In the complex world of aviation, airports are no longer just transit points, they are sophisticated ecosystems requiring tight orchestration of operations, technology, and personnel.
With the ever-increasing volume of passengers, baggage, and aircraft movements, airport authorities are under pressure to modernize and digitize their operations. In this blog, we explore how Odoo, a robust and modular ERP platform, can be leveraged to manage the end-to-end functioning of a modern airport -from passenger movement to baggage handling, ground staff coordination to regulatory compliance- while ensuring seamless collaboration with external agencies.
Understanding the Scope of Work
I. What the Airport Authority is Directly Responsible For
These are domains that fall within the airport authority's operational, administrative, or strategic control.
A. Passenger & Baggage Infrastructure
- Terminal facility management
- Check-in counter allocation
- Baggage handling systems
- Boarding gates and waiting lounges
- Arrival & departure hall services
B. Baggage Operations (Infrastructure + Coordination)
- Conveyor systems, RFID/barcode infrastructure
- Lost baggage claims system (though resolution involves airlines too)
- Baggage security scanning
C. Airside & Groundside Operations
- Runway & taxiway maintenance
- Apron management (stand allocation)
- Airside vehicle management (buses, loaders, pushbacks)
- Refueling logistics coordination (not the fuel itself)
D. Staff & Vendor Management
- Airport staff (admin, maintenance, cleaning)
- Vendor operations (retail shops, food courts, duty-free)
- Housekeeping and facility management
E. Commercial Operations
- Retail & food space leasing
- Parking revenue and access management
- Advertising space and campaigns
- Cargo/logistics terminal leasing
F. Security Infrastructure
- CCTV, access control, restricted zone management
- Physical infrastructure for immigration, customs, CISF
(Note: security operations may be managed by government forces, but the infrastructure and systems are the airport’s responsibility)
G. Maintenance & Utilities
- HVAC, lighting, plumbing, and overall MEP systems
- Escalators/elevators
- Fire safety systems
- DG backup, water storage, sewage systems
H. Documentation, Permits & Compliance
- Vendor licenses and staff ID cards
- Building codes and aviation safety compliance
- Internal SOP documentation and audits
II. What the Airport Authority is Not Directly Responsible For
These areas are typically handled by external agencies, but require close coordination.
A. Airline Operations
- Ticket sales, check-in systems (airline-managed)
- Boarding process (airline staff)
- In-flight operations, crew scheduling
- Lost/delayed baggage handling (post-handling stage)
B. Immigration, Customs & Security Forces
- Managed by national government agencies (e.g., immigration officers, CISF)
- Visa stamping, passport scanning, customs declarations
- Surveillance beyond public zones (border control, red flagging)
C. Air Traffic Control (ATC)
- Run by national aviation authorities (e.g., AAI in India, FAA in the US)
- Flight path management, airspace control, weather alerts
D. Fuel Supply & Refueling
- Managed by oil companies and airline contracts
- Airport provides infrastructure (fuel hydrant systems)
E. Medical Emergencies / Ambulances
-
Usually government health services or private emergency partners
III. How Dependencies Are Managed
Even for areas not under direct control, the airport authority must:
- Provide Infrastructure
Example: Immigration desks, ATC towers, refueling bays -
Establish SOPs & SLAs
- For coordination with airlines, government departments, and third-party providers
-
Enable Digital Integrations
- Real-time flight data from ATC
- Baggage routing from airlines
- Customs clearance systems APIs
- Passenger screening system connections
-
Host Coordination Teams
- Airline helpdesks
- Customs liaison officers
- Emergency response desks
-
Manage Compliance and Reporting
- Aviation authority audits
- Emergency drills (mock hijack, fire safety, etc.)
