NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS — This summer, Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) entered into a three-year contract with aviation technology company AeroCloud Systems to provide Flight Information Display Systems (FIDS) and gate management systems (GMS) at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA).
According to a press release from NAD, the move is part of the airport management company’s focus on “using technology to automate operation systems at LPIA and improve overall efficiency”.
The press release says AeroCloud’s 100% cloud-native software platform will provide stakeholders with “critical data related to cancellations, delays, and diversions to better assist with day-to-day and long-term planning”.
Vice President of Operations Jonathan Hanna expects full implementation of the new technology to be completed by the end of Q3, just ahead of the peak holiday travel period.
“AeroCloud Systems utilizes Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning to predict and project passenger forecasts,” explained Hanna. “It takes into account seasonality including peak periods and pairs that information with data from other sources.
“What we get, in return, is an improved passenger forecast which provides data as far out as 90 days. This longer lead time allows us to plan more effectively from an operations standpoint.”
The release claims that AeroCloud’s software offers a notable improvement over NAD’s previous operation, which relied heavily on passenger forecasts that were a maximum of three days out.
The early data will also allow airport stakeholders including Bahamas Customs, Bahamas Immigration, United States Customs and Border Protection (USCBP), commercial airlines, retail, and food & beverage concessions to plan ahead. In addition to predictive data, stakeholders will receive real-time updates on delays or cancellations via SMS text.
Hanna continued: “With better access to real-time and future information, our airport partners can plan more effectively and can adjust operational hours or staffing levels as information is received. Passengers can also benefit from the data by receiving accurate updates on flights through the AeroCloud app or via LPIA’s website nassaulpia.com.”
A total of 10 team members from NAD’s Operations and IT Departments participated in a 2-day training conducted by Aero Cloud’s Chief Technology Officer Ian Forde-Smith and the company’s Product Manager Danny Lee. Andrew Hoppe, Director of Airport Engagement, Americas for AeroCloud, was also in Nassau for the training.
On the new partnership with LPIA, George Richardson, CEO and Co-Founder of AeroCloud said that the gate management system will “greatly” reduce the number of manual tasks required in their day-to-day operations.
“It’s a fail-safe solution and we applaud Lynden Pindling International Airport’s progressive approach towards resolving the disruption issues faced by many airports recently,” he noted.
