The impact of new technologies in airport passengers' processes

The characteristics of airports passengers processes have undoubtedly undergone major changes in the last decade, due to both the evolution of airport technologies both to the changes in passengers behaviour as a consequence of air transport deregulation. The impact of innovation affects several airport processes, that is to say for example the increased use of automatic self-service devices that has rapidly modified the passengers’ habits by reducing the passengers’ dwell time. These enhancements are strongly urging airport operators on to review the traditional terminal layout and airport authorities on to review the determination of LOS and the quality standards. Moreover, the increased percentage of short term vacationers, travelling only with cabin baggage, has put an extra pressure on security checks while the different check-in alternatives offered to passengers have determined more complex passengers flows inside airport terminals. This paper analyses how the introduction and the increased use of self service technologies and the modification in demand characteristics have impacted on the airport terminal processes and quantifies the benefits and the issues through the use of IATA parameters and formulas.