Manchester Airports Group opts for Esri GIS to manage 25-year growth plan

System will allow each airport to map and record asset information in one central database and share it between any department

Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has selected Esri's Geographical Information System (GIS) in order to aid asset management and improve the group's growth plans.

MAG is the largest UK-owned airport operator, running Manchester, London Stansted, East Midlands and Bournemouth airports. Manchester Airport's £650m Airport City is set to be one of the first projects to benefit from Ersi GIS, which will go live next year as part of a 25-year growth plan.

The system will enable each airport to map and record asset information in one central database, which can be shared between any department. Multiple layers of information will be accessible on a map, enabling airports to visualise any and all requirements.

"The best way of looking at what we do across such complex sites, and communicating it around the business, is on a map," said Vickie Withnell, group GIS adviser at MAG.

"As the airports evolve, we need the right tools to determine how to optimise use of our assets and resources. By joining-up related parts of the business, GIS will play a crucial role in helping shape each airport's future growth and development," she continued.

"By having a single source of asset information that informs the whole business, each airport will become better connected internally and be able to make faster business decisions," Withnell added.

GIS will also enable MAG to introduce increased collaboration across the organisation in addition to driving efficiency through the adoption of more automated systems.

"Visualising assets in a single view gives airports the big picture needed to manage their increasing diversity," added Graham Wallace, business strategist for Esri UK.

"Using GIS simplifies the entire lifecycle of asset data, making it easier to share and harnesses its true business value," he said.