China's Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, one of the second busiest airports in China based on passenger flow, deployed a scalable Gallagher Security security managementand access control system as the airport underwent a three phase expansion project. The centralized security management system can be integrated with access control systems, alarm systems, video surveillance, fire and elevator control. On the other hand, the access control system, comprised of card and PIN readers, controls 320 doors and manages more than 20,000 card holders.
China's Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, one of the second busiest airports in China based on passenger flow, deployed a scalable Gallagher Security security managementand access control system as the airport underwent a three phase expansion project. The centralized security management system can be integrated with access control systems, alarm systems, video surveillance, fire and elevator control. On the other hand, the access control system, comprised of card and PIN readers, controls 320 doors and manages more than 20,000 card holders.
The first phase of the Guangzhou airport expansion project in 2000-2002, encompassed the design of an 80.34 acres (3,500,000 square feet) central passenger terminal complex, two runways and associated roadways and parking facilities. The second phase includes designs for an additional runway and expansion of the terminal, and the third phase will include another central ticketing terminal and 50 additional gates. The project is also likely to involve a railway to and from the city. The airport is still undergoing constructions for a third runway and second terminal. Upon completion the airport is expected to handle more than 75 million passengers and 2.17 million tons of cargo annually. Given the volatile international environment, security at airports is critical, with access control being a key factor. Access points to air traffic control operations, maintenance, crew lounges, baggage handling, concessions, and catering require strong control.
Requirements of the site included access control and alarm functionality, with a record of events and movements for full traceability. The Gallagher security integration platform was selected as the central management system for access control and intruder alarms, and can automatically respond to fire alerts by unlocking certain exits. The system is scalable and can be expanded to manage up to 200,000 cardholders, and 2,000 doors. Residing on the existing wide area network, using TCP/IP, the Gallagher system features peer-to-peer communications so if communications with the head end need to be taken down, those on the airport using the system are not affected. Thirteen workstations access the database to manage cardholders, events, check on the status of doors, override doors, and trace activity. System division is used to enable the airport to be divided for management and monitoring purposes.
Cardholder management had to be efficient and allow for changes to be applied easily to groups of cardholders. The system manages cardholders by groups for cardholders who share the same access requirements. The system controls 108 boarding gates to aircrafts, 130 gates for employees, 12 doors to aircraft hangars, and elevator control.
A Gallagher card and PIN reader, using Philips Semiconductors contactless Mifare Standard technology is installed on each door. Intruder alarms can be set and unset by authorized cardholders using the reader. Data protection on the cards is ensured through unique data encryption, while Mifare technology allows for multiple applications to reside on a single card. Exit readers have also been installed to facilitate anti-passback. In certain areas voice recognition is required, which is achieved with the digital intercom integrated into the reader.