In the spotlight: Security

Airport: Durbans King Shaka

Special report: Spaceports
Plus: Airport design & People matters

Focus on security
December 2014January 2015
Volume 19 Issue 6
www.aci.aero

OPINION
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Change for
good

Airport World editor, Joe Bates, considers the changing face

of airport security and looks forward to a busy and successful
new year.

hile being able to remotely scan

someone for weapons or predict
evil intent before it happens may
still be the realms of fantasy
from your favourite science fiction novel, there
is no doubting that airport security has come
a long way in the last 15 years.
After all, we now have full body scanners,
machines capable of detecting liquid explosives
hidden in drink bottles, sensors that detect
when someone is moving against the crowd,
intelligent CCTV cameras and the ability to X-ray
delivery trucks for dangerous goods.
And the mission to stay one step ahead of
the terrorist threat ensures that passenger
screening technology will continue to advance
and become more sophisticated, effective and
customer friendly in the years ahead.
It is a similar story for access control and
securing the perimeter fences of airports, which
can stretch for dozens of miles across very
differing landscapes.
New legislation, often implemented in
the aftermath of a terrorist attack or foiled plot,
has historically driven the changing face of
airport security, and the last few years have
been no exception.
Indeed, the growing number of global
conflicts in the past five years alone has seen
the perceived threat to aviation escalate to some
of the highest levels since the 9/11 terror
attacks, ensuring that security remains at the
very top of the agenda for airports.
Arguably airports have paid a heavy price for
the new environment in which they operate
through rising security costs.
In fact many have seen their security costs
soar since the turn of the century due to the new
technology they have had to install and extra

manpower required to guarantee that they

tick all the right boxes.
ACI Europe put this into perspective in 2012
when it revealed that little or no state funding for
aviation security across the continent meant
that security accounts for an average of 20% of
the operating costs of Europes airports and for
41% of airport staff.
This security-themed edition of Airport
World addresses some of the key issues
and challenges facing airports today, such as
cyber security and the need to improve the
passenger screening process and make it more
customer-friendly.
Elsewhere in the magazine we learn more
about Durbans King Shaka International Airport
and Istanbuls planned new gateway,
investigate the spaceport phenomenon and
discover how technology helps Frankfurt make
the most of the airport site.
The issue, of course, also contains the
usual words of wisdom from ACI World
director general, Angela Gittens; leadership
advice on motivation and performance;
and the latest news from ACIs World
Business Partners.
I hope that you enjoy it and also hope that
many of the airport success stories and
pioneering new initiatives weve shared with you
in 2014 have served to help and inspire in
todays tough operating climate.
We will do our best to do the same again
in 2015 through our headline features and
themes that will cover the hot topics of
economics, small airports, master planning,
health and wellbeing and ground support
as well as celebrating the 20th anniversary
of Airport World.
AW
Heres to the next 12 months!

AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2014-JANUARY 2015

CONTENTS

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Issue 6
Volume 19

In this issue
3 Opinion
Airport World editor, Joe Bates, considers the changing face of airport security and looks
forward to a busy and successful new year.

8 News
10 ACI news
13 View from the top
Director general, Angela Gittens, discusses ACIs work in the realm of airport security and
the importance of knowledge sharing.

14 Beginning of the journey

How is Durbans King Shaka International Airport faring nearly five years on from its
opening? Joe Bates investigates.

17 Are you onboard?

ACIs deputy director general, Michael Rossell, reflects on improving the passenger
experience with Smart Security and the growing need for cyber security.

20 Screen test
Yves Duguay explains why airports should invest more in the customer-friendly planning,
design and operation of security checkpoints.

AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2014-JANUARY 2015

CONTENTS

Director General
Angela Gittens
Chair
Fredrick J Piccolo (Sarasota, USA)
Vice Chair
Declan Collier (London, UK)
Immediate Past Chair
Yiannis Paraschis (Athens, Greece)
Treasurer
Stefan Schulte (Frankfurt, Germany)
ACI WORLD GOVERNING BOARD
DIRECTORS
Africa (3)
Pascal Komla (Lom, Togo)
Bongani Maseko (Johannesburg, South Africa)
Robinson Misitala (Livingstone, Zambia)

24 Clear and present danger

Lockheed Martins Chris Varley discusses six steps for improving cyber security and
asks: how many has your airport taken?

27 Security news
Whats hot and whats not in the world of airport security? Joe Bates rounds up the
latest global news.

28 The space programme

The race to build dedicated facilities to handle future space tourists shows no
sign of slowing down despite recent tragic events, writes Justin Burns.

33 Prized asset
Dr Matthias Alisch reflects on the use of geo-spatial technology to manage the
development of the Frankfurt Airport site.

35 Project watch
New Istanbul Airport.

37 ACIs World Business Partners

38 People matters
Dr Richard Plenty and Terri Morrissey provide their thoughts on:
motivation and performance.

Asia-Pacific (8)
Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Dennis Chant (Gold Coast, Australia)
Rodolfo Echeverria (Amman, Jordan)
Kenichi Fukaya (Tokyo, Japan)
Saud AR Hashem (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
Seow Hiang Lee (Singapore)
Kerrie Mather (Sydney, Australia)
1 vacancy
Europe (7)
Declan Collier (London, UK)
Arnaud Feist (Brussels, Belgium)
Michael Kerkloh (Munich, Germany)
Tonci Peovic (Zagreb, Croatia)
Stefan Schulte (Frankfurt, Germany)
Sani Sener (Istanbul, Turkey)
Jos-Manuel Vargas (Madrid, Spain)
Latin America & Caribbean (3)
Fernando Bosque (Guadalajara, Mexico)
Hctor Navarrete Muoz (Merida, Mexico)
1 vacancy
North America (7)
Thella Bowens (San Diego, USA)
James Cherry (Montral, Canada)
Frank Miller (San Antonio, USA)
Fredrick J Piccolo (Sarasota, USA)
Mark Reis (Seattle, USA)
Maureen Riley (Salt Lake City, USA)
Tom Ruth (Edmonton, Canada)
Regional Advisers to the
World Governing Board (7)
Aaron Adderley (Hamilton, Bermuda)
Rosemarie Andolino (Chicago, USA)
Haluk Bilgi (Tunis, Tunisia)
ngel Crdova Carrera (Guayaquil, Ecuador)
Howard Eng (Toronto, Canada)
Zouhair Mohamed El Oufir (Rabat, Morocco)
1 vacancy (Europe)
Observer
World Business Partner Board Chairperson
Roddy Boggus (Parsons Brinckerhoff )
Correct as of January 12, 2015

AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2014-JANUARY 2015

NEWS

Busy times at LAX

Los Angeles International Airports new Midfield Satellite Concourse (MSC)
North is a step nearer to becoming reality following the award of a $961
million contract to design and build it to a Turner-PCL joint venture in
collaboration with Corgan and Gensler.
City airport commissioners also initiated preliminary planning and the
environmental review for several projects included in the $4 billion ground
transportation plan for LAX.
Operator, Los Angeles World Airports, says the development of the 11-gate
MSC North is the next significant effort in the ongoing modernisation of Los
Angeles International Airport (LAX) and will benefit the public by helping to
mitigate flight delays and improve the customer experience at the airport.
Set to open in 2020, the 800,000 square-foot, five-level concourse will be
located around 1,300 feet west of the New Tom Bradley International Terminal.
Plans to transform the arrival and departure experience for passengers at
LAX under the umbrella of its $4 billion Landside Access Modernization
Program include proposals for a new automated people mover system that will
connect the terminals with a new Rental Car Center, a planned station for the
Metros Crenshaw light rail line and a number of other facilities.
Talking about the ground transportation plan, LAWAs executive director, Gina
Marie Lindsey, says: The boards decision means local residents and visitors to
LAX wont have to wait a generation to benefit from these improvements.

Terminal velocity
in Vietnam

HanoiNoi Bai International Airport has effectively doubled its capacity to

20mppa with the opening of its new $1 billion Terminal 2.
Built over four floors and initially designed to handle up to 10mppa, the
new four-storey terminal comprises a main complex and two piers and
boasts 17 gates, 96 check-in desks and 283 FIDS screens.
The airports master plan includes proposals to expand T2s capacity
to 15mppa in a demand-driven expansion programme expected to take
place some time between 2020 and 2030.
Vietnam is forecast to be the worlds seventh fastest growing market
for international passengers during 2013-2017, as a regional open skies
initiative takes off and South East Asia moves towards an integrated
economic community.
In a bid to cope with the anticipated future demand, Vietnam plans to
expand Ho Chi Minh Citys Tan Son Nhat International Airport and build a
new gateway for the city (Long Thanh International Airport) by 2020.

Image courtesy of Foster + Partners.

New airport for Mexico City

Mexican President, Enrique Pea Nieto, has confirmed that Mexico Citys new
$9 billion international airport will be built by a design team comprising
Foster + Partners, FR-EE (Fernando Romero Enterprise) and NACO (Netherlands
Airport Consultants).
According to Foster + Partners, the project revolutionises airport design as the
entire 470,000sqm terminal will be enclosed within a continuous lightweight
grid-shell, embracing walls and roof in a single, flowing form, evocative of flight.
The UK architect reveals that it is designed to be the worlds most sustainable airport
with a compact single terminal that uses less materials and energy than a cluster of
buildings. Short walking distances and few level changes also promise to make it easy to
navigate, while the design in general is said to be a celebration of space and light.
Expected to boast three runways and a capacity of 52mppa when it opens in
2020, the new airport will eventually have six runways and the capability to
accommodate up to 120mppa. It will be located on a 11,400 acre site about six miles
from Mexico Citys existing Benito Juarez International Airport, which currently
handles around 32mppa.

On track for summer opening

Helsinki Airport is set to get a long-awaited train connection to Finlands capital city when
the Ring Rail Line opens this summer.
According to airport director, Ville Haapasaari, the new 18-kilometre train link is arguably
one of the most important service improvements at the gateway in the past 15 years.
Being able to travel all the way to the centre of the Finnish capital by train will
strengthen our status as a world-class airport, enthuses Haapasaari.
Construction of the Ring Rail Line, which will boast eight kilometres of tunnels and
stations 40 metres below ground, began in 2009.
Its opening will coincide with Finavias 900 million development programme to
ensure that Helsinki Airport is equipped to accommodate 20 million passengers each
year by 2020.

News in brief
Australias Macquarie Capital Group, Changi
Airports International (CAI) and Gatwick operator,
Global Infrastructure Management, are among
20 shortlisted bidders for the concession to operate
Japans Kansai and Osaka-Itami airports. The
44-year concession for both Osaka-located
gateways is expected to fetch up to $16.6 billion.
The winning bidder is expected to form a consortium
to operate and develop both Kansai, Japans fifth
busiest gateway handling around 18mppa, and
Osaka-Itami Airport, which primarily handles
domestic traffic.

The Marriott group has opened its first property

under the Moxy budget hotel brand at Italys Milan
Malpensa Airport. Airport operator, SEA, claims it
likes the innovative concept behind the design
of the new 152-room hotel, which is located next
to Terminal 2. Developed in partnership with Inter
Hospitality, part of the Ikea group, the new threestar hotel is expected to be joined by a Moxy Hotel
at Heathrow in 2015.
The Arup-designed underground pedestrian tunnel
to Torontos Billy Bishop City Airport has won an

AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2014-JANUARY 2015

award from the Canadian Tunnelling Association.

