The aviation industry needs to work on the resilience of air travel against health threats and regain passenger trust. This paper proposes a pandemic-free travel concept based on creating an infectious diseases free zone in the airport terminal building through screening of passengers, crews and airport workers. This research shows that infectious disease detection methods applicable at the airport could be available in a short timeframe, at affordable cost and in scale. The potential location of passenger health screening, facilitation requirements, health responsibilities delegation and appropriate usage of industry standards for regulations are key elements to a potential implementation that would be phased and long term.

No abstract

This paper presents the state of the art of aircraft ground handling at airports. The main opportunities for automation of these activities are pointed out. This leads to identify different challenges to be overcomed to build safe and efficient automated ground handling operations. Greatest opportunity for automation lies with automated docking of ground support equipment to aircraft in the short term, with further autonomous vehicles moving around the aircraft and automated systems within the aircraft later on.

No abstract

No abstract