How Mumbai Airport has enabled itself with technology
Today technology acts as a backbone for most airports and as an airport operator, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) is equipped with best-in-class technology
At CSMIA, right from the time passengers arrive at the airport, till they take off or vice versa, they interact with technology – for generating self-boarding pass and baggage tags, during check-ins, or whilst checking the flight information on the screen, among others.
Being a technology driven airport, CSMIA utilises the global ticketing passenger management system which helps provide passengers hassle-free entry and exit. The airport has also introduced paperless boarding pass facility, eradicating ‘boarding pass stamping’ for all domestic airlines operating out of Terminal 2. This technological offering was the first for any airport in India.
CSMIA has also introduced a mobile application, Mumbai Titu, for seamless indoor navigation. The application’s latest offering accentuates the various products and services within the terminal, right from passenger entry to their exit. The mobile application comes with features which can be used for booking taxis, m-commerce for the Duty Free, auto Wi-Fi authentication for frequent travellers, pre-ordering of meals and more. Apart from this, the app also acts as an assistant to air travellers to locate, track and enjoy various facilities at the airport through one-click process.
Tech at play
Technology plays a crucial role in the consistency and precise operations of the airport and CSMIA regularly upgrades its technology offerings to help improve the day-to-day operations within the airport. The technology upgradation at the airside has resulted into handling 1,004 aircraft on a single runway on December 8, 2018, surpassing its previous record of handling 1,003 flight movements in a day, in June 2018.
“Since the past five years of operations, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport has seen 25 per cent growth in Air Traffic Movement, with a reduced Runway Occupancy Time (ROT) from 65 seconds then, to 47-49 seconds now. Currently, CSMIA operates to 112 destinations in India and around the world and witnesses heavy passenger traffic throughout the year. A database of the passenger traffic is maintained by the airport, and a detailed analysis is conducted, which further helps amplifying the facilities, services and offerings for passengers travelling from the airport,” informs an official spokesperson of CSMIA.
Ensuring cyber security
In the world of modern application development, applications are launched, changed, and decommissioned rapidly. As a global organisation, it becomes equally important for CSMIA to enhance, adapt, and implement the best security inside its premises. The airport sees heavy passenger traffic everyday, hence it is critical for the airport to secure the data, systems and technology used within its property to help lakhs of passengers travel hassle free.
“Cyber-attack threats do persist, but that’s where technology comes to play. The IT and the cyber security teams at CSMIA make sure that only the latest upgraded technology is implemented. The systems within the airport are protected with limited access to open sites preventing malware; the policies and security layers are reviewed often inline with the active changes in the technology industry. CSMIA constantly works towards security and safe functioning against the increasing cyber threats at any given point in time. The systems provide granular segmenting of the traffic helping the IT teams to minutely cover and identify threats and hazards. Simultaneously, the amalgamated firewalling planning system eliminates additional network trips and traffic, due to the policies enforced at the airport,” the spokesperson informs.
CSMIA also leverages emerging technologies by integrating them to the systems, making it more advanced and smarter for passengers. “The airport is working towards the implementation these technologies, be it upgrading AI, VR or machine learning under the IoT umbrella catering to every aspect of the offering within the airport,” the spokesperson says.
Sustainability efforts
Sustainability is closely connected to the use of technology and it is at the helm of GVK’s ideology as part of its core values. Sustainable practices are imbibed into the daily functioning of the airport. Artificial intelligence is part of the everyday functioning of the airport. As a result, CSMIA uses the systems that are advanced and at the same time evaluate them at regular intervals. CSMIA was the first airport to eradicate baggage tags aimed to decongest the pre-embarkation security check area. It is also the first to introduce a mobile application for an airport operator making the entire travel process smoother for air passengers.
“The airport was also the pioneer in offering automated check-in facility through common use self service (CUSS) kiosks. The elimination of the boarding pass has encouraged paperless travel, thereby providing a sustainable alternative to the precious resources. With the best-in-class technology incorporated in our system that works towards an efficient and sustainable airport, CSMIA has digitised the entire travel experience of the passengers at the Mumbai airport, making it hassle-free,” the spokesperson explains.