The tunnel, which is 40 metres underground
and will improve access to the island airport,
currently only reachable by ferry, won the
award because of the innovative way it is
being constructed and other factors, including
design analysis by Arup.
Two of Americas leading bond rating
agencies (Standard & Poors and Fitch Ratings)
have reaffirmed Miami International Airports
strong financial health, assigning A ratings

NEWS

Wrong place and

too expensive

The astronomical cost of both its construction and

necessary new transport links as well as its environmental
impact and location were the chief reasons why the UKs
Airports Commission rejected plans for a Thames Estuary
Airport, according to chairman, Sir Howard Davies.
Sir Howard, speaking at Novembers Investing in Airports
Summit in Athens, added that the airport was also in the
wrong place on other side of London for most passengers.
He confirmed that the commission will be announcing its
final recommendation next summer and that it would be a
new runway either at Gatwick or Heathrow (either a new north
west runway or lengthening the existing northern runway).
The cost is thought to be around 9 billion for Gatwick
and 18 billion for either Heathrow option.
We have been looking at the issue for a very long time
and, in fact, no runway has been built in the London area
since the end of the Second World War, but in spite of this,
London remains the biggest O&D market in the world
[taking into account all its airports] although it is not
growing as fast as some.
It has done this by sweating the assets of our existing
airports while airports such as Luton, Southend and
Stansted have filled up to cope with the lack of additional
capacity at the main hub. So, we have managed to cope
without new infrastructure for some time, but our view is
we cannot carry on like this for much longer as demand
will continue to grow, and by 2041 our airports will be
completely full.
Poking fun at London mayor, Boris Johnson, he noted:
It is often referred to as Boris Island, but it wasnt just
one island, so perhaps Boris Archipelago would have been
a more accurate description.
He admitted that one of the reasons the addition of a
new runway at Heathrow was a hot potato was because
aircraft noise around the gateway was the worst in Europe
for a major hub three times that of Frankfurt and
four-and-a-half times louder than at Paris CDG.
In the meantime Davies revealed that the commission is
still seeking input from airlines about how they will react to
either recommendation.

The scent of a holiday!

Heathrow has come up with a novel way of entertaining passengers installing a scent
globe in Terminal 2 that it states will immerse the curious in the aromas of its most
fragrant destinations Thailand, South Africa, Japan, China and Brazil. The airport
decided to introduce the one-of-a-kind invention after a survey revealed that 87% of
British holidaymakers said that the sights, sounds and smells of foreign destinations
are what makes their trips memorable.

PPP for St Lucia gateway?

St Lucia is considering a public-private partnership (PPP) transaction for Hewanorra

International Airport, located close to Vieux Fort on the southern tip of the
Caribbean island.
The government of St Lucia and airport operator, the Saint Lucia Air and Sea
Ports Authority (SLASPA), are looking for a private investor to operate and develop
the gateway, which handled 690,000 passengers in 2013.
Potentially up for grabs is a 30-year concession for an investor prepared to invest
$208 million on new facilities and upgrading existing ones during the lifetime of
the concession.
New additions include a $76.8 million terminal and power station while SLASPA
estimates that $90 million will have to be set aside for the maintenance and repair of
the airports existing facilities. If all goes to plan, the RFP will be put out to tender in
2015 and the airport located 60 kilometres south of capital Castries or a 60 to 90
minute car ride will get the new terminal by 2018.
SLASPAs general manager/CEO, Keigan Cox, told Airport World: We are looking for
private sector knowledge and know-how as well as financial investment. We believe the time
is right to develop the airport to facilitate passenger growth and tourism development.
Passenger throughput at the Caribbean gateway is predicted to reach 1.6mppa by 2044,
with the bulk of international passengers coming from the US, Canada, UK and France.

For daily news updates, visit www.airport-world.com

and stable outlooks to the Miami-Dade
Aviation Departments Series 2014 aviation
revenue refunding bonds, as well as for the
its outstanding $5.74 billion aviation
revenue bonds. In their assessment,
Fitch Ratings noted that MIA stands out as
one of the nations strongest international
gateway airports with a dominant position for
Latin American and Caribbean air services.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is
responsible for close to 172,000 jobs and

billions of dollars in wages, according to a

new study carried out by Martin Associates
on behalf of the Port of Seattle. The Port of
Seattle is an incredible economic engine,
enthuses Commissioner Courtney Gregoire.
Amsterdam Schiphol handled a record
55 million passengers in 2014, a rise of
4.6% compared to 2013. The Schiphol Groups
Dutch regional airports also posted solid
growth last year, Eindhoven handling 3.9 million
passengers (+16%) and Rotterdam 1.7 million

(+6.1%). Schiphol Group CEO, Jos Nijhuis,

explains: These figures show that Schiphol Group
has achieved growth in all of its operations.
Abu Dhabi-based construction firm Al Jaber
Group has won the contract to develop
the new state-of-the-art Abha Airport in Saudi
Arabia. It confirmed the details of the project on
its website, which it says is worth 414 million.
The new airport will feature a passenger
terminal covering an area of 86,000sqm and
will be built to accommodate around 5mppa.

AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2014-JANUARY 2015

ACI WORLD NEWS

World in motion
Ryan White reports on the latest ACI news, developments and pioneering initiatives from
across the globe.

CIs Airport Carbon Accreditation initiative officially achieved a global

reach when ACI-LAC joined the programme at its recent Annual
Assembly, Conference and Exhibition in Cancn.
Pioneered by ACI Europe, the independently administered and
institutionally endorsed programme assesses and recognises airports efforts to
2
measure, manage and reduce their CO emissions.
This milestone clearly demonstrates airports dedication to sustainable
growth and that we are taking proactive and robust actions to achieve aviations
commitment made in September at the United Nations Climate Summit, said ACI
Worlds director general, Angela Gittens.
Pictured above at the signing ceremony in Cancn are (sitting, left to right)
ACI-LACs director general, Javier Martinez, and ACI Europes director general, Olivier
Jankovec, flanked by ACI-LAC Board members second vice president Fernando
Bosque (left) and a newly elected ACI-LAC president, Hector Navarrete Muoz (right).
Mexicos Puerto Vallarta International Airport has since become the first
gateway in the region, and 111th globally, to gain carbon accreditation under the
programme, which has won praise from the ICAO, the United Nations Environment
Panel (UNEP) and the European Union.
For more information on ACIs commitment to ensuring the sustainable growth
of the worldwide aviation industry, please visit www.aci.aero/environment.

New deputy director general

ACI World has appointed Michael Rossell as its new deputy director general.
Formerly director of ICAO relations, he will continue to promote the interests
of the worlds airports at ICAO and with international partners, and will take
on additional corporate responsibilities within ACI.
Michael has used his extensive knowledge of aviation and transport policy,
and his experience as former UK permanent representative to ICAO, to strengthen
ACIs engagement with ICAO at all levels, says director general, Angela Gittens.
He has also brought fresh ideas on developing the corporate culture of ACI
and I have asked him to develop these further as we go forward to deliver our
strategic objectives.

