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Siemens to help LAX enhance operations, situational awareness

Los Angeles, Ca. - Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has selected Siemens as a technology partner to design and build an integrated operational flow visualization and management solution to support Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).


May 22, 2015  By Siemens

This real-time, airport data system is the first-of-its-kind to be installed at a U.S. airport. Working with the airport’s Operations and Emergency Management and Information Management and Technology Groups, Siemens is implementing Siamos, the Siemens Airport Management and Operations Suite. This management tool significantly improves real-time operational decision-making capabilities for LAX and is already running at airports in Europe and Asia.

“Los Angeles World Airports is a challenging operational environment,” said Dominic Nessi, LAWA deputy executive director and chief information officer. “Siemens brings a wealth of real-world operational expertise to Los Angeles World Airports, and utilizing Siamos has provided a cost-effective capture and analysis of data that was not possible, previously.”

The solution, a dynamic display console – or Situation Status Display System (SSDS) – is being deployed at the LAX Airport Response Coordination Center, where LAWA, the operator of the airport, monitors and manages airport operations during both normal operations and crisis situations.

Peter Sonnenfeld, Siemens’ director of aviation IT solutions in the U.S. explained, “SSDS ensures that the flow of passengers is not unnecessarily impaired, that the tenants’ and airlines’ businesses continue to run smoothly, and that if there is an incident, the response is fast and effective.”

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SSDS is based on Siemens’ airport management and operations tool (Siamos), which overlays and connects existing third-party systems in order to obtain mission critical data from external sources. The Siamos platform provides real-time, critical system snapshots of the airport’s operational condition and aids the airport in managing airside, landside and terminal operations.

“By overlaying existing platforms, Siamos provides excellent insight into where to improve process and procedures for maximum benefit,” continued LAWA’s Nessi.

Siemens has a long-standing relationship with LAWA, and has helped gather requirements, define design parameters, and provide operational support and maintenance of its command and control and emergency operations center technologies and systems. Siemens is also currently installing a new baggage handling system in Terminal 1 at LAX for Southwest Airlines.

“We are pleased to be a technology partner for LAX, especially in such a critical area of operations management,” said Kyle Heaton, Siemens business development manager for airports in the U.S. “We look forward to supporting LAWA in its efforts to increase situational awareness and improve operational flow management.” Siemens designed SSDS and is implementing it as an airport operations flow visualization and management solution. The project is scheduled for completion in June 2015. Siemens also operates and maintains the Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) solution at the Airport Response Coordination Center.

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