Istanbul Airport has won the first-ever SESAR JU-ACI Europe Digital Transformation Award. The airport was recognised at the 16th Annual ACI EUROPE Best Airport Awards during the 30th ACI EUROPE Annual Congress & Assembly, which was live streamed from the Skyhall at Brussels Airport on 17 November.
The Award recognises a European airport that has embraced digitalisation, adopting innovative technologies and procedures to improve the safety, capacity, efficiency and environmental footprint of its airside operations.
The judges considered that the airport has adopted a clear digitalisation strategy with a wide range of SESAR and other technological solutions in place to create a seamless travel experience and modernise airside operations in line with the vision of a digital airport and a digital European sky.
Among the digital solutions highlighted by the judges were the data centre approach for all its IT services and the blockchain platform enabling information flow between the airport and its stakeholders. The airport is also taking forward a number of SESAR Solutions, including:
Safety nets for controllers (#02) - implementation completed
Automated assistance to controllers for surface movement planning and routing/Pre-departure sequencing supported by route planning (#22 & #53) - expected in the third quarter of 2021
Runway status lights (RWSL) (#01)– implementation to be complete by early 2021
Guidance assistance through airfield ground lighting (AGL) (#47) – implementation planned
