Technology to play an essential role in facilitating the industry’s recovery

by The Airport Professional May 19, 2020

Technology to play an essential role in facilitating the industry’s recovery

The same technology that had already begun playing an important role in alleviating passenger congestion at airports prior to the unprecedented COVID-19 traffic slump is poised to be equally valuable as the industry emerges from lock-down into a “new normal”. Mobile phones, facial recognition and artificial intelligence are all expected to be part of the solution as airports and airlines grapple with the task of convincing passengers it is safe to ...

by The Airport Professional May 1, 2020

Regions must not slip further away due to COVID-19

The Australian Airports Association recently heard from one regional airport that is faring better than others in this time of COVID-19. They still have air services to their community, although there are fewer flights, fewer passengers and more freight these days. They are working hard to keep the airport open to keep essential services going and are holding on to every flight that they can in order to maintain their supply chain. ...

by The Airport Professional April 30, 2020

Technology & innovation

Planning to bounce forward in recovery

“This is not a sprint, this is going to be a marathon.” So says risk management expert BA365 CEO James Yatras as he reflects on the challenges ahead for business and industry in the wake of COVID-19. Yatras presented a webinar for the Australian Airports Association in April, highlighting the need for a considered and long term approach for those looking to maintain this unique crisis situation. Having overseen a number of crisis ...

by The Airport Professional April 29, 2020

Uncategorised

Women in Airports Podcast: Nicole Ryan

Melbourne Airport terminals training and safety coordinator Nicole Ryan initially pursued a career in teaching before deciding there might be something else out there for her. And so began her career in aviation. Nicole was one of the Australian Airports Association's (AAA) Young Airport Professional scholarship recipients in 2019, giving her the chance to attend the AAA National Conference on the Gold Coast in November. We caught up with her earlier ...

by The Airport Professional April 28, 2020

Featured , Major airports

Resilience the focus as Melbourne Airport plans for the rebound

Melbourne Airport chief strategy and development officer Simon Gandy looks out at what just weeks ago was a thriving mecca of arriving and departing flights and sees a giant parking lot. The airport is now home to more than 50 parked aircraft and the circa 540 domestic aircraft movements for which it normally caters have been reduced to a similar number of flights. Passenger numbers are down from about 100,000 a day ...

by The Airport Professional April 20, 2020

Airport people , Featured , Regional airports

From red dust to green pastures – mentoring across the country

The red dust of the North-West iron ore town of Port Hedland is a long way from the pastures of Hamilton in Victoria but an airport mentoring program has bridged the continent-spanning distance. It’s a program that Southern Grampians Shire Council Asset Coordinator Mary Irwin and Port Hedland International Airport General Manager Rod Evans have found enjoyable and valuable. The Australian Airports Association hosted the program in 2019-20 to support professional growth ...

by The Airport Professional April 14, 2020

Featured , Regional airports

Regions must keep flying in challenging times: Stewart

Co-funding arrangements, staff retention and maintaining regulatory compliance are among the issues facing regional airports as they grapple with the fallout of COVID-19, according to AAA NSW Director Julie Stewart While regional airlines have received $198 million in targeted Federal government aid, Stewart says the only Federal subsidy available to regional airports is the JobKeeper package and not every organisation will be eligible. She also warns that many existing grants available to ...

by The Airport Professional April 7, 2020

Featured , Major airports , Safety & security

Parking planes in the time of COVID-19

It was a Friday evening when the first Qantas Boeing 737 flew into Victoria’s Avalon Airport to be parked as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Airport chief executive Justin Giddings and his staff went out to watch with mixed feelings. “We were sort of excited that these aircraft were coming in and then when it landed and taxied in, all of a sudden it turned to sadness,” he recalls. “You realised that ...

by The Airport Professional April 1, 2020

Featured , Technology & innovation

WSA earthworks begin, bringing jobs closer to home for locals

More than 200 heavy machines engaged in the herculean task of moving millions of cubic metres of earth have heralded the start of major construction on a project that has been waiting to be born for more than 70 years. What was known for so long as simply the second Sydney airport, now has an official name — Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport. Joining mentor Sir Charles Kingsford Smith in having ...

by The Airport Professional March 18, 2020

Featured , Major airports

Final checks underway as new runway nears completion

The major construction work is done, the date is set and the wait is on for the rubber to hit the runway. The first commercial flights are scheduled to land and take-off on Brisbane Airport’s new runway on Sunday 12 July as a long-term project that will deliver huge advantages to the region finally comes to fruition. Described by Brisbane Airport Corporation chief executive Gert-Jan de Graaf as an “infrastructure masterpiece”, the ...