The evolution of the airport business is demonstrated by airports that are adopting new business strategies and commercial models, which allow them to be, for example, service providers instead of real-estate managers, with the focus on cost reduction and increasing non-aeronautical (commercial) revenues. Information technology (IT) can be used by airports to achieve their business goals, such as enhancing performance by delivering cost reductions and generating additional revenue streams. Airports operate in an increasingly competitive and dynamic market, with the aim of attracting a larger share of hub traffic from neighbouring airports. Therefore, financial and operational performance will be key elements for airlines when choosing a new airport destination. The research shows that airports are more focused on passenger satisfaction, resulting in airport performance indicators that have the passenger at its operational core and performance targets (e.g. Airport Service Quality passenger satisfaction survey). IT plays an important role in increasing airport performance through the automation of processes such as the deployment of common-use check-in desks and self-service check-in kiosks. Studies of other industries have shown evidence that IT impacts firm performance, but there have been few studies related to the airport industry. Thus, the aim of this research is to assess the relationship between IT and airport performance, and it proposes a conceptual framework to assess the relationship between IT and airport performance by drawing from studies in other industries. Two methodologies were used in this research, the first one was the case study, and the second one was the online survey. The case studies consisted of 16 faceto- face interviews with senior staff representing two airports in Asia, one airport in Australia, and one airport in Europe. The case studies result show that there is a relationship between IT and airport performance ... [cont.].

<p dir="ltr">At airports, aircraft taxi time may have effect on congestion, engine pollutants, and aircraft fuel consumption. An End-Around Taxiway (EAT) improves airport runway efficiencies and safety by providing a path for aircraft to move from one side of the runway to the other side without crossing that runway (FAA, 2022). The EAT has been implemented in four airports in the U.S.: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW), Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (KATL), Detroit Metro Airport (KDTW), and Miami International Airport (KMIA) (Le, 2014). Currently, all the EATs are implemented at parallel runways. Previous research have shown that EAT on parallel runways has the potential to improve airport capacity and reduce fuel consumption (Fala et al., 2014; Feng & Johnson, 2021). There was no published application or research found about implementing EAT on crossing runways. This research is an explanatory study that focuses on analyzing the effect of EATs on airports with crossing runways. This research uses dynamic discrete event stochastic simulation software to build simulation models to analyze the effects of implementing EAT at crossing runways. Using a fictional airport loosely based on existing commercial service airports, the effect of EATs on a crossing runway airport was studied. The research has three experiments to measure the effects of the EAT in terms of taxi-in time, taxi-out time, and number of operations completed.</p><p dir="ltr">The major findings of the research are: 1) using EAT for taxi-in operations significantly reduces the taxi-in time and taxi-out time at the fictional airport with crossing runways; 2) using EAT for taxi-out operation significantly increases taxi-in time at the fictional airport with crossing runways; 3) using EAT for taxi-out operations significantly reduces taxi-out times at the fictional airport with crossing runways; 4) there is no statistical significance found when implementing EAT at the fictional airport with crossing runways in terms of number of operations completed per day. The configuration of the airport, the number of operations, the weather, and other factors may affect the transfer of these results to other airports with crossing runways.</p><p dir="ltr">Current EATs are only implemented and proposed at parallel runway airports. As aviation demand grows, this research may provide insights about a novel usage and operation strategy of EATs. The simulation model in this research is subject to assumptions and limitations. Future research is needed to improve the simulation model and further explore the effect of EATs on crossing runways.</p>

Sustainability has become an increasingly important aspect for companies to consider. Not only is it necessary to comply with laws and regulations that encourage corporate sustainability, but it has also become a way for companies to gain competitiveness. Historically, companies have primarily adopted so called closed innovation models focused on internal resources and capabilities, in order to generate competitive advantages. However, in a world characterized by rapidly changing demands and high product complexity, the internal capabilities of companies are challenged, which have led firms to explore other collaborative models of innovation. This trend is referred to as open innovation and it implies that companies open up their innovation process in order to utilize external knowledge and share their unutilized ideas. This thesis seeks to explore the sustainability-related implications of open innovation by understanding opportunities and challenges related to adopting an open approach for innovation projects that aim to enhance sustainability. Furthermore, it adopts a contingency perspective through which it seeks to examine factors affecting the sustainability-related performance of open innovation projects. The study is based on empirical data obtained through six semi-structured interviews in a Swedish state-owned enterprise within the air transport industry. The research finds that an open approach for sustainability-oriented innovation projects leads to increased creativity, increased access to knowledge and reduced duration, but that they are challenged by a high degree of complexity. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the sustainability performance of open innovation projects is moderated by three factors: the management of the project, the dedication of the individuals involved and the absorptive capacity of the team. The study argues that in order to enhance sustainability performance of innovation projects, these factors must be adjusted according to the openness of the project. By exploring the context dependencies of open innovation for sustainability purposes, the study contributes to develop a broader comprehension of the contextual characteristics of open innovation as well as its relevance for sustainability.

Standardized, collaborative decision-making processes have already been implemented at some network-relevant airports, and these can be further enhanced through data-driven approaches (e.g., data analytics, predictions). New cost-effective implementations will also enable the appropriate integration of small and medium-sized airports into the aviation network. The required data can increasingly be gathered and processed by the airports themselves. For example, Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) messages are sent by arriving and departing aircraft and enable a data-driven analysis of aircraft movements, taking into account local constraints (e.g., weather or capacity). Analytical and model-based approaches that leverage these data also offer deeper insights into the complex and interdependent airport operations. This includes systematic monitoring of relevant operational milestones as well as a corresponding predictive analysis to estimate future system states. In fact, local ADS-B receivers can be purchased, installed, and maintained at low cost, providing both very good coverage of the airport apron operations (runway, taxi system, parking positions) and communication of current airport performance to the network management. To prevent every small and medium-sized airport from having to develop its own monitoring system, we present a basic concept with our approach. We demonstrate that appropriate processing of ADS-B messages leads to improved situational awareness. Our concept is aligned with the operational milestones of Eurocontrol’s Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) framework. Therefore, we analyze the A-CDM airport London–Gatwick Airport as it allows us to validate our concept against the data from the A-CDM implementation at a later stage. Finally, with our research, we also make a decisive contribution to the open-data and scientific community.