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I N T E R N AT I O N A L DA I LY 2 4 M AY 2 0 1 7 PRESENTED BY
30th IATA GROUND HANDLING CONFERENCE 21 - 24 May 2017 | Bangkok, Thailand
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Developing a safety culture ore needs to be done to develop a culture of safety among ground handling staff, especially those responsible for loading cargo. Speaking on yesterday’s opening panel at the IGHC, Bob Rogers, Vice President of ULD Care,
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said that most safety infringements go unreported prior to the aircraft taking off. In fact, only 20% of safety infringements involving cargo ground handling are found before the aircraft takes off—meaning many infringements are only discovered on arrival.
‘Infringements’ refer to a multitude of situations, including a failure to secure nets to keep cargo in place and incorrect loading positions and weights. The latter are especially important, because they can result in bulk cargo and containerized cargo moving around the cargo hold inflight. The problem, Rogers informed, is that there are significant barriers to incident reporting. “It is just not in the culture to report it,” he said. “It is more a culture of ‘let’s just get the aircraft away on time and turn a blind eye.’”
Rogers highlighted IATA’s ground damage database (GDDB), where airlines and ground handlers voluntarily report accidents involving damage to aircraft on the ground. Of the 4,069 damage reports listed in the GDDB, 55% relate to cargo, baggage loading operations, and the associated equipment. Mie Rajcic, Operational Business Development Manager at Copenhagen Airports, said that companies like to think about strategies to grow and drive their businesses forward, but will fail to achieve their goals if the company culture is lacking. “We need to have people on the ramp who have passion,” she said. “People working on the ramp need to understand the importance of safety. I know we are putting a lot of pressure on people. But do they understand why it is important to check the aircraft and that everything is in order? We have checklists but do we have someone on the ramp to lead and motivate people?” Nick Careen, IATA Senior Vice President for Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security said he knew fi rst-hand, from working in the industry, the importance of having people with leadership skills. Their colleagues respected these leaders to do a good job and were motivated to do a good job. Careen also pointed out that IATA has initiatives underway to help the ground handling industry, such as the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations. But the industry must fully embrace these initiatives to reap the full benefits.
K E E P U P T O DAT E W I T H A L L T H I N G S A I R L I N E S R E L AT E D AT A I R L I N E S . I ATA . O R G
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THE CHANGING FACE OF AVIATION SECURITY
تغ ريات واقع أمن الط ريان
The 26th AVSEC World offers a rare opportunity for Aviation Security specialists to discuss the protective security strategies of our industry at a time of heightened threat and regulatory concerns. It’s your chance to gain exclusive access to industry perspectives and the latest global developments on aviation security. Every year, the Conference unites more than 400 aviation security experts and industry leaders from around the globe to address the challenges and strategic aspects of the way-forward for the industry. Join us for interactive workshops, exciting panels and ground-breaking presentations. You will be provided the opportunity to learn new skills, exchange ideas, and be a part of putting together the framework to create an evolving culture of aviation security.
When: Where: Venue: Audience:
14-16 November 2017 Abu Dhabi, UAE The Jumeirah at the Etihad Towers Open to all
For more information, visit www.iata.org/avsec Join the conversation, use #AVSECWLD
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Driving change through big data peaking at the IGHC yesterday, Venkatesh Pazhyanur, Unisys Senior Industry Director for Freight Solutions said that, in a digital age where people are demanding more and more information, airlines must keep up with the times and live up to passenger expectations.
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the increasing use of smart devices, which, together with data analytics, will provide the necessary information in real time to push development toward full innovation. Advances in data analytics and technology
Pazhyanur noted that not only do airline passengers want to book their seat but also want to order a meal and receive a whole host of ancillary services. Freight industry, customers also want to be kept informed and up to date.
cannot happen is isolation, however. Pazhyanur said that dialogue between airlines and information technology (IT) companies was crucial. IT companies need to better understand an airline’s needs and come up with better solutions. He also warned that the airline industry was vulnerable to disruptive technologies. As
Big data and data analytics must drive change in the industry. Pazhyanur predicted
such, airlines’ future prosperity will depend on their speed of response and ability to adapt.
