Rick Belliotti, Director of Customer Experience and Innovation at San Diego International Airport (SAN), is a distinguished innovation leader in the aviation industry. Belliotti has worked in the aviation industry for almost 20 years, and he has served SAN since 2013. In his role, Belliotti oversees teams focused on data analytics, arts, and customer experience. Most notably, Belliotti oversees the San Diego International Airport Innovation Lab, which trials solutions from external providers to refine its approach to operating better in the airport environment.

For this article and others in this Publication, Belliotti provided his insights on several topics related to technology and the pursuit of innovation within the airport industry. In the following sections, this article outlines SAN’s approach to innovation and Belliotti’s role in overseeing the Airport Innovation Lab:

• Objectives and approach
• Obstacles
• Technology and industry trends

Objectives and Approach

Innovation Program Built on Four Pillars

The Airport Innovation Lab at SAN operates based on four foundational pillars: improve revenue, reduce costs, improve the customer experience, and increase operational performance. When assessing potential areas for opportunities, the innovation team will evaluate solutions based on these pillars. While these pillars do not change, the organization does develop new problem statements to solicit responses from companies interested in its program. The innovation team works with stakeholders across the airport organization to identify areas of opportunity and come together to develop a suitable problem statement.

Engage Multiple Stakeholders

The Airport Innovation Lab at SAN is a thoughtfully designed process, refined from the start of the process through procurement of chosen solutions. This includes close coordination between the innovation team and stakeholders across the various functional areas of the airport organization. Through planned coordination events, the SAN innovation team coordinates with these stakeholders to identify and resolve obstacles to incorporating innovative solutions into the airport. By maintaining these relationships, the innovation team can understand and address needs from various parties.

Innovation Program Incorporates Failure

The innovation team understands that many of the solutions that go through the program may not ultimately prove successful; however, they are willing to take a risk on solutions that are currently foreign to the airport industry but have the greatest potential upside. With each failure, the innovation team uses lessons learned to improve the overall innovation process.

Obstacles

The complex nature of airports can result in significant obstacles to the development of an innovation program. In this section, Belliotti shared some of the obstacles and hindrances that airports may encounter when pursuing innovation.

Innovation Program Must Show Worth

Since innovation must embrace risk and failure to truly be innovative, it can be difficult to quantify the value of innovation to an organization. An organization pursuing an innovation program must therefore consider what metrics will determine success. While revenue is a great metric for a successful business program, the nature of innovation may require heavy investment before return is realized. SAN’s investment into its Airport Innovation Lab has already shown success by establishing new revenue sources and improving passenger experience through innovations incorporated into the airport. A notable example is that of a food delivery service that enables passengers to order food to their gate using their mobile phones.

New Vendors not Familiar with Airports

The companies driving new technologies may not always have previous experience in the aviation industry. This lack of operational knowledge of airports can impact many of the previous business and operational models that these companies leveraged. Belliotti noted that a common obstacle faced when dealing with new vendors is accounting for the level of support necessary to accommodate the number of customers traveling through the airport. Another obstacle is accounting for the added process complexities presented by the airport environment.

Airport Organizations not Familiar with Start-Ups

Dealing with companies that are not familiar with the airport industry can present issues from the airport perspective as well. For example, airport operators may overestimate the size and capacity of companies that are developing these innovative solutions. A large portion of companies working on the forefront of technology may have resource constraints that affect their ability to accommodate the needs of the airport environment. Large change orders or drastic adjustments may overwhelm the resources of smaller companies. An airport organization may have to temper its expectations when dealing with early-stage companies.

Technology and Industry Trends

Belliotti provided the following insights into technologies that his organization is currently pursuing, along with trends that he sees occurring in the industry.

Investigating Environmentally Conscious Technologies

Belliotti noted that SAN looks at innovative solutions for the airport space generally, in addition to specific technologies. Environmental conservation is a current area of interest and priority for the Airport Innovation Lab since reduction in waste can be both environmentally and financially beneficial. By using innovative solutions, SAN desires to be a better steward of its resources and the environment.

Advanced Automation Solutions Can Revolutionize Airports

Belliotti believes that automation-based solutions—such as autonomous vehicles or robotics—have the potential to greatly impact airport operational efficiency and passenger experience. But to be successful in the airport environment, these solutions must account for a range of human actions and variables not always encountered or considered rational in other types of locations. For example, airport passengers tend to arrive in different locations on an airport property and must perform a series of tasks to complete their processing steps, with a range of add-ons and alterations to their journey. These variables increase the complexity for the deployment of automation solutions. This complexity may also present an opportunity for these solutions developed in the airport space to be applied to other industries.

Aviation Culture Changes Are Needed to Foster Innovation

While many airport organizations are looking to build in-house innovation programs, Belliotti believes that this can be a costly endeavor if not properly handled. Programs must be able to show value. They should also be championed by top-level leaders within the organization who can continue to advocate for the program while also nurturing an internal culture of innovation among all levels of staff. A better alternative might be for airports to join together to innovate as a group rather than individually.

Monitor Trends in Amusement and Arena Industries

Belliotti stated that SAN studies industries that face process challenges similar to those at airports, such as the amusement and arena industries. Technology innovation occurring in these industries can signal what trends may soon come to the aviation and airport industries. These industries may also be able to drive innovation in ways that an airport organization cannot, while creating use cases that substantiate further adoption of technology solutions.