marchapril2021 - 13

PARKING
best practices, both for their protection
and that of your customers. Expect to
reinforce that training on an ongoing
basis and to update it as new information
emerges.

Keep a Safe Distance
The CDC and other health authorities
have highlighted social distancing as
helping to reduce the risk of spreading
infection. Space markers are an
inexpensive means of promoting safe
social distancing. Place them on the
ground at queues outside terminals,
pay stations, parking lot shelters and
Frequent
cleaning and
disinfecting
are among the
most important,
effective,
and visible
steps that you
can take to
demonstrate
the airport's
commitment to
the health and
safety of air
travelers
ABM AVIATION

anywhere else your parking customers
may stand and congregate.
Taping off seats on shuttle buses is an
effective way to bring passenger capacity
within recommended levels. While air
traffic has been down, it has been easier
to adjust schedules so that more shuttles
are in circulation with fewer passengers.
That also means that service breaks for
disinfection, such as after each loop, are
less likely to disrupt passenger traffic
flows to and from the lots and garages.
According to an advisory bulletin
posted by the Airports Council
International (ACI), global passenger
traffic volume for the first half of 2021
is forecasted to reach 2.2 billion, a 20
percent increase compared to the same
period in 2020. The second half of 2021
is estimated to reach more than 3.5
billion passengers, more than double the
passenger volume for the same period
in 2020.
As airport traffic gradually increases,
it is important to develop a strong safety
plan that includes preventative measures

like enhanced ventilation systems,
physical barriers, and sanitizing stations.
Implementing preventative measures
like these can help airport operations
run smoothly, while prioritizing the
safety of employees and passengers.

Sharing is Caring
Travelers will not know what you are
doing unless you tell them. Signage -
posters, digital, window clings, among
others - not only communicates
what your customers cannot see, it
educates and reinforces the virusrelated protocols. This messaging
further reassures travelers that airport
management takes their health and
safety seriously.
Clear and effective signage for
parking and transportation services is
essential for not only employee and
passenger safety, but peace of mind. In
a study conducted by the Yale Center
for Consumer Insights, COVID-19 bus
safety signage like " please wipe down
seats " and " please sanitize hands before
sitting down " increased the likelihood
that participants would ride by more
than 50 percent.

Touchless Payment and
Beyond
Some options for touchless payment
are stand-alone credit card terminals
or contactless readers paired with a
cellphone app. Fewer surfaces touched
can help minimize risk for both
customers and your employees.
Eliminate physical touchpointss
with a mobile app that allows customers
to reserve and pre-pay online. The
app generates a virtual ticket with a
QR code, like those on mobile airline
boarding passes, that opens the lot or
garage gate when a driver arrives and
again when he or she exits. It is an easyto-use, time-saving alternative to ticket
machines and older systems.
R e m e m b e r t h a t yo u n g e r,
convenience-loving demographics,
among whom mobile technologies are
deeply embedded in their everyday lives,
are the ones expected to fuel the airtravel recovery. Even the traditionally
tech-adverse have embraced ordering,
paying for and picking up things like
groceries, coffee and pizza using the
same type of mobile app. It is quickly

becoming the standard across a wide
range of industries as smart-phone
adoption has accelerated. According to
a February 2019 Pew Research Center
study, 81 percent of Americans with
a mobile phone had a smart device,
including more than half of those age
65 and older.
Adopting these technologies brings
you closer to a fully automated operation.
The United States is benefitting from
the lessons learned from Europe, which
adopted the model a decade ago. To date,
several of the busiest U.S. airports have
successfully switched to frictionless
parking.

Looking Ahead
COVID-19 prompted a seismic shift in
mindset among airport parking facility
managers. Historically, some operators
have been reluctant to invest in new
systems and technologies until existing
equipment had reached the end of its
useful life. Many increasingly recognize
that they may not be able to afford to
wait.
Technology is also essential to being
ready for next-generation parking.
Future systems will feature f lexible
rates and dynamic pricing, similar to
those used by the airlines, hotels, and car
rental agencies. Data-based analysis and
algorithms will enable parking facilities
to actively manage their space and
revenue streams. For example, they will
be able to charge a premium for highdemand spots in peak periods, direct
drivers to under-utilized lots with lower
prices or specials and promote other
airport businesses or retail experiences.
In the short term, restoring
parking revenue will be dependent on
fostering overall air traveler confidence.
Long term, we do expect COVID-19
reactionary protocols like frequent hightouch point disinfection, electrostatic
spraying, and touchless systems to
remain as standard operating procedures.
Once the vaccine is widely
distributed and traveler confidence
returns, we are likely to see a surge in
travel, both domestic and international.
By adopting new technology and best
practices now, you will be in the best
position to reap maximum benefits from
this resurgence. 

MARCH/APRIL 2021 \ AVIATIONPROS.COM / 13
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