2023-08-29 15:35:14
A report by the consultancy Oliver Wyman, in collaboration with Airports Council International (ACI) and the Global Center for Sustainable Tourism, states that technological advances in biometrics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), 3D printing and automation will change traditional operating models and will characterize the zero emission airports of the future.
The global commercial aviation fleet will grow by 33% to exceed 36,000 aircraft in 2033, according to Oliver Wyman’s analysis. For its part, ACI World predicts that, in turn, passenger traffic between 2022 and 2040 will increase by up to 5.8% on average each year, reaching an influx of more than 19,000 million passengers per year.
“These figures clearly generate the need to incorporate new solutions to improve the time and efficiency in the processing of users at airports, while advancing on the path of decarbonization of the sector,” says the report from the consultancy.
Currently, the air transport sector accounts for about 2% of total global carbon emissions. And more specifically, the commercial flight airport sector is only responsible for a small part of that percentage, generating between 2% and 5% of total aviation emissions.
“Despite contributing a relatively small percentage of global emissions, the airport sector is focused on achieving net zero emissions as it is a key factor in reducing the carbon footprint of the entire aviation system,” the report states. .
So much so that, in 2008, aviation became the first industry to adopt global climate action for the entire sector. And in October 2021, the global aviation industry declared it would achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, supporting the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, compared with pre-industrial levels.
To achieve this commitment, the priority for 2030 will be to increase the supply and commercialization of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), which can be obtained from waste or sustainable raw materials that limit the negative consequences for environment.
However, the shortage of SAF will be an obstacle to achieving this goal, since, according to Oliver Wyman’s calculations, it is likely that by 2030 up to 5.4 billion gallons of SAF (almost 20.5 billion liters) will have been achieved, but the sector air will need 16 billion (almost 60.6 billion liters) just to keep emissions at 2019 levels.
On the other hand, elements such as the electrification of airport vehicles to transport personnel and cargo at aerodromes, the use of electric trailers for aircraft, the reduction in consumption of airport facilities (which currently represent 46% of global consumption of airports), as well as the use of sustainable construction materials for airports will be determining elements to reduce the emissions generated by the sector. In addition, it is expected that by 2035 the first hydrogen aircraft will be operational.
Experts consider that decarbonization, understood as the reduction of carbon emissions, could also be a competitive advantage to attract new investors and customers.
The aviation sector and public administrations continue their path towards innovation by investing in technological and biometric solutions that allow the creation of a digital identity that brings together all personal documents, such as traditional tickets and visas. The goal of this is to achieve a safer, smoother and more efficient passenger experience by 2030.
Experts consider that the digitization of airports will allow a personalized trip from start to finish and will create new advantages focused on achieving greater comfort for travelers.
Beyond digital innovation, by the year 2040, airports will cease to be transit points to become leisure airport cities or ‘aerotropolis’, which will integrate VIP lounges with endless interrelated activities and new experiences such as cinemas, swimming pools or virtual reality game options.
Likewise, the transformation of passenger processing will cause a significant change in the internal distribution of airport terminals. Reduced queues at check-in and security checkpoints, as well as real-time and interactive communications will open up new business opportunities for retail and leisure, according to the report.
Going forward, airports will continue to be critical nodes between communities to foster economic growth and global connectivity. For this reason, intermodal connectivity, both locally and regionally, will be key to facilitating the movement of people and goods in a more sustainable and efficient way, according to the report.
In this context, the new trends in the field of social mobility, such as the electrification and automation of vehicles, will have a positive impact on airports, “but will require coordination and collaboration with public administrations and transport agencies to carry out integrated strategies of Ecological transport”.
During this process, experts consider it crucial to produce incentives that reduce individual car traffic to airports, such as the implementation of urban air mobility (UAM) concepts.
Labor shortages since COVID-19 in the aviation industry are also challenging today and threaten to limit the ability to meet growing demand. Currently, approximately 54% of the 11.3 million people who work in the aviation sector work at airports, representing 3.9% of the total workforce in the travel and tourism industry ( 289 million people).
Furthermore, as AI and other technologies transform traditional airport operations, the roles of workers will become increasingly specialized and focused on the management, maintenance and control of these systems.
Passenger-facing workers will need to improve their customer service skills by integrating technology, while operations staff will need to adopt new knowledge in engineering, cybersecurity, and information technology (IT).
For its part, the sector should also focus on attracting a more versatile workforce, such as Generation Z. For this, collaboration with the academic world will be necessary to create interest in the aviation sector, facilitate hiring enough workers to meet future demands and ensure that employees have the right qualifications for the jobs on offer.
In short, adapting the growing demand for travel to the limitations of the labor force is another great challenge in the medium term that will require large investments in the sector. “However, by 2050, many of these functions will end up being automated, thereby reducing the need for labor to meet the needs of passengers,” the report concludes.
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