Dabico Airport Solutions Germany GmbH and Munich Airport have decided to collaborate to install fully automated boarding bridges for passengers.

The Terminal 2 subsidiary of Munich Airport took to signing a letter of intent (LOI) along with Dabico to work on the innovative concept in cohesion.

In a statement released by the airport, it said that the LOI is an indicator that the two companies will get together to determine the plan ahead.

Moreover, they will be deciding on the prerequisites to achieve autonomous operation of boarding bridges for passengers.

Pilot system

The two parties will use these findings and discussions to come up with a pilot system that is specifically designed for Munich Airport.

As per Jost Lammers, the CEO of Munich Airport, the pioneering project will aid the relevant authorities in reducing the duration of undocking and docking operations.

As a result, the movement on passenger boarding bridges will be streamlined, giving a much-needed boost to operational efficiency and reliability of handling processes.

After the release of the statement, the CCO and Managing Director of Dabico Airport Solutions, Alexander Pfurr, laid emphasis on the importance of this new sustainable partnership with the airport.

In the words of the director, this is a step in the direction of innovation, which will help other airports in the future as well.

Pfurr went on to mention that it was especially beneficial for them to go through with their recent acquisition of FMT, which is a passenger boarding bridge manufacturer.

After the acquisition in January, the Managing Director stressed that this would enable the Dabico Group to further advance the development and manufacturing of integrated end-to-end systems.

Passengers

Munich Airport has come up with a digitalization strategy, which it believes will help pave the way toward a more passenger-focused experienced.

Consequently, the strategy will include enhancements in a number of commercial and operational aspects.

Various initiatives are currently being implemented at the airport, which include biometric boarding pass checks and biometric access to lounges and gates.

In order to help passengers navigate the airport, the relevant authorities have also come up with the idea of smart trolleys to act as guides.

Chatbots have been added to the website for passenger inquiries, as well as shopping offers and flight information.

For the ease of passengers, the airport has also introduced self-checkout kiosks and self-order facilities at restaurants.

On the other hand, sensor technology has been brought in to help calculate waiting times while passengers stand around at security checkpoints.

Meanwhile, robotic projects specifically for ground handling services are also in the works.

Munich Airport

In October of 2022, Munich Airport took to launching an innovative passenger service that is aimed at ensuring a greater speed of passport control and access to security.

Consequently, the airport pointed out that its new Express Queue reservation system will aid in managing passenger flows before security checks are carried out at Terminal 1.

As a result, wait times in the queues are reduced, streamlining the process.