Challenge: Reducing Emissions by Optimising Aircraft Turnaround Times at Regional African Airports

*Closing date extended to 8th November 2024*

SITA (Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques) are looking to optimise aircraft turnaround times at regional African airports as a way to reduce emissions. There are many systems available for larger airports, but these are not economically or technologically suitable for smaller airports with less advanced infrastructure, which must also deal with signal and power issues. Their goal is to reduce CO2 emissions and wasted resources (primarily caused by additional use of aircraft APUs: Auxiliary Power Units) by 20% by enhancing efficiency and streamlining turnaround logistics. Innovative solutions should have real-time functionality, measurement ability and be capable of dealing with the reduced amount of data collected by smaller airports. The solutions will initially be trialled in South Africa, Nigeria or Kenya and should be scalable regionally.

To find out more about the challenge, view the recording of our information session / Q&A webinar held on Friday 11 October, and download the slides.

Solutions can engage with any suitable touchpoint (hardware, software, device, infrastructure, etc.) and are invited from, but not limited to, the following sectors:

• Aviation
• Transport
• Telecoms
• Digital
• Creative
• AI and Blockchain
• Machine Learning and Computer Vision
• Data
• Design
• Sensors
• Imaging
• Business intelligence and Forecasting

Potential technologies:

• Blockchain: Employing blockchain for secure, transparent, and efficient operational data management and coordination.
• Video Analysis/Computer Vision: Utilising advanced video analytics and computer vision for real-time monitoring and decision-making support during aircraft turnaround.
• Business Intelligence/Forecasting: Implementing BI tools for dynamic forecasting, scheduling optimisation, and enhanced decision-making based on real-time data.

SITA are seeking innovative ideas that can be tailored for their needs and tested collaboratively (not just a straight product purchase). The key ask is for innovative ways to overcome the current challenges to optimising logistics at regional airports.

Entrants to this competition must be established businesses, start-ups, SMEs, academics or individual entrepreneurs. Africa-based entrants, UK-based entrants and those from the rest of the world are invited to apply.

UK applicants must ensure that receiving the £25k seed funding will not exceed the £315,000* state aid threshold under UK Minimal Financial Assistance regulations over the current and last 2 fiscal years [or *200,000 euros for applicants affected by EC de minimis regulations].

Rewards & Benefits