Manchester Airport gets hi-tech help to lift hand baggage rule
08.01.08
Manchester Airport has credited business intelligence (BI) technology as the reason it was given permission by the Department for Transport (DfT) to lift the one item of hand baggage restrictions. It used the technology to demonstrate its ability to manage the added workload.
The one bag rule has been in force across all UK airports since 10 August 2006 as part of tightened security restrictions in the wake of the transatlantic liquid bomb plot. But 22 UK airports, including Manchester, were allowed to relax the rule yesterday after successfully demonstrating that passenger movements would not be affected by extra baggage and security checks as result of allowing them to carry more bags onto planes.
Oracle's BI system provides Manchester Airport's management team with interactive dashboards of flight, passenger and baggage movements. Martin Bell, information services business consultant for Manchester Airports Group, said in a press release that an ongoing programme of work to improve operational efficiency through the use of Oracle BI and data warehousing technology had played a key role in the airport being given permission to lift the rule.
He said: 'We used operational passenger flow data to demonstrate to the DfT that we are in a position to meet the resourcing needs as a result of lifting the one bag rule without compromising customer service and security. Key passenger flow information involved is the traffic in the airport, through archway metal detectors and boarding card systems, for example.'
Mr. Bell said Manchester Airport had been using Oracle BI tools on top of an Oracle data warehouse for 18 months to support commercial and operational business strategies. The airport began using the BI tools to monitor commercial business performance in terms of aviation, retail and car parking metrics, but realised operational analysis could help pinpoint bottlenecks and delays.
He said that data relating to baggage and passenger flows throughout the airport are collected in the Oracle database and analysed by Oracle BI to identify passenger and baggage movement trends. Its forecasting capabilities have helped management to plan for the extra pressure of screening additional bags. With this information, management could plan to provide additional X-ray machines and extra staff in advance.
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