In the dynamic world of aviation, where split-second decisions carry immense weight, thorough preparation is paramount. With Airport Briefing, the traditional practice of reading lengthy texts is redefined, replacing it with revolutionary 3D technology that enhances a pilot’s cognitive abilities.
Imagine a virtual gateway that not only ensures compliance with the strictest regulatory standards but also serves as a beacon of innovation and excellence in aviation safety. This is precisely what Airport Briefing embodies—a meticulously crafted pioneering solution aimed at raising the standards for familiarization with world airports and their unique characteristics. At its core, Airport Briefing transcends conventional norms by seamlessly integrating cutting-edge 3D technology, offering an exceptional experience that acts as a catalyst for fostering a precise visual understanding of the operational environment. Airport Briefing helps pilots navigate the complexity of each airport with unparalleled situational awareness, enabling them to efficiently anticipate and mitigate potential threats.
The reason for Airport Briefing’s existence is clear: to enhance safety and efficiency at levels previously unattainable.
Fasten your seatbelts, we’re about to take off!
How did the story of Airport Briefing begin?
The story began about 7 years ago when my friend, now business partner Kocho Mojsov, a pilot in a leading airline, came up with the idea that as a pilot he lacked tools that would help him in what is called Airport Briefing. “It would be great if there were a 3D software where I could see the airport in three dimensions, where all the information that would make the briefing process easier would be collected.” The idea was his, the implementation ours, of the software company Synapse. We created a demo version, presented it to him, and after concluding that we were on the right track, we decided to create Synapse Aviation. The next step was to present the software to our potential investors at the time, who are now our investors, and that’s how our story began.
How do you attract investors, especially for an idea, team, a company from Macedonia?
Our investors are an international group from various countries in the Middle East, India, and Africa. An advantage in our case is that all the investors are from the industry, they are all pilots, they understand the product and its benefits, which makes it much easier to persuade them to invest compared to when presenting or seeking investment from someone who is not versed in aviation.
How do pilots use Airport Briefing, and what exactly does it help them with?
Research shows that 75% of accidents are due to human factors, with poor situational awareness being the most prevalent and dominant factor. Our software is unique precisely because it addresses this problem. Pilots use company tablets called EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) devices, which have various applications, PDF texts, maps, and similar resources. Through our software, we enable pilots to visually see the airport, its conditions, and the terrain using 3D technology, instead of reading descriptions. What does this mean? We provide the pilot with a complete image of what the airport looks like—how many runways there are, how they are positioned, what the terrain in the surrounding area is like, and what the surroundings look like—whether it’s greenery, forest, rocks, sand, sea, location of the sea, location of the city, which path to follows, where to land, where to land in case an engine fails, what the airport looks like in foggy weather, in the morning, during the day, and in the evening. All this is made possible for the end user through 3D technology, the same technology used in the gaming industry.
Can you explain how the 3D software of Airport Briefing helps improve a pilot’s cognitive abilities?
A picture is worth a thousand words, and it’s even more valuable when it’s interactive. Instead of reading information about the airport—where it’s located and what it looks like, which requires time and concentration—pilots open Airport Briefing and see the airport visually. It is a fact that information is more easily and longer retained when seen visually rather than read, and that’s the point of the software. The greater the situational awareness, the better the pilot can make decisions and navigate confidently through unfamiliar airports or routes.
Few know that before a flight, a pilot plans how to fly, what the alternate airports for landing are, and prepares for all possible scenarios, all of which are covered in the software. Airport Briefing also provides data on specific characteristics of each airport, such as cautioning about birds during certain periods, strong winds, whether any area is closed, or if the runway has any damages, etc. The software offers satellite images, 3D terrain, aeronautical data, technology, and content for the company to add its specific data.
The contract with Lufthansa undoubtedly propelled Airport Briefing towards exceptional and global success. Could you have imagined reaching this point? What were the dreams and fears you faced?
Did we imagine the success? Absolutely yes! Creation begins in the mind, with the thought, with imagination. If you don’t envision success, you won’t succeed; it just won’t happen. In our case, we even thought it would happen much faster! (laughs).
The biggest obstacle in our case was the pandemic. We launched the product at the Aircraft Commerce expo in Amsterdam in 2017, and in 2018 we signed our first contract with SunExpress. From 2018 to 2020, we worked intensively — we secured 7 new clients, made presentations, and started contact with Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, and just before I was about to go to Abu Dhabi to present, everything shut down. However, we used those two years to create a better version of the product, to see what we had learned, and to review feedback from clients. In 2022, as restrictions began to lift, we gradually got back into the game, and by 2023 and 2024, we had positive changes and growth. Currently, we are in the final stage of finalizing deals with TAP Air Portugal and Smartwings Airline Czech Republic, and our plans are big.
Can you share an interesting situation from the early days of creating Airport Briefing that you will always remember?
One of the more interesting situations we faced was during the phase when we first implemented official aeronautical data into Airport Briefing. Indeed, the implementation of this data, which is used by almost all aircraft as part of their Flight Management System, included automatic visualization of the same in 3D. Among the first tests of visualizing the instrumental landing procedures was at the Innsbruck Airport in Austria, where there was a suspicion that they were incorrectly designed. To our great surprise, thanks to the three-dimensional analysis of the procedures, we noticed a mistake and a potential hazard, after which we immediately informed the Austrian civil aviation authorities. In coordination with the Innsbruck airport, they committed to making the necessary corrections as soon as possible to ensure the safety of the aircraft using these procedures. With this, we directly contributed to improving the safety of air traffic, specifically in Innsbruck, Austria.
Finally, what is the secret to success?
I would say that the secret to success lies in the power of imagination, thought, developing one’s own potential, persistence, desire, and motivation, and perhaps luck as well. However, I would highlight a few more “tangible” key elements necessary for success when it comes to product development:
- There must be some problem that affects a certain (critical) number of potential users who would be willing to pay for a solution to that problem. My advice is for the solution to address a more specific and clearly defined problem and to target only a certain “niche” i.e., part of a larger system. Specifically, avoid developing very “general” solutions that try to solve everything.
- Offer a quality solution to the problem that must contain some unique value.
- Work with an expert in the problem being solved. The ideal scenario is for the Product Owner to be both the client and the expert in the field, and for the solution to be developed with the end user (company), which will involve a whole group of future users, thus providing the best and quickest “feedback” on the functionality and benefits of the product during the development phase. Of course, this phase never fully ends.
- Build a team of competent and highly motivated people with experience in the following areas: entrepreneurship and management, investments and finance, technical product development (software engineers), and of course, experts in the field of the problem being solved.
- Persist on the path that will be paved with many problems, crises, and defeats, because that is the only way to gain the knowledge and the right solution (the TRIAL-FAIL-LEARN concept).
News article reference: https://webmind.mk/intervju/intervju-so-filip-arsov-koosnovach-na-synapse-aviation-genijalnosta-na-softverot-e-vo-kvalitetot-na-lugjeto-koi-go-rabotat-i-kreirat/
