Tulsa International Airport Works With Aviation Tech Company to Launch New Virtual Taxicab Queueing System
Tulsa International Airport recently launched a new virtual taxicab queueing system with UnDelay, an aviation data analytics and tech company. The new system will improve efficiencies and revenue for both taxicab drivers and the airport, while maintaining the current process and simplicity for customers needing taxicab services.
Old process for taxicab drivers and airport staff:
Taxicab drivers operating at TUL were previously required to park in a lot south of the airport to enter a taxicab queue. In this lot, taxicab drivers would manually pay the airport their ground transportation fees for each airport trip they made, and then wait for their turn to pull up to the curb to pick up customers. To avoid crowded roadways, the airport only allows three taxicabs to park at the terminal curb at a time. The previous taxicab queueing lot had a monitor that showed camera footage from the terminal curb, allowing drivers to know when it was their turn to pull up to pick up a passenger. Upon arrival at the taxicab parking zone near the terminal curb, the driver would provide an airport employee their receipt, showing their payment of ground transportation fees at the queueing lot.
How the new web-based system works:
UnDelay’s web-based software now allows taxi drivers to enter the virtual “queueing zone” from a remote location, instead of physically parking in the lot south of the airport. The system will then alert drivers when it is their turn to approach the terminal curb and pick up passengers. By using geofencing technology, the web-based software will automatically charge the drivers their ground transportation fees as they approach the terminal, eliminating the need for them to manually pay the fee for each trip. Taxis will now be able to pick up passengers more quickly and efficiently. The system will also give the airport the capability to see which drivers have paid, so an airport staff member will no longer have to physically check their receipts.
"Automation is essential in aviation operations, and it will increase customer satisfaction and revenue," said Safir Monroe, Founder and CEO of UnDelay. “While working as a software engineer at Delta Air Lines, I saw a huge need in data analytics and the optimization of aviation systems. After leaving the company, I wanted to help make a huge difference in the travel industry so I created UnDelay to help reduce the problems airports and airlines were having with landside and airside operations."
“Collaborating with UnDelay to find a solution that automates the taxicab queueing process at Tulsa International modernizes our ground transportation operation while also providing more flexibility for the taxicab drivers serving our customers,” said Alexis Higgins, Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust CEO. “We are excited to be the first airport to adopt this new web-based software and look forward to deploying additional innovative solutions with UnDelay in the future.”
