HKIA’s Digital Apron and Tower Management System wins top global award

Steven Yui. HKIA is world’s first to deploy airport-wide digital system. CREDIT: HKIA

Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has won a top international award for its pioneering airport-wide Digital Apron and Tower Management System (DATMS). HKIA is the first in the world to deploy such a large scale digital system for airport operations.

DATMS, jointly developed by Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) and the Civil Aviation Department, won the 2023 ACI World–Amadeus Technology Innovation Awards for “Best Innovation in Airport Operations and Installations Management”. Leveraging the latest digital video technology, and integrating real-time video, flight information and surveillance data, DATMS provides enhanced views of all air and ground activities around the clock, even under low visibility conditions. Backed by its real-time predictive alert function, DATMS substantially enhances operational efficiency and aviation safety.

The award was presented at the ACI EUROPE/ WORLD Annual General Assembly, Conference and Exhibition in Barcelona, Spain, on 27 June 2023.  Steven Yiu, Executive Director, Airport Operations at AAHK, said, “It is an honour to receive such a prestigious global award. DATMS is a core component of AAHK’s technology roadmap, and will play an important role in the Three-runway System operations. The collaboration behind the project also shows the way forward: a single digital platform that brings airport stakeholders together in pursuit of safety, operational resilience and collaborative decision-making.”