Airport projects — both new and expansions/upgrades — are taking place all over the globe. These projects aim at putting integration-friendly systems in place for total security and safety management at major air travel hubs.
Airport projects — both new and expansions/upgrades — are taking place all over the globe. These projects aim at putting integration-friendly systems in place for total security and safety management at major air travel hubs.
Zurich Airport Monitored by UTC Fire & Security
Unique (airport operator) operates Switzerland's renowned traffic hub, the Zurich Airport, and is responsible for the airport's daily management. The airport houses around 180 different companies. Unique employs approximately 1,400 people, and together with more than 260 airport partners, the combined total roughly equals 21,000 employees.
The Zurich Airport needed to upgrade its aging video surveillance system, for which obtaining replacement parts was often very difficult. Furthermore, the system could not be expanded, but scalability was demanded along with the expansion of the airport.
UTC Fire & Security offered a combined solution that integrates the existing 330 analog cameras by using 46 digital encoders. The encoders digitalize the camera data so that it can be transferred to the monitoring stations. Each monitoring station is equipped with 40 TB of local storage space, storing more than 400 million images, and events can be saved to the central storage (800 GB) when and if necessary. To avoid the costs associated with establishing a new network, the existing IP network was used to transfer all data.
An additional advantage of the system is that it easily allows for future expansions. With UTC Fire & Security's system installed, Unique is able to monitor all events on its premises and, thus offers a safe environment to those passing through the Zurich Airport.
CEM Systems Refines Access to HKIA
Hong King International Airport (HKIA) has about 900 aircraft movements, serves more than 160 worldwide destinations daily, and had more than 50 million passengers in 2010 pass through the airport, making it one of the busiest international passenger airports.
In 2010, HKIA awarded CEM Systems (a Tyco International Company) a US$2-million security management system upgrade contract. The HKIA upgrade was significant as more than 1,000 serial readers were seamlessly upgraded from Wiegand technology to PicoPass smart-card technology using existing IP connectivity at the airport for simplified installation.
The contract also included a further expansion of fingerprint card readers to all air bridges. The progressive move to biometric card readers was achieved to increase the overall efficiency of the airport.
The fingerprint readers increase HKIA's security by providing three levels of identity checks, including ID authentication, PIN check and fingerprint verification. Each reader has a large internal database which holds card and encrypted biometric templates at the door. This ensures zero system downtime at air bridges. The reader also features an LCD to show personnel meaningful user messages and has many airport-specific door modes such as “Passenger Mode” and “Lobby Mode” for extended doors-open times at air bridges. With the readers in place, only authorized and trained personnel can use the air bridges.
HKIA also uses portable readers for mobile security. The reader allows security personnel to make roaming checks throughout the airport and can also be used at temporary entrances where there is no mains power. This ensures the highest level of security at all times
SDI Upgrades a Midwest Airport's Access Control
System Development Integration (SDI) was contracted by a US international airport in the Midwest to upgrade all hardware and infrastructure to support the biometrics component of its access control system (ACS). The ACS controls the passage of staff (not passengers) into secure and sterile areas of the airport. In order for the ACS to be fully secure, the system must address three checks for an individual's identity: something s/ he has (ID badge), something s/he knows (PIN) and something s/he is (fingerprints).
To minimize service disruption, three subprojects took place. The first challenge was to issue new smart-card ID badges containing unique biometric data to more than 45,000 active holders in a period of less than three months. During this process, every active badge holder was required to submit a new badge application, have his/her badge photo updated, and enroll in the system with two fingerprints that were subsequently stored on an encrypted smart card as a biometric template.
The second subproject targeted the installation and deployment of biometric card readers at each of the employee checkpoints in the airport in order to enhance employee screening. Biometric verification would now be required to allow employee access through each checkpoint. A new fiberoptic network and new control panels were installed throughout the airport as the badge enrolment process took place.
The third subproject focused on the biometric validation of badge holders entering the airfield at a busy drive-in post. The post witnesses airfield access to between 6,000 and 7,000 vehicles per day. This high-traffic entrance screens not only airline employees, but contractors and other service personnel. With the implementation of wireless handheld biometric card readers, all access is now granted through validation of biometric information. A customized gate software application provides the security officer with instant visual verification that all people entering with vehicles are valid badge holders.
Bosch Secures Berlin International
Bosch Security Systems was selected to install security and safety systems at the new Berlin Brandenburg International (BBI) airport. The scope of the order includes the planning and installation for the fire alarm system, electroacoustic emergencywarning system, emergency exit door controllers, intrusion detection system, video surveillance, access control and building functions.
BBI represents the most important infrastructure project in Germany's capital region and is Europe's largest airport construction site to date. It is built to better connect Berlin and the entire region with major destinations in Europe and throughout the world. Further, it will be an important contributor to the regional economy; BBI is expected to create up to 40,000 new jobs.
Optimal protection against fire hazards with around 19,000 automatic and manual fire alarms and a whole host of fire control systems will be installed. They will be connected to a total of nine networked UGM universal security systems. The networked public address (PA) and evacuation system with around 11,500 speakers is planned for passenger information and evacuation in the event of a hazardous situation. The PA and evacuation system will also be used for voice announcements for passenger information and for the gate-paging stations.
In addition, an intrusion detection system will be integrated with the fire, PA and evacuation systems. The information for surveillance is recorded using around 1,200 emergency call couplers. The video surveillance system consists of 300 network dome cameras, 260 HD video cameras as well as 900 video cameras of different types. It will be managed by the Bosch video management system. Bosch will also install more than 600 kilometers of copper cable for the fire alarm and intrusion detection systems as well as the electroacoustics.
The new BBI airport will most likely go into operation in June 2012. With 280,000 square meters of terminal and pier space, a baggage sorting hall of 20,000 square meters, as well as a 9,500-meter conveyor line, it will be one of the largest airports in the world.