Big Data and Connectivity at the Forefront of IATA’s Upcoming World Passenger Symposium
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APEX Insight: IATA’s upcoming World Passenger Symposium will focus on onboard connectivity and the use of data and technology to improve pain points in the passenger journey. While airport and airline operations have made strides in terms of meeting passengers’ growing expectations, there is still room for improvement when it comes to handling irregular operations.
In less than a week, leaders in the airline industry will converge in Dubai, UAE, for the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) sixth annual World Passenger Symposium. The two-day event will include an appearance from Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates, and a keynote address from IATA’s recently appointed director general and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac.
Onboard connectivity and the use of data and technology to improve pain points in the passenger journey are prominent topics for this year’s conference. “Expectations continuously evolve to become evermore demanding in detail and personalization,” says de Juniac. “Many of the enablers lie in making even better use of data and technology.”
“Expectations continuously evolve to become evermore demanding in detail and personalization.” – Alexandre de Juniac, IATA
According to Nick Careen, senior vice-president, Airport Passenger Cargo and Security for IATA, the release of the association’s 2016 Global Passenger Survey will reinforce these themes. “The expectations for improved automation, faster seamless transition through the airport, less time queuing, more choice and improved communication is something that is growing,” he says.
IATA’s Fast Travel program addresses several points of friction in the air travel experience – from automating check-in to improving security – but where the industry really needs to make great strides, Careen says, is in its handling of irregular operations. “The resiliency of airline operations has been improving year over year, but really, the sins are shown when you have an irregular operation,” he says.
Interruptions caused by weather delays or the IT outages experienced by British Airways, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines this year, have highlighted the disconnect between airlines and their customers when things go wrong. “There are still many improvements needed in irregularity handling: Exploring how we can be more proactive in solving the issues as they occur and finding alternative solutions for our passengers,” says Juha Järvinen, chief commercial officer, Finnair.
Careen acknowledges that many airlines safeguard operations with a high level of redundancy, but suggests there are more proactive applications of technology. “Irregular operations can be automated, too,” he says. “If you’re more proactive and your processes allow for reaccommodation, then you can handle a lot of it before a customer gets to the airport.” Better upfront rebooking processes would alleviate the pressure put on the tedious call center experience.
“We should really start measuring arrival performance based on the customer rather than performance based on aircraft.” – Nick Careen, IATA
Tracking irregular operations, as experienced by the passenger, is another aspect Careen identifies for improvement. “We should really start measuring arrival performance based on the customer rather than performance based on aircraft,” he says. “I think it’s a really big opportunity going forward … and it’s something we’ll be pushing forward as we evolve on operations statistics.”
Do you plan to attend IATA’s World Passenger Symposium? Don’t miss:
“The Connected Aircraft: A Passenger Experience Journey From Takeoff to 2025”
Moderated by APEX CEO Joe Leader
Panelists include: Patrick Brannely, Divisional VP of Customer Experience, Inflight
Entertainment and Connectivity, Emirates; Babar Rahman, Head of CSR and Inflight Entertainment Qatar Airways; Juha Järvinen, Chief Commercial Officer, Finnair; David Bruner, VP Global Communication Services, Panasonic Avionics; and Meherwan Polad, Director, Business Development for Exede Mobility Services, ViaSat
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
4:00 p.m.-5:15 p.m.