26.10.2007
Summer Traffic Flow Assessment

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The summer peak season is when the airport’s facilities are used most intensively. For this reason, it is also the best time to test the airport’s capacity, the value of its investments, and the collaboration between the airport and its partners.

With this assessment, Copenhagen Airports wishes to provide an overview of its performance during the peak summer season.

Highlights

It was the busiest summer season in the history of the airport, with more than six million passengers served in June, July and August.

  • Customers indicate that traffic in the summer of 2007 flowed much more smoothly and satisfactorily than in 2006.
  • The airlines contributed greatly to this result, playing a very positive and active role in their partnership with Copenhagen Airports.
  • The investment of more than DKK 350 million by Copenhagen Airports before the summer season had a positive effect on the flow of traffic at the facility.
  • We made it through the summer and did well, but our summer assessment also points to a number of focus areas, collaboration projects and investments to meet future needs.
  • An ambitious investment plan and strategic collaboration with customers will ensure future traffic growth and a smooth flow of traffic.

1. Busy summer with satisfactory traffic flows

‘Tackling summer traffic’ has been a focus area for Copenhagen Airports, both with respect to investments and preparations for the summer and the close following up on traffic so that the right adjustments could be made and initiatives taken.

At an international airport with 21 million passengers a year, 550 different business enterprises and a total of 22,000 staff, the working relationship the collaborative parties involved have is crucial if traffic is to flow smoothly. For this reason, a cornerstone in Copenhagen Airports’ work to provide a smooth flow of traffic during the peak summer season was to ensure a good framework for a well-functioning collaboration.

The summer of 2007 was the airport’s busiest summer ever, as it served more than six million passengers in those three months.

It is the passengers departing from Copenhagen Airport that constitute the greatest load on the airport’s facilities, since they are the ones who go through the airport processes that traditionally generate wait times: check-in, baggage checking, security screening and possibly also passport control.

In the summer of 2007, the parties working at Copenhagen Airport served more departing passengers than in the summer of 2006: one per cent more in June, nine per cent more in July and seven per cent more in August.

Yet the traffic flowed much more smoothly in the summer of 2007 than in 2006.

General customer assessment

Copenhagen Airports asked a number of its collaborative partners for their assessment of how traffic at the airport was handled, including its two biggest partners – SAS and Sterling – and My Travel, which acts as the airline for a number of travel agencies.

‘Generally, things went much better with summer traffic in 2007 – from SAS’s point of view – than in the summer of 2006, and we felt we had a good collaboration with Copenhagen Airports throughout the summer and especially on the many busy days.’
Susanne Larsen, CEO, SAS Danmark

‘We felt we had an excellent collaboration and partnership with Copenhagen Airports this past summer. Our working relationship has helped Sterling provide even better service to passengers.’
Michael T. Hansen, chief commercial officer, Sterling

‘Clear improvement over 2006, but still chaotic for long periods of time.’
Tom Clausen, CEO, MyTravel Airways

2. Investment in smoother traffic flows

Copenhagen Airports invested more than DKK 350 million in improving the flow of traffic through the airport, including investment in a new security checkpoint, new check-in facilities for cruise passengers, a baggage system upgrade, automatic check-in kiosks and more staff. The result has been shorter wait times for passengers and a smoother flow of summer traffic.

2A. Investments in a new security checkpoint

A new, 16-lane central security checkpoint was ready for use on 1 June, which doubled capacity. In spite of the fact that, since last summer, there have been new time-consuming regulatory requirements – e.g. with respect to liquids on board – the investments made by Copenhagen Airports have significantly reduced passenger wait times.

The average wait times for June, July and August were 2.8, 3.0 and 3.6 minutes respectively.

The great majority of passengers made it through security screening in less than five minutes, and few waited more than ten minutes. Passengers took less than ten minutes to clear screening 98 per cent of the time in June and July and 95 per cent of the time in August.

With few exceptions, we met our target of no passenger having to wait more than 20 minutes during the summer period. Passengers made it through the security checkpoint in a maximum of 20 minutes 99.9 per cent of the time in June and July and 99.8 per cent of the time in August.

Our partners’ views

‘We are happy to note that the investment in a new, central security checkpoint means that almost no passengers have had to wait any appreciable length of time.’
Susanne Larsen, CEO, SAS Danmark

‘The new, central security checkpoint worked perfectly this summer.’
Michael T. Michael T. Hansen, chief commercial officer, Sterling

‘The improvement in the flow of summer traffic is due to security alone.’
Tom Clausen, CEO, MyTravel Airways

2B. Baggage system upgrade

The airport’s baggage system consists of three sorting systems. Commissioned in 1999, the system has received regular maintenance since.

