IBM helps Bengaluru International Airport become a Smarter Airport

BANGALORE, India, Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) has turned to IBM (NYSE: IBM) to help it more nimbly manage the demands of its passengers, tenants and airport operations in the face of massive growth potential for air travel in India while controlling the volatile costs that often impact the industry.

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Smart Airport Enabler will not only decrease the cost of deployment and maintenance of current and future systems at the airport, it is also expected to bring about an overall increase in airport service quality. It will help increase efficiency in interactions between the airport, airlines and other stakeholders, lowering overall cost of operations at the airport.

IBM's Smart Airport Enabler will seamlessly connect disparate systems and processes across the airport and create a scalable platform for future growth. This will ultimately help the Bengaluru Airport to bring together a common view of its operations across multiple internal and external stakeholders, with an aim to provide passengers, tenants and airport clients with efficient and best in-class services.

The airport is one of the first airports in the world to successfully implement the latest international standard Aviation Information Data Exchange (AIDX) format, created by international aviation bodies International Air Transport Association (IATA), Airlines for America (A4A) and Airports Council International (ACI) - to exchange flight information between airlines, flight data providers and airports using the IBM-designed architecture. This will allow the airport to communicate real-time information about airport operations and situational awareness with other airport stakeholders.

As a leader of change in Indian aviation, Bengaluru International Airport recognized the need to improve operational efficiency and capitalize on real-time insights in order to increase its competitive edge. The airport's annual air traffic volume increased by 7-percent during 2011 and the number of passengers increased to 12.53 million from 11.24 million in 2010. The airport will now use IBM's Smart Airport Enabler to help manage the complexity of the airport and its operations.

"As the hub for business travel and the gateway to south India, we are committed to creating a great customer experience; achieving operational excellence is therefore critical for us. As a leader in the Indian aviation industry, we are proud to be the first to adopt the first aviation standards-based integration methodology that reinforces our position as one of the best airports in the world," said Daniel Bircher, Director Operations, Bengaluru International Airport Limited.

"Each stakeholder within the airport – whether it be airport operations, airlines, retailers, ground handling providers – is interconnected with the other," said Rahul Sharma, Partner, IBM Global Business Services, India/South Asia Region. "An airport that is able to simplify business interactions within these key stakeholders, can deliver better services and become more efficient. It ideally positions airports such as Bengaluru International to create much needed business flexibility in a dynamic and demanding environment."

The Smart Airport Enabler, an aviation standards-based architecture and corresponding set of standard airport operating procedures, forms the foundation for future initiatives and airport expansions plans and will enable faster decision making, especially during the airport's peak period.

The Smart Airport Enabler is a component of the IBM Airport Operations Management Systems, a flexible IT platform to deliver operational efficiency, cross-stakeholder collaboration, and real-time information needed for timely decisions. The capability is built using key IBM airport industry assets and products – the Intelligent Operations Center, the Smarter Airport Enabler integration platform, public safety, Smart Building solutions for terminal management, and mobile solutions for ground control. This solution was developed by IBM's Software Labs and implemented for Bengaluru International Airport by IBM's Global Business Services division.

IBM recently launched its Airport Solutions Lab in New Delhi. India is one of the leading nations at the forefront of developing smarter airports that are designed to handle the exponential growth of air travel. The lab is staffed by a network of global experts that have deep expertise in aviation.

India is poised to move from the ninth largest civil aviation market to the top five in the world within the next decade.  It is also projected that passenger loads could increase threefold from about 143 million in 2010-11 to 452 million by 2020-21. The quality of aviation infrastructure directly contributes to a nation's economic vitality and competitiveness. Its physical and digital infrastructure needs to be able to expand and quickly adapt while maintaining its level of customer service and operations management.

About Bengaluru International Airport Limited

BIAL is a Public Limited Company under the Companies Act formed to build, own and operate Bengaluru's Greenfield private sector-owned and operated airport – the Bengaluru International Airport. Private promoters hold a 74% (GVK –  43%, Siemens Projects Ventures –  26%, and Unique Zurich – 5%) stake in BIAL while the government holds the remaining 26% (Karnataka State Industrial Investment and Development Corporation – 13%, Airport Authority of India – 13%)

For more information on BIAL, please visit http://www.bengaluruairport.com/

About IBM and Smarter Aviation

With more than 50 years experience in aviation, IBM uses its software, hardware and services expertise to help top airlines and airports across the globe deliver more highly differentiated customer experiences and improve their operational efficiency. For more information, please visit, www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/transportation

For more information on IBM India, please visit http://www.ibm.com/in/en/

Media Contacts:

Sara Delekta Galligan
IBM Media Relations
+1 415 545 6715
sdelekta@us.ibm.com

Rahul Anand,                                                                                                                       
IBM Communications (India)
+91 9611688661
rahuanan@in.ibm.com

SOURCE IBM