Tara Mulrooney, Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Innovation at Edmonton International Airport – “The airport’s complex digital backbone.”
Tara Mulrooney, Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Innovation at Edmonton International Airport (EIA) will be speaking at this year’s World Aviation Festival. At the event Mulrooney will participate in panels looking at the intersect between innovation and cybersecurity, road mapping the biometric experience, and analysing the broader air travel ecosystem.
Having previously referred to airports as having “a complex digital backbone,” the interview began by unpacking this description. Here, the CTO shed light on the true intricacy of airport networks, highlighting the interconnected systems, processes, and data flows. This explanation formed the foundation of the interview, upon which further discussions of navigating innovation and the ownership of biometric data formed.
Discussing the topic of biometrics, Mulrooney shared her perspective on data ownership. As the technology becomes a more deeply engrained aspect of the passenger journey, questions around data privacy, security, and ownership require clarity. The CTO expressed a preference for government ownership of biometric ID reasoning:
“I think it’s really important that we are good stewards of information whether we’re the airport, the airline, or one of our partners […] When we step back and put the passenger first, why would a passenger want to submit biometrics to multiple people? Why would they want to sign up and share biometrics with every airline or every airport? So if we think about that, it really does make sense for government to to create that credential. And then we as different transportation providers can look that up.”
This 10-minute interview offers valuable insights into the industry ecosystem, the complications of data, and how aviation can strive towards a more interconnected and secure future.
To see Tara speak at the following sessions, get your ticket for the World Aviation Festival.
- Fireside Chat: Innovation Meets Cybersecurity – The intersection of digital and security in the aviation industry
- Airport CIO Panel: Roadmapping the biometric experience – How can the global aviation industry be ready for a paperless experience by 2030?
- Closing keynote panel: 360 degree overview of the air travel ecosystem – Connecting commercial with operations using data science, AI/ML and digital twins.
