23rd August, 2021 

When thinking about A-CDM, it might be useful to conceive it first as a concept and then as a platform. Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM; CDM in the US) requires that airports:

• Reunite all key stakeholders that impact airport operations
• Agree on a coordinated approach whereby all stakeholders share data to benefit overall airport operations
• Are clear about what they want to improve, measure and ultimately achieve

Once this process is complete (and EMMA can help with the concept definition), airports can move to the platform aspect and determine what to measure so they can improve.

A-CDM is all about efficiency. Be it a large airport or an airport with one million passengers, efficiency should be rule number one when managing operations as this helps improve the passenger experience and save costs.

With new regulations in aviation (especially when it comes to CO2 emissions, noise or air pollution) and stricter flying times, airports need to consider how they can improve, reduce wastage and do things differently.

At some key airports, A-CDM has become a part of the sustainability and productivity improvement approach. Here, A-CDM compliance is a normal part of everyday operations since a concerted approach between all stakeholders is part of how the airport runs its business.

A-CDM is part of wider airport operations management that looks at every aspect of operations to align everything that is happening at the airport, whether landside or airside. Airports will gradually move to a single system that starts well before the passenger checks in and stops when they have left the airport. A-CDM will play a key part in such a system which will be complemented by many applications (many of which have already been implemented at airports). All these systems will feed into a management system, controlling the flow of passengers towards the gate along with the flow from planes to and from these gates.

The end goal is thus to have one management system fed by all applications at the airport, giving airports a full view of the passenger journey and how all airport services feed into that process.

At EMMA Systems, we have been setting up an airport operations management system with A-CDM at its core. At the same time, we have also begun revisiting other airport systems to create an end-to-end process that gives all stakeholders access to real-time data. Past and present data is analyzed by our AI technology to predict upcoming events & hindrances.

The travel experience stands to benefit from such a transparent process through which stakeholders will be able to adapt their operational approach to become more agile and productive. A-CDM is no more a nice-to-have feature. It is a key component towards building airports of the future and ensures the best passenger experience.

Want to understand how we help airports become more efficient? Contact us here.