Airport logistics Siemens at the Passenger Terminal Expo 2013 in Geneva
Siemens is showcasing its portfolio under the slogan "Efficient, Flexible Airport Solutions" at this year's Passenger Terminal Expo to be held April 9 to 11, 2013, in Geneva. The company will present products, solutions and services which help airport and airline managers to meet the growing demands of modern airport operations. The top highlight is the newly developed Sicheck check-in system. Other areas of interest are early baggage storage, security, IT integration and building management.
Nowadays, airport operators are having to handle issues such as shorter transfer times, more flexible journey planning, better services for passengers and constant demands for increased cargo and passenger security. Efficient, coordinated airport infrastructure solutions make a substantial contribution toward optimizing the use of resources and energy on the landside, while at the same time improving customer services.
Sicheck: the baggage check-in of the future
The provision of self-service check-in facilities via machines or the Internet and smartphones is becoming increasingly important. Passengers have the flexibility of checking in when and where they want to, changing their seat allocation at any time, and saving themselves from tedious standing in line. The advantage for airlines is that this takes the strain off their infrastructure and personnel. Siemens is exhibiting the fully automated Sicheck check-in system at the Passenger Terminal Expo. This is a modular solution which includes several baggage drop-off variants which can be adapted to the individual requirements of airports and airlines. It caters for both open and closed systems.
Together with the software from Materna ips, it facilitates a fully automated check-in for both passenger and baggage. An intuitive user interface enables passengers to complete the check-in themselves in less than a minute, no matter which airline they are flying with or which language they speak. The software can be easily integrated into the software programs of the individual airlines, which use the CUSS (Common Use Self Service) standard used by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This enables all airlines to use the same check-in devices, which are provided and maintained by the airport, avoiding the need to have to install their own equipment. In future, Siemens and Materna will be offering this CUSS-based solution to airports in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Baggage Warehouse for maximum convenience
Siemens is presenting a new baggage storage system at the Passenger Terminal Expo. As in a distribution center, all types of baggage can be stored fully automatically and retrieved when the flight is called. The solution is called the Baggage Warehouse and is based on a high-bay warehouse. The system combines the advantages of fast, efficient individual transport with space-saving sorting. Bags are moved vertically by lifts and horizontally by shuttles. The Baggage Warehouse is controlled by a warehouse management system that knows the position of each tray in the high-bay warehouse and feeds the bags, sorted by destination, back into the baggage handling system at the right time. The Lift&Run system has been in successful use in distribution logistics for a long time. Siemens also offers other baggage storage technologies, such as tray buffer lines and the dynamic tray storage lines.
The Baggage Warehouse can also be used as an Early Bag Store (EBS). Instead of expensive storage and retrieval machines, it also uses the Lift&Run system that is considerably faster, cheaper and kinder to the environment than other solutions on the market. EBS systems are in use both at hub airports with large numbers of transfer passengers and at airports which offer their passengers the option of checking in early. The focus is on maximum convenience for passengers who should feel comfortable in the airport and be able to go for a meal or shop without being bothered by luggage.
IT integration: more efficient airport operation with Siamos
More and more airport operators urgently need a complete overview of the increasingly complex check-in processes with their extreme division of labor, as well as knowing the causes of problems and exceptional situations. Generally speaking, the different control and management systems only allow a limited view and supply isolated data. With the Siamos control room software, Siemens is offering an integration platform which brings together and visualizes operational airport data. Airport operators can continually analyze the entire operation in real time and take appropriate action to adapt it flexibly to commercial targets.
Information on baggage handling systems, cargo handling throughput or maintenance information from the fleet management, as well as check-in data and business parameters can be integrated via standardized interfaces. Siamos monitors all the main organizational units involved in airport operations, allowing the system to provide decision-making aids and forecasts. Systems for energy and building management, or for controlling arrival, departure and transfer areas can also be taken into account. Using an adaptive set of rules, Siamos makes suggestions on the basis of accumulated data to improve the management of operations, helping operators to take effective decisions. Linking the different but interacting processes can achieve overall optimization and thus boost operational efficiency. Cost drivers can be identified and insights gained into bottlenecks in the infrastructure.