Western Australia’s Port Hedland International Airport is to implement the Amadeus ACUS (Airport Common Use Service) solution.

This common use passenger processing technology in the cloud will enable the remote airport to simplify its passenger services and increase flexibility. It will also facilitate better collaboration within the airport, as all stakeholders, from airport to airline and ground handling staff, can access critical passenger handling applications from anywhere, using an internet connection. This includes the deployment of passenger systems and tools to off-terminal and off-airport locations, a strategy which could be implemented to reduce queues at the terminal and improve the service offered to passengers.  

The technology will also provide airline agents with the tools they need to deliver a more personalised service to passengers. From the airport’s perspective, the need for dedicated equipment per airline has been removed, meaning Port Hedland International Airport can use its terminal space more efficiently, and create a smoother passenger flow from kerb-to-gate.

The move will make Port Hedland International Airport one of the first regional airports in Australia and New Zealand to embrace the cloud for common use check-in and boarding systems. Upgrading the technology has enabled the airport to retire traditional workstations and replace them with modern thin client computers, which are ten times more energy efficient. It is part of a broader terminal upgrade and continued investment in modernising the airport’s infrastructure with start-of-the-art technology.

“With what we’ve experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for agile airport operations is clear,” said Dave Batic, chief executive officer, Port Hedland International Airport.

“Despite the impact to aviation, we’re pleased to see passengers returning quickly to our airport. Looking ahead, our investment in both the terminal redesign more broadly and Amadeus ACUS will future-proof our operations, enabling us to harness the flexibility of the cloud and add new innovations to benefit passengers, such as off-terminal and off-airport check-in.”

Amadeus ACUS is now deployed at nearly one hundred airports around the world.

Image: Amadeus