14th March, 2021 

In Passenger Terminal World’s Annual Showcase issue, Helen Norman, the editor of the magazine, sheds light on some important aspects to consider in relation to the current state of the aviation industry. This blog post reviews some of these aspects and expands the discussion on them.

Let’s begin with an excerpt from Helen’s editorial:

I do just want to take this opportunity to say well done. Well done to the check-in staff who didn’t know whether they would be replaced by completely touchless solutions, to the security staff who may struggle with enforcing physical distancing at the checkpoints, to the airport F&B and retails workers who have had to shut shop completely, and to the suppliers who don’t know where their next order is coming from. And finally to airport management, who have had to battle on a day-to-day basis to keep their businesses alive.

Helen highlights a significant point within this excerpt involving the need to appreciate what the aviation industry has achieved so far instead of simply focusing on the abysmal passenger/revenue numbers. Airport management and staff have really come together to help continue the provision of aviation services with as much regularity and normalcy as could be achieved within the current circumstances.

Helen then goes on to write:

… the airport sector needs to look for ways to adjust in the pandemic era. It’s done a good job so far, implementing health and well-being measures in a quick and efficient manner, but now is the time to think beyond the short term and look at how to make sure we are able to cope with the pandemic and other future industry threats.

This is a particularly important idea that needs to be instilled within all stakeholders in the aviation industry. COVID-19 should not be the end-all for all activities related to aviation. Many airports, for instance, can consider alternative revenue generation mechanisms, e.g. renting out warehouse storage space to other entities. One of the blog posts on our website deals directly with this idea (Revenue Generation Hacks for Airports During COVID).

In her conclusion, Helen mentions:

In the responses of architects and airport executives alike, there is resounding optimism that, with the right technologies, measures and government support, the aviation industry can bounce back stronger in the years ahead.

The concept of technologies that can help alleviate the negative effects of COVID-19 is particularly relevant during today’s discourse. EMMA fits right into this category with the platform offering efficiency gains across multiple stakeholder operations at airports, thus reducing costs and helping airports recover from their precarious financial position due to COVID-19. By using EMMA, airports can significantly reduce fuel costs and operational expenses by increasing the efficiency of their operations.