10

AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2014-JANUARY 2015

Prior to joining ACI in 2012, Rossell spent six years in the European Union in
Brussels, working both for the European Commission as a national expert, and as
the transport attach representing the UK on EU Council working groups where he
developed and negotiated transport policy for adoption by ministers.
Commenting on his appointment, he said: Working with ACI has been a
high point of my career and I look forward to the additional opportunities and
challenges presented in my new role. Airports are an essential part of the aviation
system and I will work very closely with ICAO and other stakeholders to make sure
their voice is heard. He replaces Craig Bradbrook who took the position of vice
president of aviation services at the Greater Toronto Airports Authority.

Traffic trends
Global passenger traffic grew by 4.7% during the first nine months of 2014,
according to the latest ACI traffic figures.
North African airports impacted by the unrest of the Arab Spring continue to
report a strong recovery in passenger traffic, says ACI, which notes that Egypts
Cairo and Hurghada airports recorded 23.2% and 457.2% increases in
throughput respectively for the month of September.
All regions Africa (+9.6%), Asia-Pacific (+5.1%), Europe (+4.6%), Latin
America & Caribbean (+4.1%), the Middle East (+9.3%) and North America
(+4.5%) reported a monthly year-on-year upturn for September, although
ACI concedes that it is still a difficult operating environment.
The global economy continues to experience a rocky recovery, says
economics director, Rafael Echevarne.
Major economies such as the United States, the euro area and Japan faced
weak output growth in the first half of 2014. Emerging markets also felt the brunt
of the slowdown, with Brazil slipping into a recession.
The geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe and Russia continue to threaten
business confidence across those regions as well.
Passenger traffic in the euro area and North America will likely experience
higher growth levels than 2013, with global growth in passenger traffic ending the
year in the realm of 5% for 2014.

ACI WORLD NEWS

ACIevents

2015
February 25-27
ACI Airport Economics
& Finance Conference
& Exhibition
London,
United Kingdom

2015
August 31-Sept 2

ACI World and Latin
America & Caribbean
Annual Conference &
Exhibition
Panama City, Panama

2015

2015

2015

April 27-29

June 24-26

September 16-18

ACI Asia-Pacific
Assembly, Conference
& Exhibition
Amman, Jordan

ACI Europe General

Assembly, Congress &
Exhibition
Prague, Czech Republic

The Trinity Forum

Hong Kong,
China

ACIoffices
ACI World
Angela Gittens
Director General
PO Box 302
800 Rue du Square Victoria
Montral, Quebec H4Z 1G8
Canada
Tel: +1 514 373 1200
Fax: +1 514 373 1201
aci@aci.aero
www.aci.aero

ACI Fund for Developing

Nations Airports
Angela Gittens
Managing Director
Tel: + 1 514 373 1200
Fax: +1 514 373 1201
acifund@aci.aero

ACI Africa
Ali Tounsi
Secretary General
Casablanca, Morocco
Tel: +212 660 156 916
atounsi@aci-africa.aero
www.aci-africa.aero

ACI Latin America & Caribbean

Javier Martinez Botacio
Director General
Panama City, Panama
Tel: +507 238 2691
jmartinez@aci-lac.aero
www.aci-lac.aero

ACI Asia-Pacific
Patti Chau
Regional Director
Hong Kong SAR, China
Tel: +852 2180 9449
Fax: +852 2180 9462
info@aci-asiapac.aero
www.aci-asiapac.aero

ACI Europe
Olivier Jankovec
Director General
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (2) 552 0978
Fax: +32 (2) 502 5637
danielle.michel@aci-europe.org
www.aci-europe.org

ACI North America

Kevin Burke
President & CEO
Washington DC, USA
Tel: +1 202 293 8500
Fax: +1 202 331 1362
postmaster@aci-na.org
www.aci-na.org

ACI represents 591 members operating 1,861 airports in 177 countries and territories, which in 2013 handled 5.95 billion passengers, 93.6 million
tonnes of cargo and 79.6 million aircraft movements. ACI is the international association of the worlds airports. It is a non-profit organisation,
the prime purpose of which is to advance the interests of airports and promote professional excellence in airport management and operations.

AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2014-JANUARY 2015

11

ACI VIEWPOINT

View from
the top
Director general, Angela Gittens, discusses
ACIs work in the realm of airport security and
the importance of knowledge sharing.

his security-themed issue of Airport World is timely in that

ACI has been very active working with governments and
industry partners to improve the effectiveness and efficiency
of aviation security processes, both in the short-term and
the long-term.
The ACI World Security Standing Committee leads the efforts in
conjunction with Regional Committees. At its most recent meeting in
October, the Committee agreed a comprehensive work package,
which included the development of an Airport Excellence (APEX) in
Security peer review programme. Volunteers were solicited to form a
small advisory body with the aim of planning the implementation.
The worldwide success of the APEX in Safety peer review
programme, combined with a clearly communicated desire on the
part of member airports for a similar initiative focused on security,
makes it apparent that this new initiative will fill a gap and
ultimately result in better, more efficient security operations for
participating airports.
We would expect the same sort of gains for both the Host
airport (the one being reviewed) and the security partner airports
(the ones contributing peer reviewers) that we have seen in the
APEX in Safety programme.
Along similar lines, ACI is collaborating with the International Air
Transport Association (IATA) to improve existing passenger security
processes, particularly Security Access and Egress.
Known familiarly as the SAE project, the expected outcomes are
to help airports and airlines increase passenger screening
throughput and improve passenger satisfaction by tackling elements
that can be improved through passenger information, passenger
identification, education and process redesign with minimal
investment, without any interference with the security outcome
while maintaining the determined level of security.
The project also intends to establish a toolbox with solutions
that airports and airlines can choose from to increase efficiency and
improve passenger facilitation.
For the longer-term, ACI is in collaboration with IATA on the Smart
Security project. This initiative is a blend of the former ACI Europe

