Preparing for high travel volumes 

The test of an operations process is when such a process is robust enough to deliver value at the peak processing time. If it bursts or caves in, then there is a need to troubleshoot the process and go back to the drawing board.

Preparing for high travel volumes is a part of the process of planning for the passenger experience. The experience the passenger gets does not just happen. Same applies to the benefit the airport reaps from anticipating what the passengers will meet with in their journey through the airport. The experience which the passenger at an airport gets is planned and monitored. Feedbacks received go into the evaluation process to determine how to improve the passenger experience.

A recent advisory in preparation for high volumes of passengers this summer time by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has guidance to passengers and learning points for airports. The TSA is the United States Department of Homeland Security agency which protects America’s transportation systems so that there is freedom of movement for people and commerce. The primary security focus of the TSA is in oversight, co-operation and regulation. A further internet search says that the organisation works in collaboration “with surface transportation operators, local, state and federal security partners to ensure appropriate security postures are employed.”

The TSA foresees a surge in travel numbers this summer travel season and has a forecast for the busiest day of the long weekend as a result of Memorial Day weekend which will run through Labour Day.

Data and data analytics play a key role in looking ahead to be able to tell what may lie ahead, as well as what patterns of behaviour an airport is likely to meet with. So airports must deliberately develop a culture of data collection and record keeping, as well as invest in human capacity to be able to harness the benefits of data analytics, including the surge in passenger numbers when they occur.

The TSA precheck presents another learning point for airports. This is an expedited screening programme that makes risk assessment about passengers prior to their arrival at an airport checkpoint. Another internet search says it enhances aviation security and provides a better travel experience. This is a United States government programme that allows passengers deemed low risk by the TSA to pass through an expedited security screening process at some designated airports. More than 10 million passengers as at 2021 were enrolled in the pre-check programme.

TSA pre-check passengers have shorter lines at airport security. In March 2021, 98 percent of TSA pre-check passengers took less than five minutes to pass through security. This is because they have to remove less clothing and are subject to less rigorous scans among other conveniences. This programme which began in 2013 has helped speed up the passage of verified travellers through security checkpoints that do become crowded as passengers gather to board their flights.

Another learning point comes from the information on better staffing levels due to better pay. Passengers are expected to reap the benefits of improved employee welfare and remuneration. It says: “For passengers, this will mean better overall staffing for all of TSA’s activities that support secure and efficient travel and an improved passenger experience. Our strong partnerships with airports and airlines will ensure we are able to anticipate and respond to changes in passenger travel throughout the summer”.

So, negotiations over employee compensation and welfare should bring to the table how the improved conditions of service will improve the passenger experience at the airport in practical and measurable terms. The Airports Council International (ACI), which is the voice of the world’s airports, in its research analysis found that an increase of one percent in the global passenger satisfaction generates an average growth of 1.5 percent in non-aeronautical revenue, significantly out-performing the impact of commensurate increases in both retail space and passenger traffic.

New technology solutions are being put in place to modernise airport checkpoints, enhance security effectiveness and efficiency and improve the passenger experience. So, one can quantify the gains of technology acquisition. There is a business case for it. There are revenue streams in incremental terms over and above the period when technology was not deployed. This will come from the increased spend by satisfied travellers at the airport. Examples are the Credential Authentication Technology and the new state-of–the–art Computed Tomography units at checkpoints for speedier passenger facilitation.

Travel comes with some anxiety on the part of the passenger. Communication with passengers goes a long way in allaying the fears of the traveller at the airport and dousing tension too. So also were fears of data privacy taken care of in the press release (tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2023/05/22/tsa-prepare) by the TSA.

Passengers also had roles to play in ensuring a positive  travel experience. They need to cooperate with the airport to serve them better – such as being polite to officers, preparing well for travel, reading the various instructions, as well as being at the airport in good time for travel, among others.

Children too are not left behind. A link to their type of videos is provided just as various forms of communication channels are put out for all passengers should they need to speak with someone. All possible stakeholders and scenarios need to be on the radar of passenger service to build a robust travel experience that can still deliver value despite the surge in passenger numbers.

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