Summer traffic has a history of challenging airport baggage systems, and the past summer saw several of Europe’s airports with major baggage problems. To avoid such troubles, Copenhagen Airports has invested DKK 50 million since last summer in upgrades, motor replacements, capacity expansion and other improvements to its system.

The system handled more baggage in the summer of 2007 than it did in 2006. The day in 2006 with the largest number of passengers saw 38,189 pieces of baggage. The day in 2007 when the system handled the largest volume of baggage was 8 July, with 40,424 pieces; the next-largest day was 1 July, with 40,167 pieces of baggage.

The impact of the investment can be seen from the efficiency of baggage sorting efficiency on the 20 busiest days in June and July, when the average uptime for the baggage system was 99.8%.

Customers’ assessment

‘We are happy to see that CPH’s baggage sorting system generally worked the way it was supposed to.’
Susanne Larsen, CEO, SAS Danmark

‘We have no complaints about CPH’s baggage system, but it’s also important to emphasise our collaboration with our handling company, which also helped make Sterling’s performance excellent with respect to passenger baggage. Over the past four months, 92 per cent of Sterling’s baggage was delivered to passengers within a half hour.’
Michael T. Hansen, chief commercial officer, Sterling

2C. New check-in facilities for cruise passengers

Copenhagen has become one of the world’s leading cruise destinations, and Copenhagen Airports would like to help maintain that position. Since the last cruise ship left Copenhagen Harbour at the end of September, 286 ships have called at the Harbour this summer. Roughly 170,000 passengers have been routed through Copenhagen Airport on their way to or from a cruise.

Before summer arrived, Copenhagen Airport renovated a hangar and set up twelve check-in counters and a baggage system that allowed the airlines to offer cruise passengers an easy and flexible check-in process on the peak cruise-passenger days this summer.

This not only improved the level of service provided to cruise passengers; it also released capacity in the other terminals during the busy summer season.

2D. Check-in kiosks, Internet and mobile phone services increasingly popular

The airport has installed check-in kiosks at the airport free for the airlines to use, having also doubled the number of kiosks since last summer. In the company’s estimation, Copenhagen Airports feels it has a good collaboration with the airlines to increase the use of check-in kiosks and online and mobile-phone check-in.

3. Focus areas indicated this summer

3A. Security check of staff, motor vehicles, etc.

In its assessment, SAS pointed to a single area in which they have seen wait times:

‘As far as security is concerned, SAS staff are also security screened, just as all vehicles, parts and materials to be transported to our aircraft are checked at the CSRA stripe airside at CPH.

‘As regards security screening, our staff have occasionally had to stand on queue to get to work. There have also been several times where only one or two lanes were open at the CSRA stripe airside, which meant wait times for the vendors that supply food, spare parts and other products for our planes. At the end of the day, this means our customers have to wait, too.’
Susanne Larsen, CEO, SAS Danmark

Regulatory requirements this summer meant that more vehicles and employees had to be screened thoroughly. This necessitated a capacity increase and other improvements in order to meet demands that wait times be reasonable.

The target was for passengers to have to wait a maximum of ten minutes, and that a maximum of four motor vehicles be waiting in queue at any one time. CPH’s solution for the summer was not enough to meet this latter target, so there were times when collaborative partners had to wait longer.

CPH wants its partners to be able to count on this target being met, so a full extension to the checkpoint has just been completed which should enable achievement. At the same time, CPH is also together with the authorities and users to provide a future-proof solution.

3B. Check-in areas

‘The check-in lines block each other, and passengers have a difficult time finding the right queue. Although check-in kiosks have been installed, it hasn’t solved the problem of the sometimes chaotic conditions.’
Tom Clausen, CEO, MyTravel Airways

In the check-in procedure, the interplay between work processes, staffing, capacity and logistics is crucial, so a smoothly functioning check-in process can only be the result of a close collaboration between Copenhagen Airports and its collaborative partners. Capacity is also related to the check-in methods employed: as mentioned, the airport and a number of airlines have a good collaboration in working to increase the use of check-in kiosks and online and mobile phone check-in.

In coming years, passengers are expected to do their checking in outside the airport area to an increasing degree, checking in at stations or hotels, on cruise ships, online or via their mobile phones. This will not only lead to fewer check-in counters, but also to fewer check-in kiosks in departure halls.

3C. Baggage system and baggage areas

In its assessment, MyTravel had the following to say about baggage delivery services for arriving passengers:

‘Arrivals area: the service level at the conveyor belts is unsatisfactory for long periods of time. This is something the airport should take responsibility for so that our customers get better service.’
Tom Clausen, CEO, MyTravel Airways

The DKK 50 million Copenhagen Airports has invested in upgrading its baggage system is just the first step in improving the baggage handling facilities available to the airlines.

