Cologne Bonn Airport and the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich: cooperation on the transformation of the airport
A digital twin as a test area for new technologies and optimised processes
The cooperation between Cologne Bonn Airport and Professor Michael Schultz from the Institute of Flight Systems is creating a digital twin of Cologne Bonn Airport. The digital twin is a virtual copy of the airport and serves as a test environment for technologies. This is to evaluate their added value in practice and accelerate a market launch.
‘The approaches identified here could become part of our everyday lives as digital services in the future – of course, as an airport, we want to be part of the innovation in travel. Cologne Bonn Airport is fundamentally very interested in new aviation technologies that continuously improve the travel experience,’ says Cenk Özöztürk, CEO of Flughafen Köln/Bonn GmbH. ’The scientific results of the simulations will enable the airport to make the processes on the apron and in the terminals even more efficient and resilient for passengers in the future, based on the data.’
The head of the Professorship of Air Transportation Concepts at the Universität der Bundeswehr München (UniBw M) is currently building the digital twin, starting with the modelling of the airport infrastructure and operational processes – both airside (apron and runway system) and landside (passenger terminal).
Digital twin: targeted use of synergies
‘Innovative technologies are solving current challenges in aviation. A digital twin not only makes it possible to test different approaches, but also to combine them. This allows synergies to be exploited in a targeted manner and potential conflicts to be identified at an early stage,’ explains Prof. Michael Schultz, Head of the Professorship of Air Transportation Concepts at UniBw M.
For example, aircraft handling at the gate can be optimised using the digital twin. Sensors are used to capture the current state of the handling processes, combine the data into a comprehensive overview and develop a prediction model for more efficient processes.
‘Approach goes beyond existing simulation methods’
The collaboration between the two partners makes it possible to directly test new technologies and processes for their feasibility and to prepare them for test installations at the airport. The advantage: reduced development time and fast, cost-efficient implementation of innovations.
Prof. Michael Schultz explains: ‘Our approach with the digital twin goes beyond existing simulation methods: the aim is not only to create a realistic simulation, but also to combine data-based approaches with real-time data.’ In the future, the digital twin could also be used to test emergency scenarios, for example. ‘However, that would tend to be a long-term aspect of the cooperation, since planned processes would have to be mapped correctly first,’ says Prof. Michael Schultz.
Cologne Bonn Airport and Prof. Michael Schultz have been working together since 2018, building on joint projects. Since 2022, Prof. Michael Schultz and Cologne Bonn Airport have been working on topics such as digital, dynamic passenger management, data-based aircraft handling, and capacity and performance assessments.
The cooperation is designed to be long-term and is intended to create ever-increasing synergies through the continuous exchange between research and practice, as well as promoting a deeper understanding of the possibilities and restrictions on both sides. With this cooperation, Cologne/Bonn Airport and UniBw M are focusing on sustainable, digital and efficient airport processes. These should not only optimise operations, but also contribute to the future viability of aviation.
