‘As the virus mutates, technology has to be a step ahead’

Seamless travel is the new mantra in the aviation industry. Vision-Box is a multinational technology company headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, and partners with airlines, governments, airports and private entities to provide solutions for safe travel and manage the traveller identification clearance process. In an interview with BusinessLine, Vision-Box Head of Sales, EMEA & India, Mitul Ruparelia, talks about the challenges ahead for the aviation industry:

How far can technology ensure that flight bans do not affect the airline industry?

The fact is that there have been no common international standards on how airlines, airports and bilaterals should evolve during and after the pandemic. The economy of a country greatly depends on opening up the skies. According to a study, four out of five travellers want a higher level of technology so that it allows them to have better confidence while travelling. Each country is trying to ring-fence its borders and protect its own people, which is impacting the economy.

For how long will the so-called new normal continue?

We have spoken to several airports and airlines. There is a general assumption that for the passenger volumes to return to pre-Covid-19 levels, it will take at least 3-4 years. Here two fundamental things are playing out.

One, several airport and airlines have accelerated their decision-making to launch a full-scale contactless, seamless and mobile environment. Second, technology is the key to the resumption of services.

For one of our clients, we have introduced a new travel safety platform for faster airport clearances and contactless facial recognition. As the virus continues to mutate, technology, too, has to be one step ahead.

India is hesitant to roll out stimulus packages for the airlines...

The Ministry of Civil Aviation is helping airlines and airports to scale up their technology deployment. It is important to realise that supporting the industry will directly help the economy.