IATA identifies autonomous vehicles, passenger payment systems and personalisation as opportunities

IATA published (26-Oct-2017) its 2017 Simplifying the Business (StB) white paper, identifying autonomous airport vehicles, new passenger payment systems and increased personalisation as areas of opportunity for airlines and airports:

• Autonomous airport vehicles. The paper projects airports will introduce driverless buses over the next five years, with other options for automated vehicles including self-driving cargo unit load devices (ULDs) and ULD tugs, remote-controlled electric pushback devices, and even drones;
• Passenger payment systems: The paper notes new generations of customers are "increasingly open to adopting alternate and convenient forms of payment" such as mobile payment systems, and the global airline industry few options for this, while continuing to spend heavily on payment fees. The paper suggests development of an 'IATA Wallet' as a simple, secure, and efficient payment method travellers that could also reduce airline payment costs;
• Personalisation: The paper outlines three main components to the personalisation concept:
  • Data-sharing taxonomy, around which customer data will be organised;
  • Data interface and control guidelines providing passengers/customers with fill full access and control of data in their profile;
  • Data integrity mechanisms, enabling passengers/customers to control who gets access to their information. [more - original PR]