Air transportation in Thailand Exports, foreign direct investment, and tourism
Top 10 direct air links 1. China 2. Malaysia 3. Singapore 4. Hong Kong 5. South Korea 6. India 7. Myanmar 8. Japan 9. Cambodia 10. Vietnam 5
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US $280 BILLION
US $190 US $38.5 BILLION FOREIGN TOURIST EXPENDITURE
EXPORTS
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Gala networking reception
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Airside ripe for innovation nnovation in ground operations, particularly on the ramp, is essential to the sector’s sustainability. Unless there is progressive change, estimates suggest an increase from today’s 40 incidents of ground damage per day to 200. A of the main causes for the increase will be larger aircraft, jockeying for space within apron footprints that are seldom expanded for a host of reasons. Aviation could learn from the maritime industry in this respect. Ports are facing a similar situation. Vessel size has tripled in the past couple of decades and many ports have difficulties in accommodating these behemoths of the seas. Automation is a large
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part of the maritime answer. It carries many benefits, including an increase in productivity despite a reduced footprint and a reduction in human accidents to zero. These developments also correspond with a significant improvement in environmental performance. There are now 18 automated or semiautomated ports worldwide. At airports, innovation is focused on making airside operations safer and less likely to cause injuries to people, damage to aircraft, other equipment, and infrastructure. There is also a focus on streamlining operations to ensure punctuality and reducing cost for all partners. The impetus for such developments comes from a combination of the entire value
chain. Airports want less equipment on the ramp, airlines want to reduce the damage to aircraft, ideally to zero, and ground service providers want to be able to provide the service that airlines need. And they would all like to prevent staff injuries. There are also drivers that are unique to certain airports or regions, such as the availability of staff, extreme environmental conditions, and such specific equipment requirements as moving to an allelectric ground service equipment (GSE) fleet. Equipment control on the ramp and particularly on the stands is particularly ripe for innovation. The area has lagged behind other progressive aspects of the sector but is now catching up. Sensors and
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control technology have rapidly become much more robust and reliable—as well as cheaper—which has enabled equipment to be fitted with this technology and perform reliably under a wide range of weather, lighting, and environmental conditions. The other significant factor driving innovation is the sector’s mindset. As millennials come to the fore, there is a far greater willingness to adopt new technology. People use an increasing amount of advanced technology in their daily lives and they are therefore much more willing to accept the concept of—for example—driverless GSE or selfdocking passenger boarding bridges. Airside innovation is coming to an airport near you!
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Transforming the industry hough in recent years the industry has invested heavily in the passenger experience, technological innovation in ground handling operations has been largely dormant. Information exchange is principally a manual process, wads of paper changing hands. This situation could be about to change. The digital transformation of the ground operations sector is gathering pace, with a number of developments in the offing. One of the more critical initiatives is industry-wide XML standards for the transmission of airline data. This will facilitate more efficient ways of delivering weight and balance information. The harmonization will reduce errors and speed up procedures by ensuring the correct data is passed along the entire value ch a i n, i nclud i ng a i rcra f t manufacturer; airline engineers; companies involved in aircraft cabin re-configuration; the departure control system administrators; load controllers; and airline crews. Internet browsers and data repositories will underpin progress, allowing the instantaneous exchange of vital data and its subsequent revisions.
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Naturally enough, the improvements streamline operations considerably. Airlines are fed the information they need in real time, allowing them to properly plan the aircraft’s time on the ground and prepare for the next departure. Developments such as these will transform the industry. While ground handling has always
answered airline needs in a fiercely competitive and dynamic industry, the time and resources necessary to get ahead of the curve have been hard to come by. But, as technology moves to an open architecture and becomes cheaper to implement—as well as being familiar to a millennial workforce—digital uptake will doubtless increase.
E-invoicing expanding ATA’se-invoicing solution, or Simplified Invoicing and Settlement (SIS), is being expanded to include more industry suppliers and partners. Launched in 2011, the platform allows the exchange of invoices electronically using the IS-XML file format. The system has grown so large that companies other than airlines are using it to process invoices between each other. Airline suppliers such as ground handlers,
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caterers, engine-makers, and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) companies are already on the system. But in the coming months, travel agents will be added, said Bruno Roussel, SIS Invoicing Standard Manager. Some 1,800 operators use the system with the number of suppliers at about 300–400, said Roussel. A of the key benefitssof the system is it offers full traceability of invoices, including their history
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and status. It also addresses the usual pain points, such as lost invoices, complex invoice approval, and diversity in invoice formats. Airlines and suppliers using the system can integrate the flow of information to and from SIS to streamline processes, automate posting, and confirm reconciliation. Settlement either bilaterally or through the IATA Clearing House is also offered, said Roussel. For further information, go to iata.org/sis
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