Innovation at Munich

Munich Airport’s IT Services Division is establishing an identity as a driver of innovation, and is developing next-generation software that is setting standards in the industry. Bucking the general trend, and resisting the prevailing outsourcing philosophy, CIO Michael Zaddach is relentless in getting new products onto the market. He is successful in these efforts thanks to the division’s own development team with expertise in airport core operations and a farsighted innovation strategy.

Michael Zaddach has headed Munich Airport’s IT Services Division for 10 years. In his early years he focused on implementing certified IT service management in IT operations and putting a consistent platform strategy in place. In this way he not only reduced IT costs, but also made long-term improvements to the quality of service.

In recent years Zaddach has worked systematically to develop Munich Airport’s software landscape, with its traditional high level of integration, as well as adding new products to the mix. He has succeeded in these efforts with the backing of an approximately 70-strong software development team that pools expertise in conventional airport processes with the latest software development skills. This combination has enabled Zaddach to continue competing successfully with other software providers in the market; “Our strength is the intermeshing of IT and airport operations in a highly complex logistical environment”, says Zaddach.

Over the past four years alone, his developers have put seven new products into operation to support the airport’s core operations and updated many existing systems to meet the latest standards. All of these products were designed in direct co-operation with the responsible operational units to ensure maximum process support. In Zaddach’s words, the key is “always staying one step ahead.” That is why he is particularly proud of his latest products, InfoGate and AirSide.InfoGate maximizes the information provided to passengers with no increase in staffing levels and AirSide gives all employees involved in handling process full access to all process information at a glance.

Infogate

The current pilot phase for InfoGate in Terminal 1 and the Munich Airport Center began in March of this year. With this new service, passengers and airport visitors are offered individual guidance and quick orientation in the airport. The innovative system, which was originally developed by FMG exclusively for Munich Airport, is now being marketed around the world.

After starting out two years ago as an innovation project spearheaded by the IT Service Division, InfoGate is now set to make a lasting difference to the quality of service at Munich Airport. The InfoGate counters being tested in Terminal 1 now provide passengers with reliable information at locations where conventional information desks staffed by airport personnel were previously not available. Passengers and visitors to the airport now only have to press a button for a direct video link to a staff member in the information center. The parties then see each other as life-size, real-time images on their respective screens. The specification was to continue offering a ‘personal’ service without making the technology the centerpiece. “We wanted to avoid putting up barriers through complicated technologies. Instead we wanted people to be curious,” said Zaddach. Especially older and less technology-savvy passengers and visitors still value the personal touch.”

In the pilot phase, InfoGate counters are currently being tested at six locations in the public and non-public areas. The user statistics show that customers are embracing the new system. In the first eight weeks alone, some 6,000 customers have already used this new information resource. Another 18,000 users were at least curious and pressed the button without making a specific query. This is not surprising. With its contemporary, appealing design, the system is almost irresistible. The first weeks have clearly shown that it may well be worthwhile to extend the system across the entire airport.

These elegant service posts, positioned at all key intersections, are accessed via large touch screens to obtain any essential information on shopping, services and dining at the airport as well as the latest details on arrivals and departures. “A highlight of this system is the guidance function, which will calculate clear directions to any desired location in the airport,” says project manager Manfred Zötl. The quickest way to the user’s selected destination – a shop, a restaurant or a certain departure gate – is then displayed on an animated map of the airport building. The system computes the distance, the estimated walking time and the anticipated wait times at passport control security screening. This will help passengers and visitors enjoy a more relaxed airport experience.

The airport’s restaurants and retailers will also benefit from the new information resource. With their products and services presented more transparently, and passengers feeling more relaxed as they stroll through the terminal, the chances are greatly improved that more customers will find the time to order a meal or make a purchase.

The InfoGate information system is yet another milestone in the successful history of the innovation labs at Munich Airport. Marc Lindike, the inventor of the InfoGate system, proudly notes, “Our consistent use of cutting-edge technologies and ongoing cooperation with researchers and developers from universities and research institutes has enabled us to pursue this path, and it has obviously brought us success.”

The system has already been presented to an interested audience of travel industry specialists at the recent ITB Berlin, the world’s largest B2B trade fair for the travel industry, where it met with a very positive response. For Zaddach, this is yet another reason to push ahead with the launch of InfoGate in other market segments.

AirSide

On the wall of the Traffic Management Center the core element of AirSide, there is a screen displaying an aerial view of the airport. Everything on the screen is happening live – a seamless representation of what is now taking place on runways, taxiways and aprons. Jörg- Matthias Simon, the project manager on the user side, explains how it works; “A large array of antennas distributed across the airport grounds receive signals from aircraft transponders. The software uses the data to continually calculate the precise position – enabling the AirSide system to show the movement of the aircraft simultaneously in real time.”

A touch or a click on the aircraft symbol opens a window displaying all relevant data; airline, flight number, last position, etc. Even the path taken on the taxiway is visible. When debris is found on runways or taxiways, this makes it easier for the traffic management staff to identify the aircraft in question.

In addition, AirSide has all the ‘skills’ vital to traffic guidance and management staff, apron control, the fire department and air traffic control: descriptions of runway conditions, current shutdowns, information on construction work, e.g. locations of obstacles such as cranes. AirSide can also track vehicles equipped with transponders. This pays off especially with winter services or in fire department operations. The system also shows current wind and weather data.

The AirSide software is in mobile operation in traffic management vehicles, with the displays updated via WLAN. This has additional benefits: For example, if a driver deployed in field operations sees a flock of birds, it only takes a few clicks to make an entry in the onboard laptop. The software integrates the report, and it is displayed with all relevant information on all AirSide screens. Colleagues are immediately notified.

IT project manager Susanne Ranner, who implemented this project with her colleagues in the software development department, explains, “With AirSide our users can now see the benefits of highly integrated IT for themselves. With this system we visualise all of the information on flight operations available in our databases in a clear, easy-to-understand form.”

To prevent users from being swamped with information, the software was developed with a layered concept in which individual users can choose which information will be part of their default display and activate or deactivate other elements as the need arises.

This cuts down on typing and phone calls while eliminating potential sources of transmission errors. All of this is achieved by AirSide through the visualisation of all traffic activity at the airport.

About the Author

Michael Zaddach is in charge of service area projects and development, operations and services, and field service for all IT and communication systems at the airport. After completing his degree in communication engineering, Michael Zaddach held various positions with Siemens, AEG and debis Systemhaus, including work in system development, product line management, project management and consulting. At debis Systemhaus he headed an IT service management business unit from 1997 until 2000. In that role he also guided numerous outsourcing projects for debis Systemhaus. In 2000 he took over as Vice President for IT and Communication Systems at Munich Airport.