Airport News

Staff will use the watches to connect to the airport's existing SITA developed management systems and push regular operational alerts to duty managers in a bid to ensure operations run smoothly.

Marc-André Bédard, vice president, information technology, Aéroport de Québec, said: “We are always looking for new technology to help enhance our operations, and ultimately better serve our passengers.

"Wearable tech is one area of interest to us and with the Apple Watch and SITA’s Airport Management solution our duty managers will receive important notifications at just the right time to take action as needed."

“For example, they may get an alert to say that two planes are arriving simultaneously and have been assigned to the same gate or that there is a delay at a certain gate.

"Previously, they would have checked their tablets regularly for updates. With the watch, a vibration alerts them to an update so they receive vital information just by glancing at their wrist. They can then take immediate action.”

The SITA Lab team built the application for the airport and conducted all the systems integration work to link the Apple Watch to the SITA Airport Management solution. 

According to SITA its solution, which is in use at 150 airports in 48 countries, streamlines airport operations by enabling the airport to control all its operations from a single central control center and adapt to an ever-changing environment.

This includes accessing all the information necessary to make decisions and manage resources in real time.

It delivers a new level of business intelligence, says SITA, that allows airports to balance operational efficiency with business results.

Jim Peters, chief technology officer, SITA, said: “This is another example of how SITA is leading the way in exploring new technology for the air transport community."

Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport served more than 1.5 million passengers in 2014, up 6.7% from 2013.