Improvement of airline check-in and boarding processes

Date
2022-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since its inception in 1903, the aviation industry has become one of the biggest and most important sectors in the service industry worldwide. Airlines are constantly trying to find ways to improve customers’ experience while remaining profitable. Best practices exist within airline communities; however, many airlines conduct their key processes in different ways from that of their competitors. The airline check–in and boarding processes were identified to have significant improvement opportunities and were, therefore, the two processes focused on in this study. Aircraft turnaround time is a major focus and key performance indicator for airlines in South Africa. Although many elements affect this turnaround time, the process of boarding passengers is often the biggest bottleneck. Varying the boarding method can improve the flow of passengers through the cabin, which often leads to a shorter boarding time. Many international airlines use a zonal boarding system, which entails boarding passengers in separate groups. This study explains alternative ways to board aircrafts and continues to present real–world trials that took place at Cape Town International Airport. A new boarding method was identified to increase the average number of passengers boarded per minute and shows great potential to improve aircraft turnaround time. One of the many observations made during the trials, that affects the efficiency of the boarding process, was that passengers tend to carry excessive hand luggage. Simulation and business process modelling tools were used to analyse both the as–is and modified airline check–in process. A simulation model was built to experiment with varia tions in the allocation of check–in counters for an identified industry partner. This model was verified and validated before running preliminary and final simulation experiments. Key performance measures, including the amount of time a passenger spends in the check– in system, were estimated and used to determine the industry partner’s best–suited counter configuration. These simulation study results also provide evidence for the differences in target performance measures, should the industry partner want to improve the system further. Self–service check–in kiosks were identified to be underutilised in South African airports and would only benefit passengers should additional functionality be added. The varying effects of passengers using online check–in were also explored in this study, as the differences between using the regular check–in and bag drop counters proved to be minimal. With the help of a systematic approach and relevant software–based tools, many more airline processes can be analysed to identify potential improvements. This study supports the notion of industrial engineering being a field that has spread into many industries around the world.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sedert die ontstaan van die lugvaartbedryf in 1903, het dit wreldwyd een van die grootste en belangrikste sektore in die diensbedryf geword. Lugrederye probeer voortdurend maniere vind om klinte se ervaring te verbeter terwyl hulle steeds winsgewend moet bly. Alhoewel daar beste praktyke bestaan binne lugrederygemeenskappe, voer baie lugrederye egter hul prosesse op verskillende maniere uit teenoor di van hul mededingers. Tydens hierdie studie was twee prosesse gedentifiseer wat die grootste potensiaal vir verbetering inhou naamlik die lugredery se inboek– en instapprosesse. Om die rede fokus hierdie studie op hierdie twee prosesse. Die omkeertyd van n vliegtuig is een van die hoofprestasie–aanwysers vir lugrederye in Suid–Afrika. Alhoewel daar baie elemente is wat die omkeertyd benvloed, is die instapproses van passasiers dikwels die grootste bottelnek. Die vloei van passasiers kan verbeter as die instapproses gewissel word, wat sal lei tot korter instap tye. Internasionale lugrederye gebruik dikwels n gesoneerde instapproses. Hierdie proses behels dat passasiers instap in aparte groepe. In hierdie studie is daar na alternatiewe instap metodes gekyk, waarna dit getoets word in n regte–wreld omgewing by Kaapstad Internasionale Lughawe. n Nuwe instapmetode is gedentifiseer waar meer passasiers per minuut op gemiddeld kan instap, en dit toon groot potensiaal om vliegtuie se omkeertyd te verbeter. Een van die vele kenmerkende waarnemings wat tydens die toetse gemaak is, is dat oormatige handbagasie n negatiewe impak op die effektiwiteit van die instapproses het. Die huidige en aangepasde aanmeldprosesse was geanaliseer deur die gebruik van simulasie– en besigheidsprosesmodelleringsinstrumente. ’n Simulasiemodel was gebou om verskillende plasings van aanmeldtoonbanke te toets vir ’n spesifieke bedryfsvennoot. Voordat beide die voorlopige en finale simulasie–eksperimente uitgevoer was, was die model geverifieer en gevalideer. Die mees toepaslike toonbankplasings was bepaal deur die beraming van hoofprestasie–aanwysers, onder andere hoe lank die aanmeldproses vir die passasier neem. Die resultate van die studie het ook bewyse verskaf van die verskil in teikenprestasie– aanwysers, indien die bedryfsvennoot verder hul stelsel sou wou verbeter. Dit was gedentifiseer dat selfdiens–aanmeld–kiosks onderbenut word in Suid–Afrikaanse lughawens. Passasiers sal slegs voordeel trek uit die selfdiens–kiosks indien die stelsels verder uitgebrei word. Die impak van die aanlyn aanmeldproses was ook ondersoek, nadat die verskil tussen die gewone aanmeldtoonbank en die bagasietoonbank minimaal was. Met die hulp van n sistematiese benadering en relevante sagteware–instrumente is daar baie lugrederyprosesse wat ontleed kan word om potensile verbeterings te identifiseer. Hierdie studie ondersteun die argument dat bedryfsingenieurswese ’n veld is wat in verskeie industrie regoor die wreld toegepas word.
Description
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
Keywords
Aviation industry, Simulation, Airline check-in, Boarding Systems, Airplane occupants, Corlett, Modelling, Processes, UCTD
Citation