App for Gatwick airport workforce wins IT innovation award

An app created for Gatwick airport has won a business IT innovation of the year award. The airport community app was recognised in the Chartered Institute of IT awards, seen as the benchmark for outstanding performance throughout the UK IT … Continue reading →

An app created for Gatwick airport has won a business IT innovation of the year award.

The airport community app was recognised in the Chartered Institute of IT awards, seen as the benchmark for outstanding performance throughout the UK IT industry.

The app also picked up two separate digital entrepreneur awards earlier in the month.

The Chartered Institute of IT judged the airport’s community app to have delivered the most measurable benefit for its business users and customers out of ten shortlisted finalists.

Introduced last year, the app gives the 10,000-strong workforce that use it access to real time information about airport issues on their smart phones.

Gatwick staff make up 25% of current users at the airport, with the remaining 75% working for other entities including airlines, ground handlers, retailers, tenants, police and immigration services.

Airport chief information officer Cathal Corcoran said: “The airport community app has had a transformational impact across the airport campus, with the digital platform bringing all entities operating on the campus together, breaking down information silos and flattening hierarchy when it comes to real time data sharing and decision making.

“More than 200 companies and 10,000 users are now using the app at Gatwick.

“We worked closely with AirportLabs to develop this initiative as a multi-airport app and it is being used or trailed at 10 airports across the world already, creating a new industry trend.”

AirportLabs director Ligiu Uiorean said: “It was a great opportunity to have Gatwick as the first adopter of the airport community app and a great challenge to improve on what is already one of the world’s most efficient single runway operations.

“AirportLabs is an research and development company focused on making the aviation more efficient and we’re always in the search for airport and airline partners to spearhead the adoption of new technologies.”