High-tech bid to cut delays

A new system to predict whether passengers will catch their connecting flights has been developed by the University College London (UCL) School of Management to reduce delays at the world’s most congested airports.

School director Prof Bert De Reyck is leading a team to enable accurate prediction hours in advance of conditions so flight delays can be avoided, queues at security and border control can be better managed.

By providing access to real-time data, the study focuses on passenger movement using advanced data analytics and machine-learning technology. The performance of a prototype of the system that went live at Heathrow on 19 July is currently being assessed.

“Heathrow is the most congested airport on the planet, handling 75m passengers per year with only two runways,” De Reyck said. “Any interruption causes further delays not only throughout the day, but throughout the entire European network as the airport is a major hub for connecting flights.”

The study is part of a collaborative project aimed at overhauling European airspace and its air traffic management, and is managed by Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation. 

www.mgmt.ucl.ac.uk

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