Adaptation of Near Field Communication (NFC) Technology to Enhance the Operational Efficiency and Performance of Pre-departure Operations of Airlinesi
Gamage, Madira N.
Journal of Electronic Systems, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2015.
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Abstract:
The recent global economic recession that seemed to be continuing with less peaks and many valleys have seriously shook the airline industry. In order to continue with a sustainable growth in the air travel business, airlines were
compelled on identifying certain service and operational areas that need to be improved in many different ways. One of the vital facts identified is increasing the competitiveness of the airline by improving passenger perception towards the airline
service quality, which could significantly affect by the extremely time-consuming check-in and boarding processes, especially
during the busiest peak hours. Improving the efficiency of these processes is a major contribution factor in enhancing the
service quality of the airline. Introducing Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled self check-in and self board-in kiosk
would help reduce the long queues in busy peak hours while keeping the man power required at a minimum level. Having
these procedures operating simultaneously with the man handled counters, enables handling more passengers within a
given period of time, thus enhancing the operational efficiency. NFC is a form of wireless communication and data exchange
method that uses electromagnetic radio fields in closer proximities between digital devices such as smart mobile phones and
tablets. The aim of this paper is to present the findings of the study and understand the adaptability of NFC technology in
passenger pre-departure functions and how it can influence in operational efficiency and performance at an airline. The
study focused on ABC1 Airlines operating in Sri Lanka and concentrate on establishing and understanding the operational
patterns if NFC enabled systems were introduced to airport check-in counter assignments. According to the survey results
and sensitivity analysis of actual airline operational data, it was understood that using NFC enabled kiosk machines would
significantly reduce the counter operation cost and improve passenger service quality, enhancing the efficiency and
performance of passenger pre-departure functions at airlines.