By Sharen Kaur
KUALA LUMPUR: Artificial intelligence (AI) could help Asian airports handle rising passenger traffic by improving the use of existing runways, gates and terminals, reducing the need to wait years for costly infrastructure expansion, said Assaia chief executive officer Christiaan Hen.
AI can identify bottlenecks during aircraft turnarounds in real time, allowing airport and airline teams to intervene before disruptions on the ground develop into flight delays, he said.
AI offers a different approach by helping airports increase the capacity of existing infrastructure through efficient day-to-day operations and optimised resource allocation, he said.
The technology is becoming increasingly relevant as passenger traffic across Asia grows, while airports face labour shortages, rising operational complexity and the high cost and long lead times associated with physical expansion.
Hen said many flight delays begin on the ground rather than in the air, with aircraft turnarounds involving a tightly coordinated sequence of baggage handling, passenger disembarking, refuelling, cleaning, catering and boarding.
"The turnaround is a highly interconnected operation, so even a small delay in baggage handling, disembarking, refuelling, cleaning or boarding can quickly cascade through the rest of the process," he said.
Assaia's annual Turnaround Report, which analyses more than 450,000 aircraft turnarounds at airports globally, found that flights delayed by at least 15 minutes took longer to complete baggage offloading than flights that departed on time.
It also found that departure delays of more than six minutes are typically unrecoverable, increasing the risk of knock-on disruptions across an airline's daily schedule.
Assaia's ApronAI platform uses computer vision and AI to monitor aircraft turnaround activities and automatically timestamp key milestones, including disembarking, baggage loading and unloading, refuelling, catering, cleaning, boarding and pushback.
The system compares the progress of each activity against the planned turnaround timeline and alerts operations teams when a task begins to fall behind schedule.
"For example, if baggage unloading takes longer than expected or refuelling starts late, airport and airline operations teams can intervene immediately before the delay cascades into other turnaround activities and ultimately affects the aircraft's departure time," Hen said.
The technology can also identify recurring bottlenecks at specific aircraft stands, during particular processes or at certain times of day, allowing airports to address systemic problems rather than simply responding to individual delays.
The New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, the first airport in Japan to adopt Assaia's technology, illustrates the growing use of AI by airports seeking to maintain operational reliability as passenger demand increases, Hen said.
Japan has built a reputation for operational efficiency, while New Chitose serves as Hokkaido's main international gateway and is central to Hokkaido Airports' plans to expand international connectivity, particularly with Southeast Asia.
For passengers, greater use of AI could mean fewer unexpected delays, more reliable departure times and smoother journeys, including shorter waits for aircraft gates and baggage delivery.
"Passengers rarely think about what happens while an aircraft is on stand, but those activities have a direct impact on their journey.
"For passengers, including those travelling to and from Malaysia, this means fewer unexpected delays, greater confidence that flights will depart on time and a smoother experience on arrival, with less waiting for a jet bridge or baggage delivery," he said.
Assaia's technology integrates with existing airport and airline operational systems, including airport operational databases and systems supporting airport collaborative decision-making processes.
It also uses existing airside cameras to provide a real-time view of aircraft turnaround operations.
The system combines visual and operational data to identify and timestamp turnaround milestones, monitor activities and flag operational risks, giving airports, airlines and ground handlers a shared view of each aircraft's progress.
Hen said integrating AI into the complex airport ecosystem was a bigger challenge than the technology itself.
"An airport is an ecosystem of airlines, airports, ground handlers and service providers, each with their own systems and priorities and streams of data. For AI to deliver value, it needs to provide a shared, trusted operational picture that helps everyone make faster, better-informed decisions," he said.
"Cost is also naturally an important consideration, but AI is increasingly becoming a longer-term operational investment. And ultimately, adoption depends on demonstrating measurable improvements, whether that's reducing delays, increasing aircraft utilisation or protecting margins.
"As more airports report tangible operational and financial benefits, confidence in AI adoption will continue to grow," he said.
Potential gains can be significant, says Hen.
At JFK Terminal 4 in New York, Assaia said its technology reduced average ground delays by about five minutes per flight, representing potential annual cost savings of US$40 million.
Alaska Airlines reported a 17 per cent increase in on-time departures, while Berlin Brandenburg Airport achieved a 69 per cent reduction in ground delays, according to the company.
"These improvements translate into more reliable journeys for passengers and more consistent operations for airports," Hen said.
He said AI could also help airports increase flight capacity without immediately undertaking major physical expansion by improving the utilisation of existing infrastructure.
Hen said airports had two forms of capacity: physical capacity, determined by terminals, gates and runways, and operational capacity, determined by how efficiently those assets are used.
"Airports are beginning to recognise there is significant untapped capacity within existing operations. By reducing unnecessary delays and enabling gates to be used more efficiently, AI helps airports accommodate more flights without immediately building additional infrastructure," he said.
Assaia's ResourceManager has demonstrated the potential to increase stand capacity by up to 16 additional flights a day, he said.
For many airports operating close to capacity, AI-powered technology is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to support future growth," Hen said.
The technology could also become an increasingly important competitive tool as Asian airports vie to strengthen their positions as regional aviation hubs.
While geography and physical infrastructure remain important factors in determining hub locations, operational performance is becoming a bigger differentiator, Hen said.
Airlines need predictable operations because delays can affect aircraft utilisation across their wider networks, while passengers increasingly expect reliable and seamless journeys.
"The airports that combine modern infrastructure with intelligent, data-driven operations will be best placed to compete for airlines, passengers and future investment. In this sense, AI is becoming part of an airport's competitive strategy," he said.
Source: https://www.nst.com.my/business/corporate/2026/08/1508683/ai-helps-asian-airports-squeeze-more-existing-capacity
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