AIRSIDE 2.0

At the heart of every system that keeps airports running are the people who make it possible.

 

Munich Airport is one of Europe’s busiest airports, and behind every departure, thousands of IT systems need to work together. At the heart of these systems are not just technologies, but people – developers, specialists, and domain experts collaborating across locations to build and maintain the digital infrastructure that keeps aircraft moving safely and on time. Together, these teams are modernising the airport’s digital backbone to ensure operations remain future-ready.

A key milestone in this journey is Airside 2.0, a next-generation system that visualises the entire airfield in real time. What seems effortless on screen is the result of skilled teams working closely together, combining technical expertise and collaboration to process vast streams of live data and ensuring that even a single screw on the runway can be traced back to its source.

Let’s go behind the code and meet some of the people behind the solution.

Discovery

Bringing Airside 2.0 to life requires collaboration across offices in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Ho Chi Minh City, and on-site in Munich. But before diving into the process and the technical side, we start with the basics: What is Airside 2.0, and what problem does it solve for Munich Airport? 

To find out, we meet with Martin Vinther, Project Manager for Airside 2.0, at Netcompany’s headquarters in Christiansbro, Copenhagen.  

Martin explains that Airside 2.0 is a modernisation of the existing Airside system, which manages the airport’s operational data. The current system is built on a 15-year-old legacy platform, and Airside 2.0 represents a leap forward. Both technologically and strategically. 

»Our biggest challenge wasn’t just upgrading an old system. It was rethinking how data flows across the airport’s entire ecosystem,« says Martin.

 

• »For our team, it was about turning complex airport operations into something intuitive and effective for end-users.« – Martin Vinther

So, how does Airside 2.0 work in daily operations? 

The tool serves as both an operational overview and a day-to-day work platform. Each element can include detailed information, such as water on a surface, bird sightings, or ice on runways, and the team is developing a mobile version that will allow on-site reporting, making the solution more user-friendly and efficient.  

For the team, designing Airside 2.0 meant turning complex airport operations into something intuitive for end-users, ensuring the system truly supports the people who rely on it every day. 

From ideas to design  

Through a Teams meeting, we connect with Kasper Lausen, the UI/UX designer on the Airside 2.0 project, based at the office in Aarhus. 

When asked to explain Airside 2.0, Kasper gets straight to the point:  »The heart of this solution is the overview map, where you can see the entire airport. This is where everything gets a visual representation, and where the things happening at the airport become visual.« 

But behind this seemingly simple interface lies a complex technical architecture. The frontend, what users see and interact with, must seamlessly communicate with backend systems that process thousands of real-time data points from aircraft transponders, vehicle trackers, and airport sensors. 

»I always start by understanding the idea behind what they’re asking for, then identify what’s unknown territory and what will be technically challenging,« he explains.

For Airside 2.0, that unknown territory was the map functionality itself. Kasper’s approach is methodical: start with the most complex challenges first.  

 

 

• »Always start with the most difficult task and implement it in code. Then we have a foundation.« – Kasper Lausen

 

It’s a philosophy born from practical necessity: if you hit a technical wall early, you can redesign the architecture before it’s too late.  

 

The importance of details

To understand how seemingly small details can have an enormous impact on airport operations, let’s zoom in on one specific challenge that Airside 2.0 addresses: Foreign Object Debris, or FOD. 

FOD – screws, baggage straps, wheels from trolleys, even bird strikes
– represents one of aviation’s persistent safety challenges. A single loose screw on a runway can damage aircraft engines or cause failures. 

The FOD tracking capability was already part of Airside 2.0’s requirements, but Kasper didn’t fully grasp its importance until he accompanied Munich Airport staff on runway inspections. The current process requires inspectors to find debris, manually note the location, return to their office, and register the incident. 

Only by seeing this workflow firsthand did Kasper understand why the digital solution mattered. And how it could be improved with real-time mobile reporting.

 

 

Digital detective work

The system now allows staff to create warnings directly from their mobile devices while in the field. When a FOD, Foreign Object Debris, is found, they can draw a polygon around the area and specify a time period. The system then analyses historical movement data to show every aircraft and vehicle that passed through that exact location. 

Staff can replay movements over time, filter by vehicle type, and identify the likely source, turning every piece of debris into data that prevents future incidents. 

While Kasper handles the visual interface of FOD tracking, the mobile functionality that makes field reporting possible is built by Nguyễn Hoàng Luân in Ho Chi Minh City. Working with colleagues distributed across different locations, Luân develops the mobile application that allows airport staff to create emergency reports directly from their phones or tablets. 

As Luân explains, this functionality transforms how incidents are reported: staff can now report a Foreign Object Debris (FOD) instantly, generating emergency reports in real-time rather than relying on manual notes or delayed office updates. By turning a previously time-consuming process into an immediate, actionable tool, Luân’s work ensures that teams can respond faster and that airport operations remain safe and more efficient. 

The mobile solution Luân is building integrates seamlessly with Kasper’s map interface. When staff report FOD on their phones, it appears directly on the main airport map with precise coordinates. 

Debugging in a complex system

But making this seamless integration work requires solving complex backend challenges that users never see. Christine Hegedues, an Austrian consultant based in Copenhagen, works on the critical integration between Airside 2.0’s frontend and the underlying data processing systems that make real-time tracking possible. 

The technical challenge is immense: Munich Airport’s Airside 2.0 processes GPS data from movements that update  »multiple times per minute.« When something goes wrong with this volume of data, finding the problem becomes detective work:  »Technically, the structure is very abstract, which is great for the solution. But when you need to go into it and extend it, it can be difficult to understand what’s happening in one piece of code and how it all connects.« 

The debugging process requires systematic investigation: examining databases, tracing data flow through multiple pipeline components, and identifying bottlenecks in real-time processing.  

For Christine, solving these complex technical puzzles represents the most rewarding aspect of her work.  

»I personally like solving bugs or trying to figure out the exact root cause,« she says.

 

• »The satisfaction comes from the clarity. Either it works, or it doesn’t. There’s no in-between.« – Christine Hegedues

 

This systematic approach to technical problem-solving ensures that when airport staff report FOD, Foreign Object Debris, through Luân’s mobile application and see it appear on Kasper’s visual map, the complex data processing happening behind the scenes works flawlessly, even when handling thousands of real-time updates every hour. 

From vision to reality:
Turning complexity into simplicity

When Airside 2.0 goes live at Munich Airport, the result will be more than just a modernised system. It’s proof that complex, safety-critical software can be built across multiple locations: from Kasper’s intuitive design in Aarhus to Luân’s mobile application in Ho Chi Minh City, Christine’s backend integration in Copenhagen, and the consultants working closely with the client in Munich. 

For Munich Airport, this means faster incident response, real-time tracking capabilities, and a digital foundation ready for future automation. For the team, the project was an opportunity to tackle unique technical challenges, collaborate across continents, and see their work directly improve safety-critical operations.  

As Christine puts it,  »Either it works or it doesn’t,« and when airport staff report incidents, track conditions, or monitor operations from their phones and see them appear instantly on control room screens, they’ll know it works, thanks to international collaboration that turned technical complexity into user simplicity. 

 

 

Featured team members