KL airport spreads digital wings with new tech, collaboration

MALAYSIA AIRPORTS is making significant efforts to upgrade itself and believes technology will play a key role in their journey.

You can see glimpses of the airport’s digital ambition everywhere.

Its #1improvement1week campaign announces small improvements made every week on social media, for example, and a recent post informed passengers that its official magazine would also be going digital soon.

We are implementing a series of rapid improvements at our airports. Stay tuned as we embark on this journey to give you a joyful travelling experience! #1improvement1week #travel #joy #airport #klia #klia2 pic.twitter.com/WHwCREaJ2E

— Malaysia Airports (@MY_Airports) February 2, 2018

WE WILL BE GOING FULLY DIGITAL SOON!
Get your final print copy of our official airport magazine ‘Convergence’ available at all International airports and Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang. Check out our Instagram bio link.#MYairportsupdates #airport #klia #klia2 #negaraku pic.twitter.com/rbitEVDiXu

— Malaysia Airports (@MY_Airports) February 26, 2018

More recently, Malaysia Airports has announced that it will be working with OpenText to develop intelligent automation, predictive analytics, and expanded digital services for passengers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), including its second terminal klia2.

A focus on the capital city’s airport is understandable given the growth in air traffic and passengers in recent years.

KLIA has been enjoying good growth in recent years for passenger traffic movements. For example, we reached the 50 million mark two years ago. In 2017, more than 28 million passed through KLIA Main Terminal alone. https://t.co/SI1vFC6zgM pic.twitter.com/mgH6JP9OSi

— Malaysia Airports (@MY_Airports) February 9, 2018

OpenText will execute the project in phases. It will use a big data analytics and digital platform to contribute to the Total Airport Experience (TAE) strategic pillar outlined in Malaysia Airports’ five-year business plan.

The development of this unified digital platform will enable Malaysia Airports to differentiate engagement with passengers and other customers, drive operational efficiency, facilitate passenger productivity and experience, and drive new and existing revenue streams.

Data fed into the digital platform from various existing systems will be analyzed with machine learning and artificial intelligence, providing insights for better decision making to enhance passenger experience as well as business and operational excellence.

“As we embarked on an analytics-led digital transformation, we were looking for a technology partner that offered a sustainable, integrated solution. Through the Unified Digital Platform (UDP), we are looking to deliver effective engagement and achieve all-round operational efficiency that we can extend to our passengers,” Malaysia Airports Chief Strategy Officer Azli Mohamed said.

New mobile app coming up 

The project will kick-start with a mobile application that will help passengers plan their journey.

Through the application, passengers can receive real-time notifications on flight status, congestion levels, expected journey times and travel options, as well as airport services such as self-check-in and self-bag drop facilities.

With later releases of the app, passengers will be able to access the ‘click and collect’ service which allows them to purchase products online and have them delivered to their boarding gate.

Something for everyone – benefiting KLIA’s commercial partners 

This digital transformation will also help Malaysia Airports’ commercial partners such as airlines and retailers, as well as other stakeholders at the airport such as the immigration department.

Airlines will be able to verify passengers’ authenticity before they enter a secured area by digitally matching the airlines’ check-in data with passengers’ documents.

New developments will allow the airport to track and notify airlines of the whereabouts of passengers (after checking-in) in real-time.

Improved security scanning facilities and boarding gate readers will be deployed to ensure a seamless, end-to-end passenger experience.

This project facilitates the collaborative relationship between Malaysia Airports and the Immigration Department of Malaysia and will help to ensure queue management efficiency and incident management through digital escalation processes.

The Malaysia Airports collaboration with OpenText will also help with seamless immigration and emigration clearance through predictive analytics.

“OpenText’s proven track record of executing large-scale digital transformation programs, built on our leading Enterprise Information Management platform and services, will enable OpenText to help Malaysia Airports with its vital transformation strategy,” OpenText Vice Chairman, CEO and CTO Mark J. Barrenechea said.

“As a global hub for commerce, KLIA is truly embracing a progressive model for the airport of the future, one that we at OpenText is excited to play a major role in.”

OpenText and Malaysia Airports will also collaborate on a Digital Airport Center of Excellence at Malaysia Airports’ premises.

The Center of Excellence will focus on driving change, with a core emphasis on identifying opportunities for transformation, assessing the impact of new initiatives and in determining future actions through passenger feedback.

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