Final Scope Summary
| Category | Ownership | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Core Airport Infrastructure | Airport Authority | Terminals, baggage, airside, lounges |
| Commercial & Revenue Ops | Airport Authority | Parking, leasing, retail, ads |
| Security Infrastructure | / Shared | CCTV, access control (infra) |
| Airline Operations | Airline Owned | Ticketing, boarding, in-flight |
| Immigration & Customs | Govt-Owned | Border control, visa checks |
| Air Traffic Control | Govt-Owned | Flight routing, airspace |
| Emergency & Fuel | 3rd Party / Govt | Fueling by oil co., ambulance by EMS |
Total Flights/Day
150Domestic Flights
105International Flights
45Passengers per Domestic Flight
100Passengers per International Flight
220Total Passengers per day
20,400The Implementation
LEVEL 1: What Can Be Done with Odoo Native Apps + Odoo Studio
We will go through each responsibility area of the airport authority and assess what can be handled by:
- Native Odoo Apps (Standard modules)
- 🛠 Extended via Odoo Studio (no full custom coding)
- Not possible natively (will be handled in Level 2)
| Task | Odoo App | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Staff records, ID cards | Employees | Complete HR profiles, documents, tags |
| Shift planning & rotations | Planning + 🛠 Studio | Weekly roster views; extend with custom duty groups |
| Attendance & biometrics | Attendance | Sync with biometric if devices are compatible |
| Leave, Payroll, Policies | Time Off, Payroll, Approvals | Configure policies by roles/departments |
| Task | Odoo App | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor contracts, renewals | Contracts + 🛠 Studio | Add renewal alerts, SLA fields via Studio |
| POS for food/retail | Point of Sale | Full POS handling for retail outlets |
| Space rental & billing | Rental + Invoicing | Track space use and automate billing |
| Task | Odoo App | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Baggage asset tracking (scanners, belts) | Inventory + 🛠 | Use internal transfers and IoT integration fields |
| Maintenance of belts/scanners | Maintenance | Add scheduled PM and incident reporting workflows |
| Lost baggage logs | 🛠 Studio Custom App | Simple claim management possible via Studio |
| Task | Odoo App | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance & incidents | Maintenance | Tag departments (MEP, cleaning) |
| Asset tracking (pumps, ACs, elevators) | Inventory | Can use lots and serial numbers |
| Cleaning roster/logs | Planning + 🛠 | Team-wise shift mapping via Gantt view |
| Task | Odoo App | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Staff vehicle registrations | Contacts + Custom Fields | Via Studio, attach vehicle info to employee/contact |
| Parking space management | 🛠 Studio + Rental | Use custom fields for bay allocations, link to invoices |
| Visitor parking tickets | POS or Website | Enable kiosk entry flow via POS |
| Task | Odoo App | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware tracking | Inventory | Assign devices to zones |
| Staff access badges | Employees + 🛠 | Badge records with QR codes via Studio |
| Restricted area permissions | 🛠 Studio + Approval Workflows | Create access approval flows |
| Task | Odoo App | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Document expiry tracking | Documents | Set auto-reminders for compliance renewals |
| Policy distribution | Documents + eLearning | Distribute and track acknowledgment |
| Audit task logs | Projects or Quality | Create checklist templates |
| Task | Odoo App | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice management | Invoicing | Multiple income types manageable |
| Ad campaign management | CRM + Projects | Schedule and assign media campaigns |
| Cargo space leasing | Rental + Sales | CRM + custom product pricing per sq. ft. |
Summary Table: Level 1 Readiness
| Area | Native Odoo | Studio Config | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR & Staff | 🛠 | Fully manageable | |
| Vendors & Shops | 🛠 | POS + Contracts | |
| Baggage Infra | 🛠 | Asset + Claim Flow | |
| Facility Ops | 🛠 | Maintenance + Planning | |
| Parking | 🛠 | Needs custom flows | |
| Security Infra | 🛠 | Permission mgmt via workflows | |
| Compliance & Docs | - | Documents + Alerts | |
| Revenue Ops | 🛠 | Ads, Cargo, Rental flows |
LEVEL 2: What Needs Customization Beyond Odoo Native Apps + Studio
These are functions that cannot be fulfilled reliably using only standard Odoo or Studio. They require backend customization, external modules, or API-level integrations.
We’ll map them by department/function, specify the custom feature needed, and why it can’t be done with native apps or Studio alone
| Need | Customization Required | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Track real-time passenger flow (check-in, security, gate, etc.) | Custom App with RFID/QR scan integrations | Odoo doesn’t natively support real-time indoor movement or scanning at each checkpoint |
| Visual dashboards of congestion areas | IoT Integration + Dashboard | Requires real-time sensor/IoT data and dashboards beyond Odoo Studio's scope |
| Live announcements (gate changes, delays) | Broadcast engine + display system | Requires dynamic content push to info screens or mobile app, outside native scope |
| Need | Customization Required | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time baggage tag tracking | RFID/Barcode API integration | Airline + baggage vendor systems must integrate at API level |
| Automated rerouting of delayed baggage | Workflow engine | Requires logic + communication between baggage system and airline, not native to Odoo |
| Need | Customization Required | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Stand (gate/parking) assignment engine | Custom scheduling algorithm | Depends on aircraft size, airline, destination type — requires logic not in default scheduling |
| Turnaround time monitoring | Custom dashboard | Needs integration with airline systems and timestamps from multiple sources |
| Aircraft refueling + services coordination | Refueling workflow engine | Multi-party coordination with checks, alerts, SLAs, etc. |
| Need | Customization Required | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time ATC data ingestion (ETA, ETD, weather) | Integration with National ATC APIs | No such native connectors exist in Odoo |
| Delay propagation alerts to staff & vendors | Event-based alert system | Requires a notification engine to cascade delays across systems |
| Need | Customization Required | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Integration with immigration systems | API-based interfacing | These are confidential & secure government systems; custom gateway needed |
| Background verification tracking | Secure module with audit trails | High-security workflows not supported natively |
| Incident reporting to authorities | Custom escalation module | Requires document + workflow-based escalation tree |
| Need | Customization Required | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| OCR scanning of passports & tickets | 3rd-party OCR engine integration | Needs image recognition, not available in Odoo |
| Document validation before boarding | Custom validation workflows | Airline + government data sources required |
| Need | Customization Required | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency protocol automation | Custom event engine | Fire, bomb threat, hijack — predefined actions, notifications, area lockdowns |
| Emergency coordination with hospitals | Integration with emergency services | Ambulance routing, med bay alerts, etc. |
| Need | Customization Required | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Predictive passenger volume modeling | AI/ML model integration | Requires traffic pattern analysis and seasonality prediction |
| Dynamic staffing based on real-time load | Custom scheduling + AI | Live flight updates + staff allocation not available out-of-box |
.
