Lyon airport is improving and earning a reputation as one of Europe’s forward thinking airports. Aéroports de Lyon focuses on innovation led solutions and operations with the intention to provide the best possible operational service which should further improve the overall experience for those who travel using the airport.

An example of Lyon’s advanced work is the use of Collaborative decision making. This scheme was implemented in February. This scheme allows all staff that are concerned with air traffic management to exchange information in real time. This system is open to both Lyon-Saint Exupéry and Eurocontrol. This new system will allow the airport to get the best from their functioning and improve the fluidity of the airport’s traffic. This is because the communications system will improve the coordination of all parties involved in traffic operations. This means that every flight on the Lyon-Saint Exupéry site will now be adapted so they can use the CDM systems. This system had three goals when it was installed, these were to reduce airplane movement and save money on resources, reduce and control the emissions and integrate the airport further in to the European SESAR model which can get the best out of the service for both partners and travellers alike.

The CDM is not the only system put in place to improve the efficiency of the airport. The PARAFE system focuses on facilitating border control for the airport passengers. This process is designed in particular for biometric passport holders especially. The system identifies the passenger by their fingerprints when they begin border control with the intention of providing faster access through the control system. This fingerprint system can let 5 passengers through to every 1 going past the traditional border control officer. This could lead to reduced waiting times and improve the traveller flow through Lyon’s airport.