Autonomous Systems in Aviation

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, international air travel came to a stillstand, resulting in many people losing their jobs and leaving the aviation industry. Last year and particularly in this year, as most borders have reopened for international air travel, air traffic volumes are growing again and, in some cases, exceeding pre-COVID levels. However, the departure of skilled personnel from the aviation industry has led to a serious staff shortage at airports and airlines. This not only restricts capacity and leads to unacceptably long queues at airports, but it also hinders the recovery of the aviation industry. In response to the current staff shortage, airports are looking for technological ways to fulfil functions previously done by staff, thereby streamlining transport and logistics processes. One potential solution is the use of autonomous transport and logistic systems at airports. This seminar will discuss current autonomous systems in airports. The discussions will focus on safety and sustainability.

Speaker

Prof. Lodewijks received the BS degree in Transport Engineering and Logistics from the University of Twente, The Netherlands, in 1990, and the MS degree in Transport Engineering and Logistics and the PhD degree in Dynamics of Transportation Systems from Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, in 1992 and 1996, respectively. He was a Professor of Transport Engineering and Logistics at Delft University of Technology from 2001 to 2017 and served as the Chief Technology Officer of Schiphol Airport Group from 2007 to 2010. Since 2017, he has been a Full Professor and the Head of the School of Aviation at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. He has authored approximately 300 publications, including two books and more than 140 journal articles. His research interests include the optimisation of maintenance, repair and overhaul processes; automation of air cargo handling systems; tracking and tracing of equipment, components, and people at airports and in aviation-related companies, optimisation of gate processes and baggage handling procedures to reduce aircraft turnaround time, maintaining safety and security in airport logistic processes, and improving passenger experience by streamlining airport logistics.