Western Sydney Airport flies in Accenture for technology work
The new Western Sydney International Airport has flown in consultants from Accenture to help the airport ramp up its technology operations and passenger experience.
The new airport is due to open in 2026, and the organisational body behind the masterplan – Western Sydney Airport – hopes to make it a world leader in tech-enhanced air travel experience. Accenture will help the airport design and adopt various emerging technology applications of such as internet of things, data analytics, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and security to provide the passenger with an experience that meets all their demands across convenience, safety and connectivity.
The tech will be applied to improve efficiency in the transportation of people and goods through the airport. According to Accenture, the needs of passengers, operators, airport employees and industry partners will all be kept at the centre of the planning and implementation process.
For the course of the project, Accenture will collaborate with infrastructure developers, operators and border agencies, who are being flown in from all corners of the world, to design the tech architecture and infrastructure of the airport. “The airport is a great example of innovation in the planning and development of intelligent infrastructure,” said Bob Easton, the Chairman of Accenture Australia & New Zealand.
Australia has been at the forefront of global infrastructure innovation for decades now, operating on an optimised combination of government planning and private investment. However, the rate of disruption in recent years has put the country under pressure to accelerate advances in its infrastructure.
Last year, McKinsey & Company called for the overhaul of infrastructure in the country, with greater integration of tech being a large part of this change. The new airport is an example of how Australia is looking to stay ahead of the curve. If implemented to plan, experts believe the airport may have what it takes to emerge as a world leader in air travel.
Construction of the airport began in September 2018, and completion is planned for 2026. The cost of the mega-project will cost anywhere between $6 and $8 billion. The main objective of the airport is to cater to growing demand for air travel to and from Sydney, because as it stands, by around 2027 Sydney’s current airport will have reached maximum capacity and have exhausted all its avenues to grow further.
“We look forward to working with Western Sydney Airport and will bring our deep industry experience in airports, digital technologies, cloud and customer experience to this project of national significance,” said Easton.
Accenture is a world leader in the technology space, and the firm’s expertise is regularly called upon for projects of national importance in Australia. Earlier this year, the firm was contracted by Australia’s Department of Defence (DoD) for two separate digital projects, cumulatively worth $9 million.
