The mission of Krakow Airport is to achieve a leading position among European regional airports, taking care of the high level of passenger service and satisfaction. The company’s activities include the development, modernization and operation of the International Airport Krakow-Balice and to take all actions related to the operation of passenger and freight air traffic, including international border crossing in the port, in order to promote Krakow and the region. The Board of Directors relies on proven technologies in order to support the airport, including the video surveillance system guarding the safety of passengers and Krakow Airport staff.
Mission
The mission of Krakow Airport is to achieve a leading position among European regional airports, taking care of the high level of passenger service and satisfaction. The company’s activities include the development, modernization and operation of the International Airport Krakow-Balice and to take all actions related to the operation of passenger and freight air traffic, including international border crossing in the port, in order to promote Krakow and the region. The Board of Directors relies on proven technologies in order to support the airport, including the video surveillance system guarding the safety of passengers and Krakow Airport staff.
Solution
Axis partner, DG ELPRO in cooperation with KABE Systemy Alarmowe; PKiMSA CARBOAUTOMATYKA S.A and FRB Inter-Bud took part in concept development of the modernization and digitization of the video surveillance system of Krakow Airport. The process took place in four
stages. The first one, which was also the test stage, was to create a next-generation surveillance system for a newly created multi-story car park. A seemingly simple task turned out to be a challenge for installers, engineers and equipment. Parking levels were poorly lit and there was continuous movement of vehicles whose lights were blinding the camera. The next three stages of system design were carried out at the same time. The existing analog video surveillance system had limitations and did not have the variety of possibilities as a system based on IP technology. On the other hand it was an extended and costly system, in which image quality was sufficient in some areas. Changing the system to a entire brand new one would involve unnecessary costs and enormous effort. Therefore, an economically justified decision was made: to modernize the system and adapt it to IP. For this purpose Axis video encoders were used.
Result
Axis devices, thanks to their extensive configuration options and innovative features made possible the acquiring of satisfactory images.
High dynamic cameras allow the capture of every incident in the parking lot. Adjacent areas were also observed from the building. PTZ cameras were used with a very precise mechanism and excellent optics. To store video, a Milestone software platform was selected. For safety reasons video is registered remotely, away from the parking lot in an exclusion zone. Images processed by Axis cameras in comparison to other considered solutions occupy quite small amounts of bandwidth, thus making it possible to minimize the required amount of memory allocated to the archive.
Axis video encoders were used to digitize the existing analog system; images were converted to digital and sent to the Milestone registration system. The old system remains intact and acts as a reserve. Digitization has allowed increasing the possibility of exploring the archive and management. It has also provided the opportunity to create a virtually unlimited number of supervision positions for eligible employees.
The challenge for airport workers and installers was also guarding the airport apron. Cameras must watch the huge area, often in difficult conditions, providing detailed images 24 hours a day. A similar problem concerns a fence: long distance and difficult lighting conditions at night.
The chosen solution met the defined expectations of management and partner competency resulted in a successful implementation.
“We are very pleased with this project. We were able to leverage existing investments in the analog system and go to the next level with a digital surveillance system that offers us endless possibilities for the future. In addition, thanks to digital surveillance system, we feel that our staff and passengers can feel really safe. The new tool allows us early detection of incidents and proactive response, “says Ursula Podraza, spokesman for Krakow Airport.