Colombia. That planes land and take off safely and on time is the first step in determining that an airport is working properly and in turn, possibly, is the tip of the iceberg of a chain of processes that start much earlier, for example, when buying the travel ticket or when deciding to export a cargo.
Because the airport is not only the runway or the terminal, but the entire complex of automation of runway lights and proximity systems, meteorological systems, air traffic control, telecommunications and real-time information to pilots and control towers, access roads for both passengers and cargo, as well as the infrastructure that supports their management, without neglecting the demands that a modern building must offer in terms of automation, ventilation, access, security, comfort, air conditioners, CCTV closed circuit television systems, among others.
"An airport is a complex system that operates as a Service Company that requires for its correct operation quality and reliability in Electric Power, communications, networks and databases of high speed, highly reliable systems to guarantee safety and pleasant use in the facilities and aircraft that make it up for all users both passengers, airline staff, cargo personnel, parcels, etc., So, that its area of influence sees it as an icon of progress and not as a bottleneck, "says Fabio Cortés Segment Manager WWW & Infra Andean Clauster of Schneider Electric.
Figures landed
Colombia understands very well the role that airports have in improving productivity, national and international trade and, consequently, in the development of the country.
Investments of about 3.1 billion pesos by the government demonstrate the importance of airports in the entire national economic strategy. According to the figures of the Presidency of the Republic, it is intended to improve the performance of 58 terminals in 26 departments of the country, including, for example, the terminals in Chocó, the Caribbean Coast, the Llanos, without neglecting ambitious infrastructure improvement projects for the airports with the highest traffic and economic impact of the large cities of the country and the region.
For example, the El Dorado airport in Bogotá, which is actually the second most important in South America for the number of passengers and cargo that are transported through it, according to the figures of the ACI (International Airport Council), since it went in just over 5 years from 14 million passengers to about 30 million and will continue to grow: The national government plans to create a second airport, El Dorado II, an alternative to the current one to complement the flow of cargo and passengers that this important terminal manages. This airport complex will be expected to transport more than 60 million passengers and cargo in Bogotá by 2041.
Long-term vision
Thus, air infrastructure works in the country must be planned with a view to fulfilling the task of allowing a greater flow of flights, passengers and cargo, efficiently and with low costs.
To achieve this, an airport must take advantage of the most advanced technologies that are available to project its growth and expansion in two, three, four or more decades, analyzing from the way users access the airport, including roads and public transport, the impact of organic growth on its environment and the maximum use of its land to optimize it and turn it into a cleaner organism in terms of use of fossil fuels and other elements that increase the carbon footprint.
Schneider Electric, a leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has the technology and knowledge necessary for the country's airports to grow sustainably and contribute to the development of their areas of influence efficiently. This is demonstrated by its participation in various airport projects around the world, covering large airports such as Geneva, Switzerland, Barcelona, among others.
El Prat airport, in Barcelona, is a good example of this operation: With more than one million signals to be managed, with 250 passenger traffic mechanisms, between stairs and electric corridors, ramps and elevators, added to 300 primary information panels and 1,300 secondary, 10,000 regulators, sensors and lines, without neglecting 26 transformation centers, 247 pumps and valves for the ventilation system, 30,000 fire, smoke detectors and controlled systems, only for the passenger area.
On the other hand, there are the 6,000 engines, 20 kilometers of conveyor belts and sensors of all kinds, Barcelona Airport, is a good example of centralized use of management systems, to manage all these processes from a single solution.
These are some of the elements that Schneider Electric can manage in an airport:
Energy: Obviously, the distribution of electrical energy, the efficient flow to all points and the maximum use of this resource, improving the efficiency and safety of the entire electrical system, from high and medium voltage to transformers and distribution cells in low voltage, monitored by centralized and easy-to-understand software systems.
Climate: Schneider Electric can support the management of airports around the globe, with winning solutions that enable more accurate weather prediction, for example, thanks to its climate change analysis and forecasting platform.
Automation: It generates reliability to some processes so that everything happens as it should for example that passengers find their suitcases in good weather, without waiting and with the reliability that the entire operation will take care of them, is another angle to which Schneider Electric points to improve the quality of operation at airports. Cargo, on the other hand, can also be managed with high automation systems that ensure safe and accurate destinations at all times.
Information: How many data centers do you require in an airport for proper operation? Two, three, five? Maybe just one, robust and reliable. Schneider Electric has the experience in the development of all types of data centers, from small installations for a server, to large solutions for the management of complex operations, such as those of an airport.
Safety: Modern life requires us to go beyond the possible risks present in air operation and the management of advanced safety systems is paramount to meet this requirement. Schneider Electric has video surveillance and access control systems, among others, suitable to face any setback. With security cameras suitable for any space and lighting condition, with facial recognition systems, among others, the alternatives improve considerably.
Air conditioning: An airport requires comfort which must ensure the comfort of passengers, ground staff and all operators who support the workflow. Maintain air quality, humidity and climate.
Operations and management: Keeping the analysis rates at the highest points requires trusting the infrastructure, treating you as an intelligent, interactive and reliable environment.
Thus, a modern airport seeks more than to be the port of departure and arrival of aircraft, and Schneider Electric provides end-to-end solutions to make airports smarter, more efficient and safer, regardless of their size.
