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Issue link: http://airportbusiness.epubxp.com/i/532707
MANAGING AIRPORTS TODAY June/July 2015 airportbusiness 41 rate, driving further incremental improvements is going to be that much harder," he says. "We have already seen the additional pressure in 2014 of record load factors and a 5.4 percent uplift in the number of passengers nudge the mishandling rate up to 7.30 bags per thousand passengers, from 6.96 the previous year." Projected increases in passenger numbers, he indicates, will put pressure on the industry to invest in technology including baggage sys- tems automation. "The industry cannot afford to become complacent," says Violante. "With IATA forecasting continued passenger growth of around 7 percent in 2015, all industry partners will need to continue to invest, collaborate and focus on baggage management." Many of the improvements depend on pas- sengers doing their part. Services like at-home baggage tag printing, self-check luggage bins at airports, and luggage tracking apps combine to help airlines and airports handle luggage more efficiently while making passengers feel more empowered in the process. "Baggage processing and management ranked among airports' top investment priorities, with investments in self-service pro- cesses, such as kiosk and bag-drop technology leading the way," says Violante. "Over the next three years, 59 percent of airports said they would invest in major self-service programs, as passengers increasingly express a desire to have more control over their journeys, including their baggage." • 69 percent of airlines said they would pro- vide passengers with real-time updates on the location of their bags by 2017. • 66 percent are looking to provide these updates via smartphone apps by 2017. • 18 percent of airlines already offer passen- gers the ability to report missing bags via self-service kiosks and 10 percent via smart- phone apps. • By 2017, nearly two-thirds of airlines expect to offer these services. Advancements in baggage management technologies will not only improve our pas- senger experience they could lead to new air- craft designs, suggests IATA's Head of Airport Operations Management, Andrew Price. "Any reduction in cabin baggage volumes would make boarding and deplaning faster, the cabin environment safer and perhaps more comfortable. Eventually, you might even see aircraft designs that take advantage of reduced cabin bag needs—imagine overhead windows rather than luggage bins," he says. Referencing published figures from IATA, SITA reports that the cost of baggage mishan - dling per passenger in 2014 was $0.73, which represents 0.34 percent of the aviation indus- try's per passenger operating costs—that's the costs of administering the business day- to-day. Those passenger operating costs come to an industry average of $216 per passenger, which is food for thought next time we're fare-shopping. While the particular costs of administering the business will vary from airline to airline, and the costs of carriage vary from flight to flight, a $216 basis to recoup might explain why all those too-good-to-be-true fares wind up costing us more once all the "extras" are tacked-on, including those dreaded baggage-handling fees. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Advertser ............................. Page # Airports Consultants Council ................23 Bascon ..................................................25 Daimler Vans USA, LLC .................... 14-15 Flex-O-Lite ..............................................7 Ford Commercial Truck ....................... 2-3 GCR .......................................................19 InterAirport ..........................................43 Lektro ...................................................37 Nissan ...................................................44 Rampmaster .........................................31 Schweiss ...............................................39 Trinity Hwy Rentals .................................9 VP Buildings ..........................................18 AD INDEX Reed - Joseph International Company Frighten Birds From Active Runways With The Scare-Away System 8 Ê Ê BIRD AND WILDLIFE CONTROL 800.647.5554 reedjoseph.com Emergency Life Raft $1,510.00 (4-6 man, only 12 lbs.) TSO'd & Non TSO'd Made in the USA SURVIVAL PRODUCTS INC. servicing/sales of aviation/marine life rafts, vests, slides since 1974, manufacturers newly designed emer- gency inflatable four to six man life raft for private aircraft/plea- sure boats; WORLD'S LIGHTEST WEIGHT (only 12 lbs.); WORLD'S SMALLEST PACKAGE (only 4" x 12" x 14"); WORLD'S LEAST EXPENSIVE price (only $1,510). 9 to 13 man, 18 pounds; valise 5" x 12" x 14"; $1,960) NEW!!! FAA TSO Approved Life Rafts. (Type I, II ). BUY/RENT. SURVIVAL PRODUCTS, INC., 5614 S.W. 25 STREET, HOLLYWOOD, FL 33023. 954-966-7329, Fax: 954-966-3584 website: www.survivalproductsinc.com email: sales@survivalproductsinc.com. Watch your business fly toward new heights! Call Michelle Scherer toll-free at 800-547-7377, ext. 1314.