Eindhoven Airport (EIN) has begun using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to further improve its aircraft turnaround process and minimise delays, with help from Schiphol Airport.
The improved process uses Deep Turnaround, a series of cameras situated on the apron to automatically detect the start and end times of ground handling processes, making turnaround times more predictable and giving advanced visibility for when an aircraft is ready to push.
Mirjam van den Bogaard (Chief Operations Officer Eindhoven Airport), said:Eindhoven Airport works continuously on the further optimisation of airport processes. Deep Turnaround is a valuable instrument that contributes to this, both on the ground and in the air. The latter is something more long-term. Our aim is to be able to predict as accurately as possible when aircraft can depart. There is still a lot to be gained for passengers, airlines and our sustainability ambitions.
So far, the airport has equipped four aircraft stands with cameras and plans to extend coverage to all fourteen stands by the end of 2024.
Turnaround runs from the moment an aircraft is parked to the time it is ready to depart, at which time, ground handling duties are performed to prepare the aircraft for the next journey. In order to further refine this process, EIN is using Deep Turnaround to analyse data, searching for areas of potential improvement.
Images from the cameras are analysed by an AI-based algorithm which times the duration of various activities, learning the optimal time for aircraft departure. This also allows the airport to predict any delays in advance, giving staff time to react ahead of time. All information captured is recorded in the Turnaround Insights Dashboard.
Lennert L'Amie, (Director IT & Data at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol), said:The insights provided by data help to make the ground operation more predictable. We've collaborated with various stakeholders on Deep Turnaround to make the ground handling process more transparent. It's worthwhile to share this knowledge with other airports and learn from their experiences so that we can continue developing the product.
