Colombia’s Bogota El Dorado Airport is undergoing an transformation as part of a £650 million investment by its operator, Operadora Aeroportuaria Internacional’s (OPAIN), to modernise the airport.
SITA, the the global air transport IT and communications specialist, is the master systems integrator for the project, and has deployed 15 different models of its industry-leading passenger processing solutions in collaboration with building systems expert Johnson Controls.
In the initial phase of the project, SITA has provided the technology for the airport’s new International Terminal 2. Designed to optimise infrastructure and operational efficiency, the technology has enhanced business intelligence in the terminal by automating and integrating airport processes. T2 was opened in October last year, and work is currently underway on an extension of the terminal, which will also handle the airport’s domestic flights from July 2014.
The airport’s airlines can now make use of the new common-use check-in and transfer counters, while passengers can utilise self-service check-in kiosks, and the baggage management system is entirely automated. Together these new services improve the passenger journey and reduce time spent in queues.
“Our new international terminal is the most technologically advanced air terminal in Colombia, thanks to SITA and Johnson Controls,” explained Juan Pulido, General Manager, OPAIN. “Not only does it provide a gateway to our capital, Bogota, it also serves as a symbol of the country’s desire to modernise and integrate with neighbouring nations. This makes it one of Colombia’s most important infrastructure projects.”
In addition to passenger processing systems, SITA will provide voice and data communications technology, including 68 WiFi connection points across the terminal and a public address system that will keep passengers informed with more than 1,400 speakers in public areas and 233 state-of-the-art visual information display monitors.
Pulido added: “In modernising and expanding the terminal, we wanted to provide our passengers with greater comfort, better safety, faster and friendlier service, and more information as they journey through the airport. This requires reducing queues, introducing self-service check-in and providing real-time information along all points of the journey. We’re very happy with the progress made so far, and we look forward to our next key milestone in 2014.”
FTE Asia’s Fourth Working Session, Wednesday 8 May, 16.00-17.30, will revolve around strategies for building new facilities to meet the future needs of passengers. The session will be chaired by Airbiz’s Managing Director Greg Fordham, who is joined by speakers from AirAsia, Shenzhen Bao’an Airport and Changi Airport Group.
