Sydney Airport, Australia’s busiest airport, faced an opportunity to enhance its operations amidst the surge in international travel post-COVID19. Partnering with Bi3 Technologies and the Microsoft Data & AI team, the airport embarked on a data strategy to improve resource management, monitor capacity, and enhance passenger experience.
The strategy involved building a new data analytics platform within the Microsoft Azure ecosystem. This platform enabled real-time data ingestion and streamlined airport operations, from kerbside to immigration. Leveraging Azure Data Factory, Azure SQL, and Azure Stream Analytics, the platform simplified data integration and enabled predictive maintenance and forecasting.
A key outcome was the development of an Operational Dashboard, providing granular insights to operations teams. This dashboard facilitated data-driven decisions around resource allocation, resulting in improved efficiency, particularly in security processing, where wait times decreased to under 10 minutes. By utilising Azure AI Machine Learning and Stream Analytics, the dashboard achieved a 95% forecasting accuracy, aiding in proactive planning during peak periods.
Sydney Airport’s partnership with Microsoft provided access to targeted support, ensuring a smooth implementation of the Azure platform. The success of the Operational Dashboard earned the airport the Australian Airports Association (AAA) Airport Excellence Operation Award, highlighting its commitment to leveraging data for operational excellence.
The collaboration between Sydney Airport, Bi3 Technologies, and Microsoft signifies a shift towards a data-driven approach in the aviation industry, with the Operational Dashboard demonstrating the potential of AI in improving the traveler experience and operational efficiency.
For more details, visit the Microsoft news article: Sydney Airport unlocks new data management, analytics and operational capabilities with Azure to enhance the customer experience – Microsoft Australia News Centre