Better Security and the IATA Checkpoint of the Future projects,

and seeks to define the future of security screening and develop
other improvements in the overall security process.
The steering body of the project consists of equal numbers
of airports, airlines and governments, with ACI and IATA forming
the Secretariat. Geneva Airport has generously contributed a
secondee to represent ACI.
ACI and IATA have signed co-operation agreements with
the airport and airline of Qatar and with Melbourne Airport and
Qantas to participate in trials of technology and processes in
support of the programme.
Exciting developments to come in 2015
As we look ahead to next year Id like to remind you that we
have a number of events scheduled, all with the primary aim
of equipping delegates with actionable intelligence so that
they can make a real difference in the management and
operation of their airports.
The first quarter of 2015 will be busy, both regionally
and worldwide. ACI-NA hosts its Risk Management Conference
in San Diego (January 1416) before heading to Reno for its
Customer Service Seminar (January 2729).
ACI World, in partnership with ACI Europe and ACI Asia-Pacific,
then hosts the 7th Airport Economics & Finance Conference and
Exhibition in London (February 2527), widely hailed as the
premier event of its kind.
Finally for the first quarter, ACI-NA will host its Washington
Legislative Conference (March 34), before heading to Vancouver
for its Business Information Technology, Environmental
Affairs and Public Safety & Security conferences (March 2225).
I urge you to take advantage of the learning and
networking opportunities that these events offer.
Of course, 2015 holds much more in terms of both
ACIs work on security and relevant conference and exhibitions,
but youll hear more about this in an upcoming Airport
World issue.
AW

AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2014-JANUARY 2015

13
13

AIRPORT REPORT: DURBAN

Beginning of
the journey
How is Durbans King Shaka International Airport faring nearly five years on from its opening?
Joe Bates investigates.

hey say good things are worth waiting for and this is certainly
the case with Durbans King Shaka International Airport, which
took nearly 50 years to plan and build, but has wasted little
time in handling record traffic figures.
For in the first two financial years after its much heralded May 1,
2010, opening, 4.87 million passengers (+10.7%) and 5 million
(+3.5%) respectively passed through its facilities.
Indeed, the future looked bright for traffic growth for years to come
as the airlines raved about their new $900 million Durban home and
passengers waxed lyrical about its sparkling new 7.5 million passenger
capacity terminal with state-of-the-art IT systems and 52 shops and
F&B outlets.
However, things havent gone quite according to plan in the last two
financial years for the KwaZulu-Natal located gateway, which has seen
its annual throughput drop to 4.46 million after yearly declines of
7% and 4.4% respectively.
Operator, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), attributes the
downturn to a 4% drop in domestic travel, claiming that rising air fares
ensure that many visitors and locals now drive the 500km distance
between Johannesburg and Durban.
They point out that international traffic is booming, rising 22% last
year and is set to break more records in 2015.
It notes that King Shaka remains one of the most modern airports in
Africa, third busiest in South Africa and tenth busiest on the continent
in terms of passenger traffic.
ACSA, which owns and operates the La Mercy-located airport 35km north
of Durban, admits that the exceptional growth recorded at King Shaka in
calendar years 2010 and 2011 was primarily down to footballs World Cup
finals being held in South Africa and the tourism boom that followed.
And it argues that with customer satisfaction levels at a record high
the airport was runner up to Cape Town in the Airport Service Quality
(ASQ) awards for Africa for the second successive year and in 2013 it

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AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2014-JANUARY 2015

won the Skytrax award for the best gateway in the world handling under
5mppa it must be doing something right!
Regional general manager, Terence Delomoney, says: There is no
doubt that 2014 has been a year of challenges and traffic growth isnt
quite where we want it to be yet, but Durbans potential ensures that
we are very hopeful of better things to come in the years ahead.
As with any new airport, there was that build it and they will come
expectancy when we opened King Shaka in 2010, but as we all know,
life is not that simple and one of the key challenges we face is
encouraging more airlines to fly here and route development.
It is for that reason we are supporting and partnering with South
Africas departments of Economic Development, Tourism and
Environmental Affairs and Dube Tradeport to bring events like ACI Africa
and World Routes to the region to showcase the airport and what the
region has to offer in terms of tourism and business opportunities.
Making Durban and KwaZulu-Natal a destination of choice is
certainly the goal, and Delomoney feels that the collaborative effort
approach has put the airport in a strong position to play its part in an
exciting future for the region.
He would certainly like to see more international routes out of
Durban, which today only has a handful of non-stop international
services as 95% of passengers travel on domestic flights.

Customer service
Delomoney notes that King Shaka takes customer service very seriously
and insists that ACSA is always striving to do better to improve the
airport experience for passengers.
Customer service is paramount at all levels, states Delomoney,
noting that King Shaka continues to do well in both ACIs annual ASQ
customer satisfaction survey and the Skytrax awards.
I believe it is crucial that our staff and all airport employees are
conscious of the importance of customer service, and we aim to do this

AIRPORT REPORT: DURBAN

through training programmes and the development of a culture where

the delivery of excellent customer service is constant and consistent
across the airport.
Our participation in the ASQ survey also provides us with the
opportunity to hopefully learn from the best every year.

Infrastructure
Delomoney says that King Shakas modern new facilities and existing
7.5mppa capacity mean that ACSA has no immediate plans to enhance
the gateways key infrastructure.
It is, however, currently building a new service station in the airport
precinct, which is due to open in the first quarter of 2015, and is
looking to revamp the retail/F&B offering in the terminal.
A number of concessions for retail/F&B and other business
opportunities in the terminal are currently out to tender and we expect
to announce contracts early in the new year, reveals Delomoney.
Feedback from passengers will play a part in our decision making
as, in a recent independent survey, they indicated that they would like
to see a number of changes. We also want to introduce more passengerfriendly facilities across the board, some of which will include making
journeys easier for people with disabilities.
About the need for new aeronautical-related infrastructure such as
terminals and runways, he adds: As with all airports, upgrades are
determined by demand, and we are not there yet in terms of needing
more capacity as the airport is only five years old.
We will, however, continue to upgrade and improve the existing
facilities, as we are doing with the planned new retail/F&B outlets,
when necessary.
The official master plan for the airport projected several
development phases up to 2060 by which time it is expected to
have two parallel runways and a terminal capable of accommodating
45 million passengers yearly.
That is, of course, a long time in the future, but it just goes to show
how ambitious and even bullish ACSA is when it comes to Durbans
King Shaka International Airport.

