1. Current state of airport announcements
Airport announcements are one of those things that we all just take for granted. They’re always there, droning on in the background, and we never really think about them. But what if I told you that airport announcements could be so much more?
Think about it: right now, most airport announcements are either done manually (If this is the case, I recommend you to read our guide: Why it´s time to move away from manual boarding announcements) or they are played out automated just with a standard scheme. But what if they were data-driven? What if airport announcements took into account things like passenger flow, weather conditions, and other live-data information? The possibilities are endless.
With data-driven airport announcements, we could play out announcements at the right place, to the right time, in the right language and with the right information. All resulting in a limited background noise and a better transmission of information!
2. How automatic announcements can be improved
There is no doubt that automatic announcements have made airports much more efficient places. But there is also no doubt that they could be improved.
One of the main problems with automatic announcements is that they are often played out in very large zones, which can create a lot of background noise. This has been one of the driving forces behind the debate on silent airports in recent years.
Another problem with automatic announcements is that they often lack flexibility, making it difficult to create new announcements for changed circumstances. Automatic announcements are often based solely on flight data, which means that other important information are not taking into account.
To improve automatic announcements, we need to make them more targeted and data-driven. This means playing announcements only in areas where they will be most effective, and using a wider range of data to generate announcements. With these improvements, automatic announcements can help to make airports even more efficient and passenger-friendly places.
3. What means data-driven announcements?
What if your airport announcements weren’t just generic, but were specifically targeted to the needs of the passengers at that moment? That’s what data-driven announcements are all about. Collecting data is only the first step – it’s what you do with that data that really counts. That’s why the automatic announcement system PAXGuide from Sittig is designed to incorporate as much available data as possible to make announcements more precise and relevant.
Here are some of the ways how we do that:
Announcements to support the passenger flow
Passenger flow, camera and sensor systems collect a lot of live-data about the actual passenger flow. With an interface PAXGuide is using that data to play out targeted announcements over the PA-system in order to support the passenger flow. For example, if security line 1 has a long waiting line and security line 2 is very empty, the PAXGuide system will play an announcement at the loudspeakers near security line 1 to redirect passengers. This helps to keep the lines moving smoothly and prevents passengers from having to wait unnecessarily long periods of time.
Volume control
You’re probably used to announcement systems that just blast out an announcement at the same volume regardless of how many people are actually in the terminal. But what if there was a better way? With PAXGuide, our announcements are automatically adjusted based on data from cameras and sensors that measure how many people are currently in the terminal. That means that when it’s crowded, our announcements will be louder so that they can be heard over the general noise. And when there are fewer people around, our announcements will be quieter so as not to disturb anyone.
Announcements for baggage handler
With an interface to the workforce management system, PAXGuide is able to play out personalized announcements with working tasks in dedicated non-passenger areas, to inform the baggage handler about their work. For example, if a baggage handler needs to move to a certain aircraft position and perform a task, PAXGuide will play automatically an announcement with those specific instructions. This helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that tasks are completed efficiently.
These were just a few examples of how the PAXGuide system can handle data-driven announcements automatically.
4. Benefits of data-driven announcements
Data-driven airport announcements are not only more efficient, but they also help to improve the passenger flow and keep passengers informed with just the right information. Here are four benefits of data-driven announcements:
- Targeted announcements reduce background noise.
- Data-driven announcements are more tailored to passengers’ needs.
- They help to make processes more efficient.
- They improve the passenger flow by keeping passengers informed with just the right information bits that they need.
While automatic announcements are certainly a step in the right direction, they only show a fraction of the potential that data-driven announcements have to offer. With PAXGuide, airports can use various data sources to make informed decisions about what information to share with passengers. This not only results in a more efficient and effective use of announcement time, but also helps to ensure that passengers are receiving the most relevant and up-to-date information possible.
We hope that this article has convinced you that automatic announcements can be so much better. If you agree with us, please get in contact with us and let us know.
Contact us directly for a demo:
Johannes Sittig
johannes.sittig@sittig.de