Edinburgh Airport

As passenger numbers rapidly grew by up to one million per year, Edinburgh Airport's existing IT infrastructure was becoming increasingly complicated and constrained. Outdated hardware, complex configuration, and wireless capacity issues were causing problems with service provision to third parties, who make up a large part of any airport's IT estate. 

From airlines to cargo services, baggage handlers, and ground services, the IT team needed to offer quick and easy service provision, which the existing network was unable to support. Instead, time-consuming manual processes and scheduling of frequent change windows were slowing them down. Additionally, the airport had a specific fibre topology that had to be adhered to, making it difficult to upgrade hardware.

We worked closely with Edinburgh Airport to develop a comprehensive strategy that would modernise IT service delivery and consumption in preparation for future requirements. Together, we decided they would benefit from an SDN which was centralised, simplified, and secured campus-wide. We also identified an opportunity to monetise the new and improved network by enabling third parties to run their own internal tech and customer Wi-Fi, generating revenue back from the airport's investment.

The refresh began in 2019, but soon after the project began the COVID pandemic hit the UK – having a devastating effect on the airline industry. From handling 14.7 million passengers in 2019, 2020 saw fewer than 3.5 million – a drop of 76%. The airport was completely closed for a time, meaning the project was paused for six months, and many IT staff were furloughed.

We offered flexibility when working through this difficult time, continuing to push the project forward in a way that was risk-averse enough for the airport but still accelerated the project timeline. By taking advantage of longer, less precarious change windows due to fewer flights, we managed to gain back most of the six months we’d initially lost.

The new network enhances the passenger experience with consistent, reliable customer Wi-Fi, Bluetooth beaconing, and airport wayfinding tools. In the future Edinburgh Airport will also be able to offer retailers value-adding data from the network, from social distancing and occupancy monitoring to customer engagement and digital signage.

Simplifying the systems has also been crucial, following staff cuts and shortages due to furlough. Changes are now made with the click of a button instead of requiring pages of code, making it easier for the remaining small team to operate.

And following delivery of the solution, Edinburgh Airport engaged us as their managed service provider, in order to support future business development and growth. It’s a unique opportunity for us to act as an extension of the airport's team, focusing on standardisation, simplification, and centralising IT operations to deliver benefits extending across the entire airport, third parties, and customer experience.