Keeping passengers as the end-users in mind, Rupal Sinha, CEO IFMS, Quess Corp Limited describes the airport FM model as ‘B2C2C’. From general housekeeping to specialised cleaning services and more, she writes about how service providers can work with airport authorities to execute efficient, unobtrusive facility management.
Scheduling cleaning in a 24X7 facility
Both the inside and facade of the airport terminal building need to be cleaned as per planned schedules, keeping in mind the typography, climate conditions, and other such considerations. These schedules are planned and forecasted in collaboration with necessary stakeholders from the relevant airport authority.
The airport has necessary data on departures and arrivals of aircraft and footfall, that help us coordinate the frequency of scheduled and on-call cleaning. The software used for Airline Scheduled Planning generates AI-driven data that helps the airport operations team to plan the cleaning schedules.
The arrival and departure airline schedules forecast the passenger traffic flow, and resources are deployed accordingly at the specifically demarcated zone for cleaning to ensure the zone is available for passengers without any hassle. The traffic data helps prioritise allocation, deployment, and utilisation of optimum resources, ensuring a smooth and seamless flow of the cleaning activity.
Up in the air: facade cleaning
Being a high-risk activity, facade cleaning requires certain certifications and standards to be met, set by the National Safety Council, OHSAS, ISO, BSE etc. The onsite team should fulfil the medical fitness requirements and be trained by IRATA and MEWP.
Multiple gates, large display boards, and tall glass facades with metal tracks are cleaned using aerial work platforms, scissor lifts, vertical platforms or other mechanised means. It is essential to keep the ground occupation as low as possible because of passenger queues, display boards, check-in counters etc. Canopies made of Tencent fabric are cleaned from the top and beneath, and are best handled using ultra-clean water purification systems and carbon lightweight telescopic poles.
A maintenance calendar is rolled out monthly by the airport authority, and the allocation of work is synchronised to meet the requirements.
Can service providers provide airport security services?
The government security forces handle the airport zone since it’s a high-risk area, and rightly so. However, globally, private security companies manage security check-ins, baggage and passenger scanning, ticket checking at gate, traffic management on arrival, and departure, to name a few.
Airport waste management
We can help airports implement a waste management policy that manages waste right from collection, segregation, treatment to energy generation onsite. Airports generate both solid and hazardous waste, which is typically processed in three ways: recycling, incineration/disposal or landfill.
The terminal building at the airport generates maximum waste. Food and beverage containers, waste food, newspapers, magazines and tags are all collected at multiple areas of the terminal building and defined by the traffic flow. In addition to this, the terminal building area also generates waste from restrooms, offices, public areas of the passenger terminal, restaurants, food joints, and retail shops.
Added to this is the waste generated from airlines, which is dependent on the type of flight, its load, service factors, duration of flight, delays, packaging, salvage policy of the airline, etc. A major portion of the waste generated, which is in the form of food waste, paper products, etc., is recyclable or compostable in nature.
Additionally, water recycling and sewage treatment activities are key areas for which specialized teams can be deployed.