Dube TradePort
The airport forms part of the Dube TradePort, which additionally
consists of a trade zone linked to the airports cargo terminal,
facilities to support the airport such as nearby offices,
a conference centre and hotel accommodation for tourists,
an integrated agricultural export zone, and an IT and
telecommunications precinct.
It calls the different areas/precincts Dube City; Dube Cargo
Terminal; Dube TradeZone; and Dube AgriZone, which according to
Dube TradePort are designed to create a globally competitive,
multi-modal trade gateway to southern Africa and the world.
Indeed, in November, Dube TradePort announced plans to
create KwaZulu-Natals own Silicon Valley in Dube TradePort by
2016 following Eureka Capitals decision to develop a sevenstorey 21,500sqm building in the heart of Dube City, adjacent to
King Shaka International Airport.
Saxen van Coller, CEO of Dube TradePort Corporation, says:
Eureka Capital is the first major private sector investor in our
Dube City precinct and this landmark deal is a testament to Dube
TradePorts ability to attract investment into KwaZulu-Natal.
The innovation hub by Eureka Capital aims to accelerate the
growth of knowledge-intensive enterprises, providing established
businesses, as well as start-ups, with an incubation facility that
brings together academics, researchers, entrepreneurs and
venture capitalists under one roof.
CEO, Thobani Msimang, says: We are building a technology
hub; in South Africa we dont have a place where entrepreneurs
can incubate their ideas, where people with relevant industry
experience, such as top executives from international companies,
can come in and take those ideas to the next level, through a
controlled developmental regime.
We know that Dube TradePort is the right fit for this venture as
it has shown foresight in investing in some of the most advanced
technology. We plan to add to this by bringing in the best in
international expertise and technology to South Africa.

AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2014-JANUARY 2015

AW

15

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SPECIAL REPORT: SECURITY

Are you onboard?

ACIs deputy director general, Michael Rossell, reflects on improving the passenger
experience with Smart Security and the growing need for cyber security.

ivil aviation will always be challenged by the need to balance

security practices to counter ever emerging and adaptive threats,
while not creating an environment that unduly hinders passenger
facilitation, especially in light of projected traffic growth.
The aviation security community is therefore increasingly aligned on
the need for more flexible, outcome-focused and risk-based solutions
to this challenge, especially at passenger screening checkpoints.
At the 38th ICAO Assembly, ACI highlighted the importance of
co-operation between ICAO and industry partners to achieve this aim,
proposing in its working paper that this be reflected in the consolidated
statement on the continuing ICAO policies related to aviation security.
This recommendation was supported and endorsed by the Assembly.
The 38th ICAO Assembly also recognised the successful outcomes of
the High Level Conference on Aviation Security (HLCAS), which took
place in September 2012, and recalled a number of important
recommendations for ICAO and Member States to:
a) Promote a risk-based approach to aviation security;
b) Ensure the sustainability of aviation security measures;
c) Encourage mutual recognition arrangements and
international co-operation;
d) Promote innovation; and
e) Target assistance activities.
Industry strongly supported these recommendations and actively
encouraged the development and adoption of next-generation
screening principles, including risk-based security practices, innovative
operational processes and the introduction of less intrusive and faster
screening technology.

Smart Security
Both the international airline and airport communities consider
aviation security and the passenger experience as key areas of focus.
Developing the Checkpoint of the Future, for example, has been a
priority for IATA since 2011, while ACI has established networks of
aviation security practitioners who meet regularly to assess emerging
technologies and share best practices.
Furthermore, at the 2013 ACI World Annual General Assembly in
Istanbul, a resolution was adopted to focus on the development of
next-generation screening solutions, and greater engagement and
co-operation between States, ICAO and other industry partners was urged.
Recognising these and other mutual areas of interest, a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the ACI and IATA directors
general, which included an annex bringing together ACIs next-generation
screening activities and IATAs Checkpoint of the Future programme
under one common project, entitled Smart Security, to be jointly run
by ACI and IATA.
However, ACI and IATA recognised that they could not deliver this
programme without the support of States and the wider stakeholder
community. They therefore established a new governance structure
overseen by the Smart Security Management Group (SSMG) comprised
of representatives from five airlines, five airports and five government
authorities, plus one representative each from ACI and IATA.
Its role is to provide top-level guidance, detail policy, technical and
operational requirements, and ensure all global and stakeholder
interests are considered.
The work programme on Smart Security is gathering pace and is
particularly well advanced at Amsterdam Schiphol where components

AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2014-JANUARY 2015

17

SPECIAL REPORT: SECURITY

Busy times at Frankfurt Airport.

have been brought together to provide maximum efficiency in the

systems coupled with a real emphasis on customer service.

Amsterdam Schiphol
Schiphol has undergone a sea change in the way it provides security
by moving rapidly from gate to centralised screening, which, in addition
to the customer service benefits, has allowed it to introduce a number
of significant enhancements.
The new technology, such as dual view X-ray and body scanners,
improves the speed and accuracy of the process, but more important
for passengers is that the approach of staff has changed.
Gone are the usual security-type uniforms, to be replaced by those
that would not look out of place at the front desk of a very smart hotel.
The ambiance has changed, too. There are clean textured tiled
floors, wood and occasional pot plants, which all make for a more
pleasant environment.
Feedback from staff and passengers has been very positive and
studies have shown that passengers who are more relaxed tend to
linger in the concessions once they have passed through security, which
improves the customer experience as a whole.
The next steps for the Smart Security project are to learn from
todays trials and experiences around the world and develop new
guidance for airports that might be contemplating changing their
security processes.
The aim, of course, is to use the best available technology, in the
most efficient way to improve the passenger experience.

