Wings India: Airport operations set for a structural shift, says GMR Airports executive

“Over the next five to six years, many of the travel requirements that get done inside the airport terminal will move outside. From boarding pass issuance to baggage check-in, you may not need to enter the terminal as early as you do now,” said SGK Kishore, Executive Director and Chief Innovation Officer of GMR Airports.

Speaking to The Hindu at Wings India 2026, Mr. Kishore said airport operations are set for a structural shift, with several passenger processes gradually moving beyond the terminal building. “Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) has already introduced cityside check-in facilities. Over the coming years, seamless screening, baggage tracking and pre-terminal processing could reduce the need for early arrival and lower stress levels,” he said.

His remarks come a year after the Airport Operations Control Centre, or APOC, was introduced at RGIA in December 2024. “What began as an internal digital control layer is now emerging as the backbone for redesigning how airports function, how stakeholders coordinate and how passengers experience air travel,” he said.

One year of APOC

Instead of developing separate digital tools for individual applications, GMR created a hierarchical digital platform into which all airport data flows. Multiple data sources, owned by different stakeholders, are consolidated into a central data lake. Artificial intelligence models and analytics layers are built on top of this shared platform and then disseminated as actionable inputs. “The biggest comfort for all stakeholders today is that there is a single source of truth,” Mr. Kishore said.

Earlier, airlines, security agencies and airport operators relied on parallel systems, each working with its own data. Communication was often fragmented and coordination could be delayed. With APOC, all major stakeholders now operate from a common control room in Hyderabad, using real-time shared data to respond to operational events.

From siloed responses to coordinated action

APOC continuously generates alerts based on inputs from video analytics, IoT systems and operational databases. These alerts range from congestion and aircraft turnaround delays to safety-related issues such as vehicles overspeeding or unauthorised entry into restricted areas.

Over the past year, a key focus has been on analysing and prioritising these alerts. Hundreds and thousands of notifications can be generated daily. GMR has begun grouping them into functional categories and assigning priority levels to ensure faster response.

“This has strengthened preparedness during predictable events such as holiday rushes, festival traffic and high-security periods. In unforeseen situations such as bad weather or aircraft diversions, the platform flags disruptions and anticipates cascading impacts. While the digital twin identifies what is happening and what may follow, operational playbooks define how stakeholders should respond,” he added.

Preparing for growth

One year after APOC went live in Hyderabad, the system has moved from installation to stabilisation. “The next phase will focus on making operations predictive rather than reactive and gradually reshaping airport design and passenger experience. The objective is to bring down stress levels for passengers and improve the experience, while keeping it affordable,” he said.