Dean Wright is the Associate Director of Gating and Airport Flow at Toronto Pearson Airport, and in over two decades at Toronto Pearson has held a lot of titles at the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA). He is accountable for the Resource Management Unit (RMU), Apron Management Unit (AMU) and Airport Collaborative Decision Making, or A-CDM.
Airports have three main flows: people, baggage and aircraft. If all three flow smoothly, the airport is working perfectly. The RMU coordinates the movement of people and bags, while the AMU communicates with NAV Canada, directing aircraft on our apron. Airport-Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) is a system of cutting edge decision making processes backed up by new technology, enabling the RMU and AMU to make our airport more efficient.
As we grow, we want to maximize the use of gates, baggage belts and check-in counters. We use A-CDM to collect data from airlines, baggage handlers, NAV Canada and other airport partners, and analyze it. This analysis can reduce wait times by having resources like boarding bridges or baggage belts ready exactly when they’re needed.
The A-CDM system will make a world of difference for an airline or a passenger. Thinking back to my 24 years old self and knowing the potential then, who knows what the next 20 years will look like.
