Heathrow turns to Copenhagen Optimization to future-proof operations

London Heathrow Airport has selected Copenhagen Optimization’s Better Airport software to enhance its operations and accommodate future growth.

Better Airport is a Cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution. The platform has been designed to enable the airport to optimise planning, execution, and evaluation of its operations.

The decision to use Copenhagen Optimization’s Better Airport platform was taken after a one-month trial of the technology at Heathrow.

During the trial, the platform’s security, check-in, and baggage modules were deployed across the airport.

The trial led to the identification of a list of possible improvements to the software,  which were delivered free of charge as part of the SaaS subscription.

Copenhagen Optimization managing partner Kasper Hounsgaard said: “The really exciting part of this solution roll-out is that Heathrow is future-proofing and professionalising their entire planning process across all of security, baggage, and check-in.

“Better Airport passed the test in one of the most complex airport operations in the world. We already have a solid base to build on and are looking forward to the partnership with Heathrow.

“With Better Airport, the skilled planning team at Heathrow can optimise and automate their current planning processes, including the ability to quantify any what-if scenarios with hard numbers, which will lead to better resource allocation and higher cost savings.”

Heathrow Airport is expected to receive nearly 78 million passengers in 2018, with plans to increase capacity to 130 million passengers per annum in the near future.

Heathrow operational planning, performance and transformation head Mark Burgess said: “Better Airport allows us to make those updates automatically and in real-time based on continuously updated information. We are now able to make better informed operational decisions based on shared, common data.

“We are improving the check-in, security and baggage processes and aligning the entire planning process across operations. This will allow us to decrease wait times and continue to improve operations and passenger experience, as we prepare for the future of airport experience.”