Gatwick Airport improves check-in processes and customer experience

Challenges involved in improving the check-in process

London Gatwick operates the world’s most efficient single runway and is the second largest airport in the UK, with 53 airlines taking 44 million passengers to 228 destinations in 74 countries around the world every year.

With large volumes of customers and passengers, the airport faces particular challenges when improving processes:

Constant change

With the air travel industry being affected by a huge range of factors like increased security measures and busier flight schedules, it can be very difficult for airports to please everyone.

Connected flows

Every part of the customer experience is connected. For example, making changes to security lanes could affect the amount of time passengers spend in the lounge. As such, every area has to be considered when trying to improve the passenger experience.

Using simulation to identify a solution for everyone

Using Simul8 has changed how Gatwick work by offering an increased flexibility of testing scenarios within a safe, risk-free environment before implementing changes in real life.

Better results

By using Simul8, Gatwick gained significant and meaningful results with simulations of the check-in process and lounge areas, including real flight schedules and airline information. The ease of use and accessibility of Simul8 ensured Gatwick utilized all capabilities, helped minimize queue times while maximizing throughput and ensuring a better customer experience.

Improved flexibility

At any airport no two days are ever the same, passenger numbers fluctuate, flights can be delayed and many other influences such as seasonal variation will come into play. If the team want to test multiple check-ins with multiple different airlines – each with its own imported passenger profile – they have the flexibility to do this with Simul8.

Better communication

Simulation is a great tool for assisting communication among staff, providing a common visualization of newly implemented processes. For example, if Simul8 has shown that only a certain number of security personnel are needed at a given time, this can be communicated to head of security to help implement changes and reduce wait times for passengers.

Robust systems testing and avoidance of critical failures

Gatwick simulates layouts and passenger flows to prevent disruption to customer services. If passenger numbers increase, or if new timely security measures are introduced, testing these types of scenarios and communicating solutions in a highly visual and interactive manner helps Gatwick to avoid critical failures.

Advising airline partners

Using Simul8 has enabled Gatwick to be able to advise airlines on how to make operations more efficient without increased investments.

For example, Gatwick’s redeveloped security area in the south terminal has 19 lanes allowing passengers to be processed quickly by simply scanning their ticket. Using Simul8 along with new security technology has changed factors such as wait times and staff numbers, helping to determine how many staff members are needed at any given time.