An excellent ally for the aviation industry, for example, is the company GP Nauticals, a U.S. company that develops specialized software for the sector that also has a multidisciplinary team capable of making a correct technology transfer, in addition to guiding managers on the right path by detecting growth opportunities for the industry and offering implementation plans so that new processes do not affect the daily operations of the port or airport. So we invite you to enter their website and get to know everything GP Nauticals has to offer in terms of digital transformation for the aviation sector.

 

WEB: gpnauticals.com

 

AIMS Suite – software dedicated to aeronautics

Today there are great technological advances that provide a great opportunity to introduce important changes in the aviation industry and, that not only affect the manufacture of newer aircraft.

But rather the airport management processes, the administration of resources, and the possibility of offering a more efficient service that can benefit the airport itself and of course the airlines and their passengers.

Imagine the enormous amount of data that an airport handles: the number of passengers transiting through its facilities, routes, number of airlines, contracts, concessions, and employees, of the airport and each airline. This is one of the main reasons why it is important to have specialized software developed to satisfy a specific market niche.

We already know that data management, and analysis can mean the success or failure of a business and in the case of airports specifically helps to optimize processes better. Manage their resources, and even collection platforms, which undoubtedly becomes a better service for passengers. And of course greater benefits for employees, while decreasing their losses.

GP Nauticals is one of these software development companies dedicated to the management of ports and airports, creating a series of products that allow airports to perform a digital transformation with virtually no impact on the airport’s daily activities.

GP Nauticals presented the AIMS Suite, a range of products that can be used together to create a large port management software.

Also, can used individually to meet the needs of a specific niche that requires attention and among all, it can offer the following software.

AERO AIMS: is a software that allows you to collect, manage and process aeronautical operations data, such as radio aids, gates, handling, fuel, permits, visual flights or handle non-aeronautical operations such as contracts, concessions, leases, fixed and variable commissions and taxes.

PAX AIMS: this software allows the airport to have a passenger audit tool, providing real-time information on the number of passengers accessing the airport, and deploying checkpoints to scan boarding passes where concessionaires can validate with their records to proceed to manage check-in.

FUEL AIMS: This software dedicated to the sale of aviation fuel, allows guaranteeing the service while reducing the processing times between suppliers, dealers, and customers, offering a digital platform for the processing and approval of service requests.

ANALYTICS AIMS: last but not least, this software developed by GP Nauticals, offers the opportunity to track, compare and analyze all operational variables. Related to passengers or the different actors operating within the institution such as concessionaires and workers to obtain a risk ratio of what happens in the terminal in real-time.

PAY AIMS: serves to complement any other of the AIMS Suite, GP Nauticals offers airports to have their payment platform, streamlining the processes of generating payment notes, invoicing, and charging in real-time, allowing them to optimize the approval processes.

The American software development company GP Nauticals has dedicated all its efforts in the last decade to creating tools that facilitate and optimize airport processes, allowing a technological transformation of the sector with low-cost investments.

If you want to know in detail what they have to offer, visit their web page https://gpnauticals.com/products/

How does airport management work?

The stay at an airport can be an experience, the excitement at the beginning of a vacation or a business trip will have positive or negative consequences, depending on the case. 

However, behind what we can see, countless processes play a fundamental role in the functioning of an airport.

We see that airports today operate autonomously, thanks to new technologies such as the use of Big Data, IA, and automated software are essential for development today. 

Now, it should be noted that the airport is autonomous, there is no external interference in decisions. That is why airlines work directly with it.

When there is a new alliance with an airline, all aspects are worked under a contract, making clear the terms and conditions between the airport and the airline.

If there is a case in which an airline has accumulated a large debt with the airport, the agreements and, the stipulations of the contract previously made are studied. 

If no agreement is reached between both parties, a higher authority or institution may be notified, to terminate the concession or reach a mutual agreement. 

On the way to automation

Nowadays, large airports manage their administration automatically, the processes of passenger control and check-in, boarding, and much more.

These are handled with specialized software that minimizes the burden and human error, helping to optimize time and support human capital. 

That is why GP Nauticals provides specialized software for each of the parts that make up the administration of an airport.

AERO AIMS is capable of managing aeronautical and non-aeronautical operations such as tax calculation, or centralized digital records and contracts for concessions and stores. 

AERO AIMS is ideal for collecting and processing data from airport operations, as well as effectively managing analytics to minimize errors and highlight the airport’s performance. 

This software can be integrated with other SUITE products such as PAY AIMS, which provides you with payment and airport check-in management options. 

 

If you want to know more about GP Nauticals SUITE, continue reading our blog

 

Technology and Big Data improve the experience at airports around the world

These are times of great changes and with them, we have to adapt and do things differently. However, I would dare to say that the airport sector has rethought from many angles the way it had been operating and providing its services. Now we can find “super modern” airports where the priority is to provide a positive travel experience by making passenger traffic more efficient, but how did they achieve this?