Facing the threat of cyber attacks head on

In recent years it has become evident that the threat and risks from
cyber attacks have become an increasingly real possibility for the
aviation community.
To this end, ACI, together with CANSO, IATA, ICAO and the
International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations
(ICCAIA) have worked together to better understand the problem and to
agree a joint and collective way forward.
On December 5 they signed an Action Plan which recognised that
safety and security of the global aviation system was vulnerable to
attacks on its information and data systems.
They noted that the cyber-threat actors included hackers, cyber
criminals, hacktivists and terrorists whose effort was focused on
malicious intent, the theft of information, profit and disruption.
Airports, and the aviation system as a whole, rely day in and day out
on one of the most complex and integrated systems of information and

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AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2014-JANUARY 2015

communications technology (ICT) in the world. Thus the global aviation

system is a potential target for a large-scale cyber attack, or for attack
on one or some of its elements, which could then have knock-on effects
on the rest of the system.
Possible impacts of a cyber attack could include endangering the
safety of an aircraft, weakening internal airport security controls or
affecting operational reliability, financial health and business continuity.
With the continual and rapid integration of new technologies, the
aviation industry is also becoming increasingly inter-connected and
reliant on transmission of data between systems.
As these technologies and linkages rapidly evolve, so too can the
threats exploiting the flow of information between these systems.
Without the appropriate cyber security measures in place for this
evolving threat, civil aviation may be at risk.
Therefore, the organisations have agreed that they need to
recognise the importance of working together, guided by a shared
vision, strategy and roadmap to strengthen the aviation systems
protection and resilience against cyber attacks.
They also need to jointly make the necessary effort to prepare civil
aviation against future challenges from cyber threats. Specifically, they
agreed they would co-operate to:
Develop a common understanding of cyber threats and risks; share
assessments of risks; agree common language and terminology; develop joint
positions and recommendations; present a coherent approach to the public;
Promote co-operation between State-level appropriate authorities
and industry to establish co-ordinated aviation cyber security
strategies, policies and plans;
Promote a robust cyber security culture in all organisations in civil
aviation; promote the use of existing information security and cyber
protection best practices, standards and design principles, and
establish new ones where necessary; establish the mechanisms and
means to share and communicate information, including identification
of threats, reporting of incidents and developments in defences; and
Communicate threat-related information and assure situational
awareness; refine best practices, operational principles and
defensive systems, as appropriate.
The Action Plan does not create any legally binding obligations
by or amongst the participants, and of course remains subject to any
domestic laws and international obligations. However, it does set out
concrete steps to further cyber security co-operation in the context of
civil aviation and is intended to be flexible and expected to be refined
or changed by consensus amongst the participants.

AW

Image courtesy of G4S.

SPECIAL REPORT: SECURITY

Screen test

Yves Duguay explains why airports should invest more in the customer-friendly planning, design
and operation of security checkpoints.

odays passengers want and demand more control over their

journeys, and with a large proportion of them using self-service
technology to check-in, often the very important first point of contact
for them at an airport will be the security checkpoint.
The question that airport designers and operators should ask themselves
is whether the security checkpoint reflects their corporate image and the level
of service that the airport wants to project and deliver to its passengers.
The impact of queueing and wait times on the retail and service industries
has been well researched and documented in the past thirty years. Indeed,
restaurants, banks, hotels and theme parks have developed and applied
queuing concepts and innovative wait time management practices to create
additional value for their industry.
Just as importantly, these actions have also enabled these leaders to grow
their revenues and to gain a competitive advantage in their industry.
Could similar approaches be adapted at airports to manage security
checkpoint wait times more effectively and explore ways of delivering a better
passenger experience?

20

AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2014-JANUARY 2015

Trade-off
If security in general is about trade-off, then security screening is about
complying with security requirements while attempting to deliver a great
experience at the best possible cost.
Until recently there had been much talk and little else concerning the
passenger experience at the checkpoint. Thankfully, this is changing as many
airports and screening authorities are now realising the importance and the
benefits of investing in security checkpoints.
A number of studies have clearly demonstrated the importance of
managing the first point of contact with the client and how this emotional
event or service encounter can shape the overall level of satisfaction as
perceived by the customer.
In essence, finding a balance is about finding a waiting time that
customers find acceptable while keeping utilisation reasonably high.
Managing queues can also provide a competitive advantage for an
organisation as, according to the book Youre Next! by Terry Green, Queues
represent a moment of truth; if managed well, they demonstrate a tangible

SPECIAL REPORT: SECURITY

commitment to customer service; if unplanned or unmanaged, they show
contempt for the customers time.

Benefits for the industry

In addition to most likely being the all-important first point of contact for
passengers at airports, security screening checkpoint also account for 20% or
more of their dwell time.
So, wouldnt it make sense for an airport authority to take advantage of
this significant amount of time with a captive and valuable audience, to
invest in the checkpoint as part of a strategy to provide a more pleasant and
faster experience?
Recent market research studies in Europe show that over 50% of
purchases in airports are made on impulse. Well designed retail areas
certainly contribute to the emotional impulse. So why not design
checkpoints that would mirror the sophisticated environment that is found
elsewhere in the airport?
Could we not supply passengers with information essential for their
journey and even light entertainment to make the wait feel shorter?
Why not use the space and time spent by passengers at the checkpoint for
branding and merchandising opportunities, which could translate into higher
non-aviation revenues that could offset the investments at the checkpoint?
Could we not hire screeners possessing the emotional intelligence
competencies to function effectively in a customer service environment and
train them in alignment with this strategy?
By providing a more relaxing and pleasant experience, we can significantly
contribute to reducing the level of anxiety at the checkpoint; this is not only
good business, it makes a lot of security sense as well, as suspicious
behaviours are more easily detectable when the overall emotional baseline is
lowered at the checkpoint.

in the face of the growing popularity of its theme parks, innovated by

developing its FASTPASS product.
When customers arrive at a given attraction, they are given the choice to
wait, based on the posted wait time, or they can elect to take a FASTPASS
ticket (paper or electronic) from a nearby kiosk, inviting them to return to the
attraction at a specified time later on.
When they present themselves at the said time, they are given a priority
access to the attraction. This allows the customer, in the meantime, to attend
to other activities and it gives Disney the ability to bundle more products and
services in their offering.
FASTPASS has allowed Disney to increase significantly the level of
satisfaction of its customers while maximising the utilisation of its attractions.
Virtual queuing was tested at three airports in the United States Orlando
(MCO), Oakland (OAK) and Indianapolis (IND) and some feel that it can have
an impact in the airport environment.
In an article published in Industrial Engineer, Joseph Narens noted:
Because a portion of passengers arrive at the checkpoint closer to their flight
departure time, with a virtual queue, both the mean and standard deviation
of the arrival distribution experience a shift.
So, virtual queuing could benefit airports where the traffic pattern is
governed by peaks and troughs, however, that benefit is not as evident for
those airports with a constant demand throughout the day.
It would appear that airports with a combination of heavy charter and
scheduled traffic would be able to redistribute peak demands by using virtual
queuing. Of course, it requires airports to rethink their commercial strategy
concerning the bundling of their services before and after the checkpoint.
Nevertheless, with big data and the integration of airports information
systems, virtual queuing could yield even more benefits in the future.

