DUBAI, United Arab Emirates,
May 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A survey
conducted by Honeywell (NYSE: HON) in the United Arab Emirates reveals air travel
passengers are relying on new airport and in-flight technologies
for a smarter, stress-free travel experience.
The survey highlights the importance of technology in making air
travel easier for passengers at every stage of flight, from
check-in to baggage claim. With passenger numbers in the
Middle East region expected to
rise threefold by 2020 according to the International Air Transport
Association, the survey reveals ways in which the latest airport
and aircraft innovations are being used by passengers to beat
congestion, minimize stress, save time and stay connected.
Honeywell's survey finds that while there is a consensus among
UAE passengers (94 percent) that airports and airlines have taken
the right steps to improve punctuality and minimize delays over the
past 10 years, many feel there is still more to be done. Looking
ahead, nearly half of travelers (47 percent) believe improving the
speed and efficiency of flights should be the industry's top
investment priority.
"Efficiencies inside the terminal and on board the aircraft are
crucial to passengers' perception of air travel in the UAE," said
Norm Gilsdorf, president of
Middle East, Russia and Central
Asia, Honeywell. "With more people traveling through the
region every year, this survey shows airports and airlines can
increase customer satisfaction even further by investing in
technology to minimize disruptions and stress, and create a smarter
travel experience for passengers."
Smooth flying through check-in
According to the survey, the majority of passengers are taking
advantage of new technologies to help them check in quickly and
move through security more efficiently. E-boarding passes,
e-tickets and luggage location tracking are top of mind when it
comes to improving time spent at the airport, with almost all
passengers surveyed (97 percent) agreeing that such systems reduce
stress levels. This reliance on technology is reflected in the
demand for Honeywell's radio frequency identification baggage tag
printers and other scanning solutions, which are used in
self-service kiosks to ensure passengers collect their baggage on
time at the right destination.
These types of efficiencies mean travelers have more time to
enjoy a leisurely experience at the terminal, such as shopping and
dining, before heading for the gate. Over half of those polled (56
percent) said they spent more time using amenities during their
last airport visit than they spent going through security and
queuing for baggage check combined.
With an increasing number of passengers moving through the
region's airports, and spending longer in shops and restaurants,
Honeywell's heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, as
well as lighting, security and zonal fire safety solutions, ensure
that they feel comfortable and that their safety is maximized at
all times.
Technology takes off
Once on the aircraft, passengers continue to look for ways to
improve their flight experience. Although Wi-Fi is still an
emerging technology across large parts of the aviation industry,
passengers are increasingly considering it an essential travel
tool. Three-quarters of those polled (75 percent) said they would
substitute at least one in-flight extra such as pre-bookable seats
or free in-flight meals for fast, reliable and free Wi-Fi on board.
Interest in such a service suggests people want a smarter and
seamless way to travel, without the inconvenience of losing their
connection with friends, family or work.
Thanks to an agreement between Honeywell and Inmarsat,
passengers will soon be able to browse on their smartphones, tablet
devices and laptops when in the air over both land and sea, at the
same speed and quality as they would expect at home. Honeywell is
exclusively providing the airplane hardware for Inmarsat's GX
Aviation global high-speed, in-flight connectivity service, which
is scheduled to come online in late 2015 and is capable of
delivering up to 50MB per second broadband to the aircraft.
Approaching final destination
The survey also reveals the significant impact of delays on
passengers' travel experiences. Flight delays, diversions and
cancellations significantly influence passengers' perception of
airlines with almost a quarter (23 percent) saying they would not
consider traveling with the same airline again after experiencing
delays. The most dissatisfied group was young travelers between 25
and 29 years old, among whom 29 percent said they would not
consider flying with the same airline in the future.
Honeywell offers operators numerous systems that can improve
on-time arrivals in the Middle
East's heavily congested airspace, with innovations such as
Honeywell's SmartPath Ground-Based Augmentation System, which
enables aircraft to make more takeoffs and landings with greater
efficiency and better mitigate weather-related delays. Meanwhile,
on the aircraft Honeywell's next-generation Flight Management
Systems offer pilots more efficient routing and reduced workload.
Passengers can experience reduced taxi time by up to two minutes
and travel with lower fuel consumption and emissions with the EGTS
taxiing system, Honeywell's joint venture with Safran. When EGTS
comes to market in the next few years, an aircraft will be able to
use electrical power to taxi, enabling it to push back from the
gate and taxi autonomously without using its main engines.
About the Survey
YouGov conducted the Honeywell survey in January 2015 in the UAE among 500 respondents who
have traveled via flight in the past 12 months. Censuswide also
carried out the survey among 1,000 Turkish respondents in the same
time frame.
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