When the airport leaves the airport: the challenge of the Off-Airport model

 

A new model for passenger services

In a context where passengers expect a fluid, personalized experience, carriers are exploring new models.
More and more of the services traditionally provided at airports are now offered off-airport: at stations, hotels, shopping malls, private parking lots, or

even directly at the passenger's home.
 

This model, known as "Off-Airport", fulfils a dual promise :

• relieve congestion at airports,

• offer passengers greater comfort through distributed services.

But this promise comes with a major challenge: how to integrate into a company's IS services provided by third-party operators whose processes and

systems it has no control over?

 

A fragmented, distributed landscape

The Off-Airport model is based on a large and heterogeneous ecosystem: partner hotels, private parking lots, cab or VTC companies, railway stations,
urban terminals, etc. Each of these players has its own information system, which is generally compartmentalized and rarely interoperable.
 

Each of these players has its own information system, generally compartmentalized and rarely interoperable.
 

For the company, this means dealing with :

• uncontrolled systems,

• fragmented responsibilities,

• and an unprecedented level of dependence on external operators.

IS architecture can no longer be based on an integrated, closed model: it must evolve towards a distributed, open model.

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From centralization to federation

In this new logic, the aim is no longer to centralize everything, but to synchronize and federate.
The architecture must guarantee:

• smooth data exchange,

• information consistency,

• real-time reactivity,

• and secure interactions.

This requires the adoption of modern integration standards:

• REST APIs and microservices,

• event-driven architectures,

• shared service catalogs,

• unified identity and authorization management.

 

IS as an orchestration platform

In an Off-Airport model, the company's information system becomes first and foremost an orchestrator.:

• It doesn't provide all services directly,

• but it does expose, qualify and connect them.

We are thus moving from a "monolithic" logic to a service platform logic, where the value is no longer in each isolated application, but in the fluidity of

flows and interactions.
 

Technically, this requires the implementation of intermediate layers :

• API gateways,

• event hubs,

• rules engines,

• data brokers.

These bricks absorb the variability of third-party systems while ensuring a consistent, seamless passenger experience..

 

Non-technical issues

This transformation is not just about technology. It must be underpinned by :

• clear service level agreements (SLAs) between operators,

• data sharing and protection agreements,

• common IS governance defining responsibilities in the event of disruption.

The challenge is also cultural: to move from a silo approach to an ecosystem approach, where players share data and responsibilities.

 

Building an extensive but controlled architecture

The Off-Airport model requires IS architects to rethink their practices :

• design interconnected, scalable and resilient architectures,

• manage the variability of third-party operators,

• while maintaining strong governance and risk control.

 

It's no longer just a question of building a high-performance system, but of enabling an entire value chain (airlines, airports, external partners) to operate smoothly, reliably and in a traveler-centric way.