Summary Table
| Functional Area | Needs Customization? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger tracking & flow | RFID, IoT needed | |
| Baggage routing & tracking | Vendor API + logic engine | |
| Gate/stand allocation | Based on aircraft type & schedule | |
| ATC & flight delays | External API + cascading effects | |
| Immigration & passport systems | Highly secure + regulated | |
| Document OCR & validation | External image-to-data processing | |
| Emergency workflows | Scenario-based logic required | |
| Predictive scheduling & analytics | AI/ML integration needed |
LEVEL 3: Integration & Dependency Management Planning
In this phase, we identify all external parties the airport depends on, outline what data or workflows must be exchanged, and plan how to implement that integration (API, manual sync, middleware, etc.).
We'll group these into:
- Airlines & Aviation Partners
- Government & Security Agencies
- Vendors & Service Providers
- Infrastructure Systems
- Passengers (Self-Service, Apps, Web)
Summary: Integration Strategy Overview
| Integration Type | Channel | Tools/Standards |
|---|---|---|
| API-based (Push/Pull) | Airlines, ATC, govt bodies, BHS | REST, SOAP, AIDX, EDIFACT |
| IoT integration | Baggage belts, elevators, CCTV | MQTT, JSON → Odoo IoT box |
| Webhook or Batch Sync | POS, vendors, transport | CRON jobs, SFTP, manual |
| Portal access | Logistics, retailers, complaint mgmt | Odoo Portal + role-based views |
| SSO/Security Access | Immigration, CISF, health | SAML, OAuth with strict audit trails |
Best Practices for Integration:
- Use middleware like MuleSoft, Zapier, or Odoo.sh connectors to decouple external systems
- Ensure ISO 27001 compliance for data transfers, especially PII (passenger info)
- Maintain disaster recovery fallback modes for integrations (esp. ATC, immigration)
- Create data governance policies and assign internal ownership for each external connection
LEVEL 4: Training, UAT, Go-Live, Change Management & Support Plan
This phase ensures that the entire Odoo-based airport management system is adopted smoothly across all roles — from top management to operational staff — and that the transition causes minimal disruption while ensuring reliability, security, and scale.
KPIs to Track Post Go-Live
| KPI | Goal |
|---|---|
| System Adoption Rate | > 90% active logins within 1st month |
| Issue Resolution Time | < 8 hours average |
| Passenger Complaint Reduction | -20% vs pre-Go-Live |
| Flight Ops Delay Linked to IT | < 1 per month |
| Vendor Payment Accuracy | > 95% |
Final Notes
This entire 4-phase plan ensures that:
- You leverage native Odoo apps where possible
- Customize only where essential
- Integrate deeply with stakeholders in aviation, govt, and infrastructure
- Roll out gradually while driving adoption, minimizing resistance, and building internal trust
Server Management
Evaluating Server options and making final choice
Final Server Recommendation
| Component | Odoo.sh | On-Premise |
|---|---|---|
| Finance, HR, CRM, Procurement | Best fit | Also possible |
| Baggage + RFID + Conveyor IoT | Not ideal | Yes |
| Immigration + Govt APIs | Not permitted | Necessary |
| Biometric + CCTV integration | No backend access | Yes |
| Full operational load (150 flights/day) | Might choke on scale | Scalable infra |
| Regulatory compliance (DGCA, CISF, ICAO) | Limited | Auditable logs possible |
| Support for disaster drills/emergency handling | Not real-time | On local net |
Hybrid Possibility
You can also consider a hybrid architecture:
- Odoo.sh for non-sensitive systems like website, sales, CRM, employee onboarding
- On-premise Odoo for operations, integration-heavy modules (baggage, ATC, security)
Conclusion
While Odoo may not be an out-of-the-box airport management solution like some niche aviation software, it stands out with its modularity, adaptability, and cost-effectiveness—especially for airport authorities seeking greater control over customization and integration.
Our exploration shows that Odoo, with strategic configuration, targeted custom apps, and robust API integrations, can indeed serve as a powerful digital backbone for modern airport operations. For mid-sized and growing airports, or those in regions where budget and flexibility are key, Odoo offers a scalable and feasible path to digitization: one that can evolve as operational needs grow more complex.
