Digital capabilities and passenger benefits of a seamless and resilient Norwegian airport system

This project has assessed digital capabilities at airports in Norway and preferences for using digital technologies among passengers. The overall goal is to support the efficient and effective implementation of digital technologies to achieve seamless passenger journeys and commercial benefits for airports, thereby contributing to the development of a more sustainable Norwegian airport system. Using an integrative review of the literature, an airport digital maturity model was developed that delineates two dimensions - technologies and organisational readiness - and identifies key factors that airports need to consider when digitally transforming their business. A survey completed by managers at airports in Norway was then used to assess airport digital maturity. With regards to technologies, most airports are still working on digitalisation versus the development of smart capabilities for digital transformation. Airports are most advanced in digitalising general administration followed by passenger and airside areas. They are less advanced in digitalising approaches to resource and infrastructure management, and in the use of sensors and data. With regards to organisational readiness, airports have a strong culture for digital transformation, including senior management engagement in digital initiatives. However, they can often lack key capabilities and competencies needed for digital transformation. A survey of passengers at eight airports in Norway reveals that, in general, there is a strong interest in the use of digital technologies at all stages of the airport journey, for instance: pre-ordering products and services online; using mobile boarding passes, digital bag tags and self-service bag drops; cashless payments, including the use of mobile payment applications; and receiving customised information to a mobile device, especially regarding flight status, queueing times and gate information. Despite this, passengers prefer to deal with staff in person when in need of customer services. Also, passengers are not so interested in using biometric recognition at each checkpoint instead of the current process of scanning a boarding pass and showing a passport or identity card if required. However, interest in biometric recognition, along with the use of infra-red cameras and other technologies grows significantly if it can provide a walk-through experience (without needing to remove items for screening) at security, which is a common stress point for passengers at airports. Passengers are moderately concerned about sharing personal data to access airport digital services. Passenger concerns about sharing personal data are explored further by a survey of residents in Norway. The analysis confirms that privacy concerns constitute items relating to three key constructs: interaction management, information management and awareness. Interaction management is the most critical dimension in determining willingness to provide personal data when accessing airport digital services. Thus, as the range of digital services at airports increases, managers should carefully consider aspects relating to interaction management: the type and amount of data requested from travellers, how they collect it, and the extent to which they provide them with adequate control of their data. Aspects relating to information management (preventing improper access and maintaining accurate data) and awareness (informing passengers about personal data policies) are also important. However, interaction management aspects should be prioritised. Finally, a survey of residents in Norway was conducted to investigate demand-related aspects and passenger behavioural impacts of COVID-19. A key focus of the study was to learn more about the types of interventions that would increase passenger confidence in using airports and air travel. The findings show a clear preference for more traditional active interventions, including wearing of face masks and enforcement of social distancing, over and above passive or technological interventions. This means that confidence and reassurance can come from relatively simple, visual interventions. While technological advances and other mechanisms may have a role to play, it seems that these would be valued only in addition to, rather than instead of, well established and more fundamental measures.

This project has facilitated interdisciplinary collaboration between Kristiania University College, Cranfield University, Molde University College and Avinor. Results of this project allow airport managers to identify where they are on their journey towards digital transformation and which factors they need to improve when seeking to digitally transform their business; reveal the extent to which passengers are interested in using digital technologies at airports, and the types of technologies they are interested in using; confirm a scale for measuring privacy concerns and identify the most critical dimensions in determining the willingness of passengers to provide personal data when using airport digital services; identify groups of passengers with varying attitudes, behaviours, and levels of concern towards flying as a result of COVID-19, and the types of interventions that would increase confidence in using airports as air travel begins to return.

This project assesses the impact of digital aviation technologies on the passenger journey in order to improve their experience and the effectiveness of the Norwegian airport system. The project is relevant to the second area of the Research Council's grant programme on digitalisation of the transport sector. It seeks to expand and generate new knowledge about the impact of digitalisation on processes, organisation and competence needs in the air transport sector. The mixed methods approach to be taken by this project will also help to develop scenarios for the efficient and effective implementation of digital technologies in the airport environment in order to achieve seamless passenger journeys and commercial benefits for airports and their stakeholders - thereby contributing to the development of a more sustainable Norwegian airport system. Key challenges: 1. Methodological approaches to digital aviation remain engineering and systems oriented with a focus on quantitative methodologies. This overlooks the management, organisational and user welfare dimensions, which may require a multidisciplinary and mixed methods approach. 2. There are a lot of digital solutions available in the market. There is however little understanding on the influence that these technologies have on airport business efficiency and it is not always easy to measure the benefits of their implementation. 3. The digital traveller experience is highly fragmented and inconsistent. Decision-making processes for the implementation of digital technologies require a door-to-door approach considering integrated multimodal solutions. 4. The contribution of digital passenger solutions in crisis management for situations of disruption is inconsistent. It is not clear how these solutions can help to increase the resilience and recovery of a network after it has been affected by a major disruption. 5. Future digital scenarios have significant unsolved challenges in the area of ethics and privacy.