Can high security be maintained when implementing technology that offers passengers greater convenience? A question on the lips of many airport security managers who continue to test leading edge entrance control equipment including self-boarding machines and automated border control systems. In its latest publication, IMS Research forecasts global sales of pedestrian entrance control equipment into the aviation sector to reach nearly $40 million by 2015.
Can high security be maintained when implementing technology that offers passengers greater convenience? A question on the lips of many airport security managers who continue to test leading edge entrance control equipment including self-boarding machines and automated border control systems. In its latest publication, IMS Research forecasts global sales of pedestrian entrance control equipment into the aviation sector to reach nearly $40 million by 2015.
Report author and analyst at IMS Research Justin Siller comments “Both airlines and airports continue to search for new ways to simplify processes, reduce costs and improve the overall traveler experience. Self-check-in kiosks were one of the first services automated by airlines, and in recent years there has been a move to automate the baggage check-in process. Self-boarding machines seems to be the next great fit.”
Siller continues “For airports, using one-way corridors such as speed gates or interlock doors to separate the secure to non-secure areas has proved to be successful in reducing staff overheads. Also, automating the border control process offers a way to speed-up the immigration process. Queues at gates are becoming longer and the knock-on effect is greater frustration for the traveler. Using automated border crossings for frequent and well-known travelers can alleviate some of this congestion.”
Full automation of the world's airports is unlikely to happen anytime soon. However, a number of factors are forcing airlines to become more efficient. As competition in the industry heats up, efficiency gains will be hard to ignore providing the necessary momentum required to drive the use of pedestrian entrance control equipment with the airport environment. With airports typically only working with a few select vendors when purchasing equipment, being first to market becomes all that more important.