Managing the systems behind 34 million passenger journeys
One of the UK’s largest airports needed a partner that could support its growth, enhance passenger experience, and manage more than 50 business-critical applications across an operationally demanding aviation environment. They have been our customer since 2012.
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- Industry: Aviation, Airports
- Region: United Kingdom
The airport is one of Europe’s largest, employing thousands of people and supporting tens of thousands through its airlines, ground handlers, and retail partners. Tens of millions of passengers travel through its terminals annually, and it operates one of the world’s busiest single-use runways.
In 2012, the airport sought a reliable partner capable of supporting its growth, enhancing the passenger experience, and managing costs across multiple technologies and application services.
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Challenge
The airport needed a partner that could support its operational growth, enhance passenger experience, and reliably manage more than 50 business-critical applications and databases in a high-pressure, deadline-driven environment.
Solution
Getronics established a dedicated applications support team embedded within airport operations, managing critical systems from the operational database and enterprise service bus through to departure sequencing, aircraft docking, security monitoring, and passenger e-gates.
Results
The airport has maintained uninterrupted operations across its most critical systems for 14 years without a vendor transition, modernised its integration platform and decommissioned legacy systems without disruption, and retained a partner willing to flex commercially when passenger volumes collapsed during the pandemic.
Supporting growth and passenger experience at one of the world’s busiest airports
With tens of millions of passengers passing through multiple terminals each year, the airport operates in one of the most demanding environments in global aviation. Every technology failure has the potential to disrupt passengers, airlines, and ground operations simultaneously.
The airport needed a partner that could work across multiple technologies and application services, meet tight deadlines in operationally challenging areas, and deliver consistent service quality over time. The partner also needed to integrate with the airport’s own teams rather than operating in isolation, and to demonstrate commercial flexibility as the business evolved.
A dedicated applications team managing the airport’s most critical systems
Getronics established a dedicated applications support team with deep knowledge of airport operations and platforms, adopting a one-team approach that embedded Getronics staff within the airport’s existing support structure.
The team manages more than 50 business-critical applications and databases, including the airport’s operational database (the real-time repository of all flight information), the enterprise service bus, aircraft gate docking guidance systems, departure aircraft sequencing and stand allocation tools, security performance monitoring systems that take live feeds from x-ray machines and scanners, a cloud-based data integration platform, and the passenger boarding pass and biometric e-gate system.
The partnership has evolved through several major phases: the initial contract in 2012, a two-year enterprise integration programme in 2015 that enabled the decommissioning of numerous legacy systems, cloud migration in 2024, and an enterprise service bus modernisation programme in 2025.
14 years of continuous trust, evolving with the airport’s needs
Since the contract award in 2012, Getronics has consistently proven its capabilities and is trusted by the airport to manage its most critical operational systems. The airport has chosen to renew services and continue the partnership through to the end of 2026.
The relationship has been sustained through economic cycles, a global pandemic, and continuous operational change. Getronics demonstrated commercial flexibility during COVID-19, adapting the contract and services to support the airport commercially during a period of drastically reduced passenger volumes, then scaling back up as demand recovered.
50+ business-critical applications managed
Getronics manages more than 50 airport applications and databases covering flight operations, departure sequencing, aircraft docking, security monitoring, passenger processing, and data integration.
14 years of continuous partnership
The contract was awarded in 2012 and has been renewed through to the end of 2026, spanning a major integration programme, a global pandemic, and ongoing modernisation.
Tens of millions of passengers per year supported
The applications managed by Getronics underpin the operational systems that move tens of millions of people annually through its terminals and one of the world’s busiest single-use runways.
