Acciona Airport Services (AAS) maximises the efficiency of staff communication using digital communication via mobile phones, tablet PCs, staff notification kiosks and information panels at Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI).

With the introduction of the new mobile communication AAS is able to track their ground handling activities and ensure a seamless data flow.

In order to increase operational efficiency and improve the service to their customers, AAS’s goal was to focus on status tracking and time stamps (the latter also to support and enable further analysis), drastically reduce voice communication and to digitize the status, task and shift information, and this way ensure a fast and exact data flow. This has been realized by introducing Geman-based company INFORM’s Mobility & Web Solutions all over ASS’s operations. INFORM specializes in intelligent planning and logistics decision-making software and is known for their aviation solutions called GroundStar for more than twenty years.

The ramp department introduced real-time reporting as a way to support the operation and provide task information, task status information for supervisors and task order information for operative staff.

Mobile phones with specially designed INFORM software support the baggage transport department to optimize and control the operation. The air bridge departments are able to transmit task and status information using special dialogues on their PDAs.

GroundStar information is also displayed on tablet PCs on board passenger buses. Bus drivers receive and confirm tasks using touch screens and can activate pre-recorded passenger messages giving departure and arrival information. Bus drivers are also able to enter incidents, receive messages from the allocator, cancel the next bus or ask for an additional service. All this helps to make the allocation process more precise and accurate, and ensures a high-quality service for passengers and airlines.

The StaffCommunication for Vehicle Mounted Devices has been implemented in the Ramp Department and Customer Services area. StaffCommunication for PC is a GroundStar intranet data exchange communication application that provides web-based access to the already existing allocation system GS RealTime. It enables AAS employees to receive task, assigned and underlying flight details, update the task status and enter other relevant data via a browser-based user interface.

StaffCommunication for PC was implemented on existing CUTE terminals in the check-in area as well as on information kiosks in the ramp department’s staff room. The real-time reporting panels solution replaces the previous noisy loudspeaker announcements in the staff room and ensures that relevant task and assignment information is available to staff at all times.

"The introduction of GS Real Time software plus GS Mobility & Web Solutions at our Palma de Mallorca Airport means a more accurate overview of the operation, which leads to optimize our resources and to offer a better service. Our staff is very pleased because of transparent availability of information," says Victor Carballo, Operations Director, Acciona Airport Services.

Acciona Airport Services (AAS) belongs to ACCIONA. The company was founded over a century ago, is made up of more than 30,000 employees and is present in more than 30 countries on five continents. AAS is present at eight different airports in Spain and Germany.