Express lanes and reservations

Effective queuing
Resource allocation is critical for all service industries, including security
screening at airports. Queuing is about numbers. To manage queuing
properly, one must rely on data acquisition and analysis.
Some of the best practices in the industry include the BPSS system used
by CATSA in Canada and similar systems used at Bristol (BRS) and
Copenhagen (CPH) airports.
In all cases, the barcode of passengers boarding passes is scanned upon
entering the queue and then again at the start of the screening process; this
can be performed with a handheld scanner or through an automated e-gate.
This allows the authority to validate the boarding pass, measure wait time
and calculate the throughput for each screening line.
Real-time reports and alerts are available with both systems. Furthermore,
the BPSS data can be matched quickly with CCTV feeds to resolve security
incidents and prevent costly evacuations.
Once sufficient historical data is captured by these systems, it can be used
in a predictive fashion to better estimate the arrival patterns and the number of
passengers expected at different times of the day, allowing for a more efficient
allocation of screening resources in relation to service standards.
This trend for data acquisition and analytics is definitely picking up steam
as exemplified by a number of similar programmes such as Positive Boarding
at Heathrow (LHR). After all, as business guru and philosopher Peter Drucker
taught us, what gets measured gets managed!

Virtual queuing
Disney is a leader in the entertainment business. To maintain its competitive
advantage, it became an expert in queueing and wait time management and,

In Canada, airports such as Montral-Trudeau (YUL) are testing a reservation

system, SecurXpress, where passengers checking in online can ask the airport
authority for a dedicated screening time.
As with virtual queuing, passengers presenting themselves at the
specified time will be given priority access. More trials and data analysis will
be required to test the efficiency of those products, but we can already see
how virtual queueing and reservation systems could normalise arrival
patterns of passengers and smooth out some of the high traffic peaks.
In the long-run however, there is no doubt that a risk-based approach based
on passenger differentiation (Nexus, Global Entry and TSA Pre-Check) is the best
sustainable solution for the industry, but thats another topic altogether!

Valuing passengers waiting time

Why not reduce anxiety levels at airport security queues by letting passengers
know how long they are expected to wait, by posting wait times and by
communicating service standards?
Come to think of it, why dont airports use their personnel and social
media platforms to inform, engage and reassure passengers?

Wonderful Copenhagen
One of the best examples of valuing passengers time is offered by
Copenhagen Airport (CPH), which posts wait times at various locations in the
terminal and has automated certain processes (e-gates) to increase the flow
while reducing costs.
Indeed, the CPH checkpoint is well designed, pleasant and integrated with
the overall look and feel of the terminal. It has also instated a service level
standard where passengers are not expected to wait more than five minutes.

AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2014-JANUARY 2015

21

SPECIAL REPORT: SECURITY

Child-friendly security at Gatwick Airport.

In 2012, they not only met that target but actually exceeded it, as the
average wait time was under four minutes, exemplifying another golden
principle in managing wait time if you believe the waiting time is going to be
nine minutes, promise ten, not eight, as people are pleasantly surprised when
they are serviced a little quicker than they were prepared to wait.
Its encouraging to see that measuring and providing wait time
information to passengers is becoming more prevalent, as exemplified by the
recent adoption of similar services at Hamburg and Washington Dulles.
Wait time information is also now available in Canada, through CATSAs
website and participating airports.

Customer-friendly environment
With wealthy and older customers expected to travel more often than ever
before in the future, it would be wise to design a comfortable checkpoint by
providing simple solutions such as anti-fatigue floor covering and flexible
seating capacity.
In that regard, the recent redesign of a security checkpoint at Dallas/Fort
Worth (DFW) is a good example to emulate based on the glowing comments
from passengers who described the new-look facility as a pleasant
experience and a sophisticated environment.
The new design and configuration at DFW resulted in a higher throughput
and lower wait times, translating into higher commercial benefits for the
airports retail area.
There is no doubt that we can reduce anxiety and increase passenger
satisfaction through design and by investing in the look and feel
of the checkpoint.
Indeed, providing a pleasant environment will not only translate into
happier customers but it will also affect screeners positively.

Finding and training the right screeners

Besides tackling the issues of queuing and wait time management, an airport
authority must also address human performance at the checkpoint.
We need to find screeners possessing what I like to refer to as
the service DNA, where genes are replaced by Emotional Intelligence
(EI) competencies!

22

AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2014-JANUARY 2015

I believe that extensive research by Daniel Goleman and others proves

that there is no longer any doubt that employees who possess the social and
personal competencies linked to EI are the most effective, efficient and
customer-service focused.
They possess the self-awareness required to manage their own
feelings and the empathy to recognise passengers emotions, and the
capacity to adapt well to changes and to learn on the job. Furthermore,
they are self-motivated and possess a capacity to manage their
stress well.
We often hear about the tone at the top, but I also like to refer to the tone
in the middle, to stress the importance of the first level of supervision as a
key source of motivation, engagement and job satisfaction for the screening
employees.
Selecting supervisors based on their ethical values, EI competencies and
leadership skills will yield great dividends not only for the screening authority
but for the passengers as well.

The merger of security and commercial interests

Security checkpoints are where commercial and security interests can merge
to benefit operators, passengers and screeners.
Indeed, planning and investing in the design of checkpoints, applying
innovative queuing techniques, valuing the time passengers spend waiting
and offering security services with aptly recruited and trained personnel are
sources of value creation that have not yet been fully exploited!
For airport authorities, its a means to increase non-aviation revenues as
happy customers are more likely to buy goods and services on impulse after
leaving the checkpoints.
From a strict security perspective, lowering anxiety at the checkpoint will
lower the emotional baseline, which in turn is more conducive to detecting
suspicious behaviours.
Leonardo da Vinci wrote a long time ago that Once you have tasted flight,
you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you
have been, and there you will always long to return.
And thats what we want as well: we want to bring back some of the
excitement and fun of flying. The master was again well ahead of his time! AW