According to industry data provider Infare 1, flight disruptions, indicated by schedule changes, remain 300% above historical norms, as the aviation sector continues to grapple with a shortage of qualified personnel and the rapid return of demand for air travel in all regions of the world.
In this context, travel technology company Amadeus has commissioned a comprehensive new study titled "Better together: Rethinking disruption management in aviation" with the participation of senior executives from airlines and airports to understand the magnitude of the challenge and how they plan to reduce the impact of disruptive events on passengers.
The majority of airline and airport executives surveyed (52%) said their organizations are currently experiencing more disruption than in 2019, compared to one-third who reported a smaller number. Given that more and more industry leaders anticipate that incidents will continue to be high, taking measures to mitigate them has become a top priority.
"In 2022, airlines struggled with supply and staffing issues, but during 2023, airlines and their partners simply face an unprecedented return in demand. Of course, that is very welcome, but it brings its own operational challenges" said Harry Grewal, Director of Infrastructure and Customer Experience, IATA.
The main conclusions of the study are the following:
64% of airlines are investing in new technologies to improve their response to flight disruptions.
The main reason for airline investment is "improving their public image", with 70%, far ahead of "reducing costs", with 34%.
Airlines point to the need for “greater integration of our own operational systems to obtain a holistic view of disruptive events” as the main ability to improve their response.
Airport managers point to the "lack of a common technology that brings together interested parties" as their main challenge when responding to incidents (50%).
A third of airport officials identified "the provision of last-minute information by airlines" as a persistent challenge.
All airports surveyed confirmed that they plan to invest in technology in their Operational Control Centers to better manage incidents. A quarter plan to do so in the next 12 months.
Holger Mattig, SVP Product Management, Amadeus Airport & Airline Operations, said: "Flight disruption is a hugely complex issue that requires airlines, airports, ground handlers and other entities to work collaboratively.
Unfortunately, we still have too many information silos in aviation, which impacts the global response and, ultimately, passengers. However, I see a real determination across the sector to put historical trade tensions aside and deliver a better, more integrated and traveler-focused approach to business disruptions, powered by shared technology. At Amadeus, we are pleased to contribute to this ecosystem of greater collaboration between people and technology, enabling more efficient airport operations and a more seamless passenger experience from start to finish."
The study analyzes the technical, organizational and commercial obstacles that hinder better management of flight disruptions, while identifying passenger experience, cost reduction and reputation risk as catalysts for change. Drawing on in-depth interviews with executives from organizations including Air France, SAS, Western Sydney International Airport and Queen Alia International Airport, the report highlights several major new initiatives. Aviation executives are outlining projects to improve passenger reassignment, planning for non-air travel aspects and the
joint operational response of airlines, airports and ground services.
* "Flight alterations" is defined as "situations in which a scheduled flight is cancelled, or delayed by two hours or more, within 48 hours of the originally scheduled departure time." Source: ICAO (International Civil Aviation Authority)
Source: Amadeus.