Aviation Ground Handling

2023 AppMarket Solution Awards Winner - Industry Disruptor These awards recognize the best of the best partner solutions on the Appian AppMarket

Overview

21% of flights fail to take off on time. The reasons for delays and cancellations vary, but typically an airline suffers $1K in direct costs per minute of delay and with thousands of flights every day, the cost quickly accumulates. With the increasing costs of fuel and focus on emissions, coupled with the market competition, the pressure to stay competitive has never been greater. Flight margins can be as low as 3% so managing the cost base, monetising capacity and minimising delays all help to protect airline profitability.

Aviation Ground Handling teams deliver and coordinate all the activities to ‘turn’ an aircraft, fully servicing and ensuring the next take-off runs to schedule. It is estimated that for a large airline adding just five minutes of delay per journey can cost the airline up to $35 million (USD) annually.

The industry cannot take advantage of real-time data to optimize operations, such as knowing the water needed for a given flight, or the true available capacity for baggage and to monetize such surplus capacity.
This Appian solution is directly addressing the operational and commercial pressures on fleet turnaround across the value chain:

• Turning data into intelligence. Utilising related data to optimise end to end operations. Data Silo’s often prevent exposing and “joining the dots”.
• Dynamic workflow to give visibility, accurate analytics and optimised operations.
• Effective communication and teamwork, giving transparency of tasks to ensure efficient turnaround.
• Orchestrating varied and complex processes across many different parameters

Key Features & Functionality

1. Configurable workflow - generate tasks based on various parameters (aircraft type, weather conditions, type of duties etc.)
2. Sophisticated Rules Engine for business users to dynamically optimise operations
3. Records – Unifying Data from any source
4. Native Mobile and Offline capability
5. Mobile-first UX designed for operational ground staff working in difficult conditions
6. Notifications, Escalations and Messaging
7. Targeted views for Operational Control Center, Individual Teams, Airport and Airlines management teams, with robust data security Reports & dashboards

Benefits & Business Impact

• Optimized & Efficient Ground Handling operations, lowering costs and meeting SLAs – optimising across baggage, potable water, fuel, passenger loading would give the opportunity to monetise up to 11% of unlocked capacity
• Reduced docking charges and delay expenses – reducing the average delay by 1 minute will save a major carrier around $7M per year
• Transparency, monitoring and real-time insights for Operations Control and Team Leaders
• Fully audited, secure and enterprise-grade performance to support peak demand and scale with growth
• Improved adherence to aircraft & aviation regulations
• Enhanced Passenger experience, with fewer delays