MALAYSIA Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) is joining the digital airport bandwagon by adopting new technology and processes in order to remain on par with other airports worldwide that are fast becoming digital, the New Straits Times reported.
The airport operator, that manages 39 airports across Malaysia said, it would be collaborating with stakeholders including airlines and government agencies for this purpose.
“We do not foresee complications in implementing new technology in order to remain on par with other global airports, however there is a need to reinforce on change management to improve current standard operating procedures (SOPs), manage the expectation and communication to ensure the need for changes are understood and supported by passengers and visitors alike coming into our airports, MAHB group chief executive officer Mohd Shukrie Mohd Salleh said.
He said, the advanced technology features coupled with a strong connectivity network would increase the likelihood of international passengers choosing Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) for transiting.
Higher transiting passengers in turn would significantly contribute to the rise in passenger traffic, noted Shukri.
“From an efficiency standpoint, we will benefit from potentially reduced operational costs (as some of the work will be augmented/replaced by technology) and improved performance, as well as a safer and more seamless passenger journey,” the CEO remarked.
According to Shukri, digital airport facilities such as the Single Token introduced at KLIA, was part of MAHB’s Airports 4.0 initiative that aimed to transform KLIA into a digital airport.
The Single Token facility, which is powered by facial recognition technology would improve turnaround time at the main checkpoints from an average of 15-20 seconds today to less than two to three seconds, allowing passengers to pass through all touchpoints seamlessly.
“We will continue to place high emphasis on technology and automation enhancements at our airport as we remain vested and committed in providing a safe airport experience and environment for our passengers, airport staff and the public.
“So, we are forging ahead with our Airports 4.0 initiative in phases, whereby the investments on digitalisation programmes will be spread over the next three to four years.”
Airports 4.0 is a digital initiative implemented across MAHB’s selected local airports network. – Sept 13, 2020
Shukri also told the New Straits Times that MAHB was in the midst of tendering process for several projects and it would would identify the right partners to support its digital airport transformation journey.
Early this year, MAHB had completed its network migration to a new core network architecture at KLIA which allowed the airport to leverage on the latest cutting edge technologies such as 5G, Wifi6 and Internet of Things (IoT).
Cuurently it is embarking on the Airport Collaborative Decision Making (ACDM) system to help the airport manage its resources better and more efficiently, especially to gain more efficiency in flight operations . – Sept 13, 2020