  • Upgrade, Phase 2. Copenhagen Airports has just launched the second phase of its plan to upgrade its main baggage system. The idea is to ensure a high level of uptime, shorter process times and increased capacity in various parts of the system.
  • Baggage drop. The increased use of check-in kiosks makes new demands with respect to easy baggage drop facilities for passengers.
  • Baggage delivery times. Summer 2007 showed that the general level of delivery times for arriving baggage is still a good distance from the target of 90% of arriving baggage having a delivery time of 30 minutes or less. Only a few airlines reach this target.
  • Transfer baggage. Offering a short and efficient transfer of baggage between flights will continue to be an important competitive parameter for the airport.
  • Capacity. Utilising the full capacity of the airport and expanding capacity where needed
    are tasks that involve a close collaboration between Copenhagen Airports and the airlines, with an interplay between work processes, logistics and baggage facilities.

3D. Cruise facilities

‘The airport accepts a volume of cruise passengers that results in an additional overload. It would be a really good idea to isolate the cruise passengers and have them check in from the ship or some other satellite locality.’
Tom Clausen, CEO, MyTravel Airways

Using an aircraft hangar to handle cruise passengers this summer worked as intended. Copenhagen Airports would like to help improve the collaboration between the various regionally oriented organisations so future cruise passengers have the best possible encounter with Denmark and the airport.

A collaboration between SAS and Copenhagen Airports was set up this summer in connection with checking in from cruise ships. Such a system was set up successfully on the cruise ship MSC Opera this year, and the plan is to expand this concept to other ships in 2008.

3E. Capacity in the air

‘We are happy to see that there have been far fewer ATC restrictions this summer due to Naviair’s moving to a new data system. The summer of 2006 saw several long periods of ATC restrictions for this reason, and this meant a reduced takeoff and landing capacity, which caused delays and inconvenienced the customers.’
Susanne Larsen, CEO, SAS Danmark

The Naviair air traffic management service has announced that they plan to move into the new control tower in December 2007, and that this transition phase may result in reductions in the number of aircraft that can operate in Danish airspace. On the other hand, the move to the new control tower offers the possibility of greater aircraft takeoff and landing capacity in the longer term. Naviair said they would inform the parties affected of any irregularities in connection with the transition; these initiatives have the support of Copenhagen Airports.

4. Ambitious investment plan and strategic collaboration with customers

The large-scale investments in making airport traffic flow more efficiently and smoothly are continuing. Copenhagen Airports plans to invest DKK 6 billion over the next ten years in developing the airport. A close collaboration between the parties and a new master plan for the airport will ensure that the projects fulfil customer needs – and anticipate the coming increase in traffic.

Copenhagen Airports expects a great deal from the process connected with the new regulatory model for the airport that the Danish Civil Aviation Administration is currently working on. CPH will be actively participating in this work, together with the airlines. The expectation is that the involved parties will arrive at a future regulatory model that will allow the future rise in traffic to be met with the necessary investments in the airport. At this point, it looks as though this work will help advance the collaboration between the airport and the airlines even more, since service level targets and an investment plan will be included in the commercial negotiations.

Partners ready to work together

‘SAS believes it is essential to look at capacity, check-in facilities and work processes if we are to be ready for the future increase in traffic. Copenhagen Airports is already aware of this, and we look forward to a strategic collaboration with the airport; we’ve already started a series of meetings we’ll be holding.’
Susanne Larsen, CEO, SAS Danmark

‘We believe that, through a continued good collaboration and partnership with the airport, we can face the coming increase in traffic with innovative and more effective solutions. We would very much like to work together with the airport to test new methods and functionalities. The Copenhagen Airports and Sterling pilot project with check-in kiosks went well: at times we were all the way up to 50 per cent of Sterling’s passengers using the kiosks to check in. We will be happy to take that next step, because it will be a competitive parameter with effective solutions for passengers.’
Michael T. Hansen, chief commercial officer, Sterling

All in all

The investment Copenhagen Airports made in improving the flow of summer traffic worked as intended, and our collaborative partners generally deemed traffic flow to have been far more satisfactory than in 2006.

Copenhagen Airports enjoyed an excellent working relationship with the airlines that played a major role in how well traffic flowed this summer.

At the same time, all of us have learned something from this past summer season, at a time when the airport’s facilities are most intensely used and working relationships are put to the test. Although everything went well this past summer, the peak season also showed that there are a number of focus areas in which an intensified collaboration would be beneficial before next summer, especially the areas which can cause bottlenecks and delays. The central security checkpoint has generated an increase in customer satisfaction, so the focus now will be on security screening of staff and vehicles, check-in and baggage facilities and services, and will involve a close, binding collaboration between the different partners at the airport.