The development of specific technology for the industry, and big data have been a fundamental key to having more efficient airport management. Since the analysis of this data allows them to predict and measure the movement of passengers, determine schedules, routes, and travelers’ crowds to manage resources more optimally.

Airport technology trends aimed at improving the experience and satisfaction of travelers are leveraged on mobile devices supported by the cloud, which allows modernizing the operational and logistical environment of airport facilities.

A good example of this type of technology is Seeking, implemented in Barajas T4 and El Prat T1. Which allows the airport to know how passengers move around its facilities, even if they visit the Duty-Free and VIP lounges if they connect to the airport WI-FI and even send relevant information. In this way, they provide an anonymous digital identity and track each of their actions, being able to analyze the behavior of their passengers and detect new business niches.

The operational evolution of airports with the analysis of this data in real-time allows greater planning in terms of infrastructure management, which translates into greater convenience for the traveler. 

If a flight arrives at the airport and has a later connection, it could be more easily planned to provide a nearby gate to avoid travelers from transit long distances. Thus shortening the waiting time of the plane on the ground optimizing the service and providing a better user experience and this can only be achieved with data collection and analysis.

Currently and as mentioned above, much-specialized software is being developed for the aviation industry, as is the case of GP Nauticals Suite, which focuses mainly on optimizing airport management and facilitating the collection and analysis of information in each of its areas and with minimal investment. 

If you want to learn more about GP Nauticals and see all the products available, you can do so by visiting their website or contacting a specialist in the area.

A new moment for America

Facing the new times has undoubtedly been a great challenge for the aviation sector. Worldwide, recovery is expected to be imminent this year. 

So far this year, restrictions have been lifted, sanitary processes remain, but freedom to travel is becoming more common. People are gradually returning to “normal” life, and airports are looking for new strategies to attract traffic in the sector. 

The recovery has been somewhat delayed due to conflicts in Europe, recent variants of the virus in China, and inflationary pressure. This has led to further restrictions in Europe and Asia. 

North America takes off

The new horizons are clear for the American continent, as air traffic increases exponentially, and it is estimated that, in the case of North America, it will be the region with the greatest recovery worldwide, with 97.79% of demand compared to 2019, according to Bain & Company. 

Like the United States, Mexico is the other country that will see early aeronautical recovery. This is because domestic and international flight operations were maintained and did not restrict air traffic. 

This allowed the impact on tourism to take off considerably after one season. It is estimated that other countries in recovery are Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. 

In the rest of the world, according to Bain & Company statistics, it is estimated that pre pandemic traffic figures will be seen again by the second quarter of 2025. In 2022 it is expected that “the recovery will be 65% and 73% of traffic at pre-pandemic levels”.

New technologies 

Despite the long wait, airports worldwide are committed to improving and embracing new technologies. For the aeronautical sector, finding new ways to adapt has been fundamental in its recovery. 

Part of this is the automation of administrative processes to improve the user and customer experience. This is where GP Nauticals, joins the automation of processes with a SUITE of products dedicated to the aeronautical and maritime sector. 

PAX AIMS is one of our main products which will allow you to audit the number of passengers that circulate in an airport. Cumbersome processes are avoided and waiting times are optimized. This product can be easily integrated with other AIMS SUITE products.

 

If you want to know more, please visit the products section

 

What is airport management?

When we talk about airport management, we refer to all those companies that are related to the provision of services in the air transport sector, and more specifically we can focus on those that make life inside airports.

 

It is rather a business organization of all those air transport companies such as the airport itself, airlines, control towers, aircraft service, and maintenance companies, FBO. All those companies linked to the above act as suppliers or customers and serve to maintain or expand the service offerings currently provided.

 

This term of airport management has always existed, although in recent years and as a result of the technological transformation that has been implemented in these sectors. Today it has become an important source of data that is in continuous analysis and that allows for increasing airport profitability.

 

This is thanks to the implementation of administrative and specialized software that allows managing detailed information about flights, airlines, passengers and even concessions, contracts, calculations, and tax payments, which allows keeping the information centralized and digitized.

 

An excellent example of this type of software is the AIMS suite from GP Nauticals. Which has several products that by themselves efficiently solve a particular niche in the aviation industry, and can be easily integrated with the systems that any airport uses today. Also can be purchased as a whole and obtain a robust management system that collects, processes and analyzes data that are valuable when making decisions that affect the operation of the airport.

 

If you want to learn more about the products offered by GP Nauticals, you can do so by visiting their website https://gpnauticals.com/ where you can see in detail what they offer or contact a specialist.