All Things Airport
By: Harshvardhan Aditya
Tags: Startup, Airports, Business Intelligence, App Development, Python

“All things airport” is an app about airports as the name suggests. The main feature about this app will be that it will help customers to navigate through the airport. Most of us have been to a good amount of airports in our lifetime. However, we still have some problems trying to figure out where to go next while at the airport. For example, especially for beginners, which counter to go to after check in. This app is the solve to it.

Airport navigation

Basic Functionalities of the app —

Help you book an airplane by suggesting you the cheapest and shortest time required flight routes. Also other options to choose from such as if the flight provides food or not, if the flight has in built televisions or not, if the reviews are good or not etc and these can be arranged according to the user’s preferences to find the best choice for them. Help you navigate through the airport i.e finding the check in counter, the security check, gate number etc. Help you locate places within the airport to shop, eat, pray, smoke and much more. These will also have reviews on the basis of which the customer can decide which shops or restaurants to visit and which ones to avoid. Help you find hotels to the place you’re visiting. The customer will have options to choose from in this as well so as to find the best possible hotel for them.

These are all problems we face while travelling. This app is made to solve these problems, to make your travelling experience better so that your main focus isn’t about to reach the destination or how will my experience be in Kashmir or Singapore or wherever you are travelling. You can just relax and enjoy your trip with lesser interferences than before.

Market Demand —

We all travel places. Be it for business, a honeymoon or maybe a family trip. Everyone needs an all in one app that makes their travel easier and unchallenging. Well this is the one. Think about the last time you travelled. You probably used an app to check whether your flight was on time or not. Also, if you are like me then you would have probably used an app for your online boarding pass generation. So almost everyone who uses airplanes to travel should have such an app which will make their travel experience better. I agree that this is a first world problem, yet this problem has been around for quite a while now. However, airport based apps are still an unexplored area and much more can be done in this domain. And therefore even though the market demand is not very high for the product right now, I think with time it will grow exponentially if the correct marketing is done. For example, smart airports have started being introduced into the world. These airports are basically going digital towards their approach of helping passengers.

Source: marketsandmarkets.com

Target Customers —

Anyone and everyone who travels using airlines is a potential customer for the product. Especially travelers who are travelling for the first time need to get this app as it would be very beneficial. Not only because it helps them navigate but also because the interface would be very user friendly and easy to use. Since the number of people travelling through flights has increased over the past decade therefore the number of customers has also increased and although during this pandemic we all have been travelling a lot less. Post the COVID- 19 crisis, hopefully people will continue travelling. However even during the pandemic people who are having to travel inevitably are travelling nonetheless during this time as well. Since everything is happening digitally these days what is the problem in adding another thing to that list.

Relevant products in the market — There are certain apps which provide you with one or two of the functionalities but not many provide all of them. And even if they do they’re not very user friendly. My app will embody Dijkstra’s algorithm for finding the route which takes the shortest path. It will also use a Beacon based technology that can provide real time information to the passenger such as directions from the parking lot to the terminal, security check ins and to restaurants, shops etc. It can also be used to notify the passenger about when he should leave to reach the gate at the appropriate time. Imagine taking the best apps, each having one single functionality and combining them into one super app.

Required knowledge —

Python — This will be used for the back end of the app. SQLite — These will be used to provide information (using databases) about flights and hotels. Android Studio — This will be used for the front end of the app. Knowledge of Algorithms — Algorithms will be used for finding shortest routes, nearby hotels etc.

So, basically my app will be coded in Python which will take data from the databases in SQLite and the user will be able to see this interface through android studio.

My solution —

Schematic representation of the solution

Estimated budget —

The estimated budget for the whole project starting initially would be somewhat close to 100000 INR. Programmers would have to be employed, a workspace and necessary hardware/ cloud will be required. The advertisements would have to placed on relevant websites.

Revenue generation—

Initially the revenue generation would come from Google AdSense ads that are shown in the app. However, as the app reaches to more and more people and our budget increases from the revenue generation, we could collaborate with hotels and restaurants and offer deals to the customer, and gain a certain amount depending on what offer the customer chooses.

Marketing plan —

According to me a small YouTube ad, an online ad and some banners near airports would be enough for people to know about the app. Also if the app is really good it would sell itself. So that probably should not be a point of apprehension.

Risk analysis —

Even though the concept of the app is quite different and unique, the app might not take off (pun intended) for a couple of years. So the revenue generation could be really less. But as more and more airports take the digital route such as by the introduction of smart airports my app would certainly become a top dog in the market.

Timeline —

Here is a realistic timeline about the app –

Implementing/ coding — 3 months

Testing and launching — 1 month

The coding would take a while to be done because there are a lot of things to be taken care of such as getting information about airports, hotels, and implementing algorithms.

Milestones —

Start date — (D0) System design, identification and integration of the relevant databases — (D1 = D0 +30) Coding/ testing and implementation — (D2 = D1 + 60) Deployment —(D3 = D2 + 30)

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