UPES faculty creates post COVID-19 queue management system for airports

This project aims at helping the aviation industry to maintain social distancing for passengers and staff after the lockdown

The airlines industry has been severely impacted by the pandemic. With safety/ security guidelines and social distancing becoming the new norm, there would be many challenges post lockdown.

At UPES, a team comprising professors Dr. Sheetal Khanka, Mr. Akhil Damodaran and Dr. Tarun Dhingra from the School of Business, UPES, have chalked out a solution to help the aviation industry carry out their day-to-day operations smoothly, without hampering the protocol of social distancing.

Talking about their project, a team member says, “Airports across the world need to reduce the human contact points during check-ins, departures and boarding. The check-in, immigration and security checks at airports are high-activity zones where many passengers line up and resources have to be allocated. Managers need a scientific tool to assist in the decisionmaking that will help regain passenger confidence in flying going forward.”

The management tool will work on optimizing the airport infrastructure and staff requirement. It has the potential to improve efficiency of counters, immigration, security and boarding gates, that too without compromising on social distancing norms.

AeroOpt management tool scientifically calculates the optimum number of resources (staff/ passengers/ counters/ queues, etc) to be allocated to an airline in a given time so that airports follow social distancing norms, while knowing that they are utilizing their capacity at the level determined. This software accounts for specific constraints of airports to develop a tailor-made airport resource optimization solution.

One of the faculty members said: “Business education is all about applying business concepts for problem solving and innovating further. This tool supports the business decisions and makes the airports more effective. We will share our insights and experience with the students. This collaboration will bring industry exposure to students and going forward we have plans to engage a few of our students in the project as well.”

The team expressed gratitude to UPES for providing all the resources and nurturing conducive for such kind of quality research work.

The solution will be marketed by Aerotech Support to various airports. Dr. Ashwani Khanna, Executive Director of the company, said that the optimizing airport resources will prove to be a breakthrough idea to support aviation industry by enhancing passenger experience in terms of security and convenience. Dr. Githa S. Heggde, Dean, UPES School of Business, congratulated the team and assured her full support.