SubscribeIntegrated Building and Security Management Solutions Mitigate Risk and Drive Revenue Generation
Security has never been more important to airports than it is today. With an ever-increasing number of aircraft and passengers traffic, it is vital that airport operators mitigate risk and ensure the safety of passengers from the moment they enter the terminal building, right through to the end of their journey. Adding to this challenge is the unfortunate fact that airports, airplanes and the transit infrastructure in general are at increased risk from terrorist attack. All airports now realize that safety must be their number one priority.
However, with greater demand for air travel comes increased need for productivity improvement. Moving people, luggage and aircraft swiftly and accurately translates into tangible benefits for airport operators, airlines and passengers. Alongside these key operational drivers of safety and productivity, airports also must pay close attention to revenue generation by extending efficiency, boosting effectiveness and reducing costs.
An effective airport management system already oversees such necessities as gate allocation, flight schedules and air traffic control. However, when this functionality is pulled into one common platform - integrated with building and security services (IBMS) - such a solution becomes even more powerful, enabling automated monitoring and control of such applications as security and access control, smoke and fire detection, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting and digital closed circuit television (CCTV) and video management.
This holistic approach - a fully integrated system managing building solutions and key airport functions - can provide greater operational intelligence for better and faster decision making. Not only does it help airports to react more quickly and efficiently to potential threats, it can also help to fulfill regulatory compliance, reduce costs, boost staff effectiveness and drive overall performance improvement.
CCTV - Big Brother Delivers Performance Improvement
One of the most innovative airport solutions on the market today is an aircraft guidance and docking system which uses digital CCTV with object tracking and motion detection to automatically identify aircraft and guide them safely on to the correct gate. This system utilizes reliable aircraft type recognition - independent of position and orientation - and provides information to the pilot and co-pilot as well as to the ground handling staff. For further safety, runway lighting can be sequenced to provide a 'follow me' trail, leading the plane to the gate.
While a powerful and productivity-enhancing system in its own right, CCTV docking is an excellent example of the benefits that can accrue from integrated technology. When the CCTV docking system identifies an aircraft, the embedded intelligence can automatically turn on the lighting and HVAC within the terminal building, prepare the water and septic hookups and alert appropriate staff members to report to the gate. This supports drastically improved efficiency and savings on energy consumption and staffing; utilities and manpower are tailored to the task in hand. Further integration with the airport's business systems also reduces administration; it ensures automated, right-first-time billing to the airline for services used, on a transaction basis.
CCTV can also be an extremely powerful tool when working in concert with access control systems such as proximity readers, smart cards and keypads. For instance, Honeywell offers a Digital Video Manager system which facilitates intelligent video management for a variety of scenarios, including abandoned objects, object tracking and classification, enhanced motion detection, and breach of checkpoints within airport terminals.
With object tracking and motion detection, digital CCTV can identify and track suspicious or irregular movement of people and lock down specific areas of the building. This enables airport security staff to prevent intruders from gaining access to sensitive areas of the airport or to ensure that a lost child does not wander off before they can be reached.
An effective tailgate detection solution can ensure that only one person at a time passes through a security point. Such a system confirms that there is only one person per authorized entry by tracking and detecting an open door and recording the time, date and pass number of the authorized entry. Any unauthorized attempt to gain access immediately alarms and pinpoints the exact location for further investigation, either by CCTV/digital video management or by security guards.
Safety First
A key airport safety concern is the ability to communicate with passengers and provide them with clear, real-time information in the event of a (potential) emergency. Communication systems such as voice alarms, public address systems and graphical display units can direct passengers to new - safe - areas of the terminal building.
For instance, if a fire is detected in particular part of the building, access systems can activate alarms and sprinklers, but also alert emergency personnel, shut down machinery and divert airplanes and passenger traffic away from the affected area, meaning that the entire airport does not have to be shut down.
RFID tags and smart cards can further ensure that the location of key staff and physical assets are known at all times. With smart card enrolment and encryption, airport operators can manage their own card platforms and customize screens to develop site-specific fields and data capture capabilities. Information, including biometric templates, can be downloaded to a smart card credential and stored in a database as part of the badging process. This gives the system the capability to include 'no fly list' integration which compares the badging database with hits and near hits from domestic and international security databases.
In addition, vehicle permit control, driver registration and electronic signature verification can also be incorporated. Honeywell systems of this kind are currently being used at many key metropolitan airports including Philadelphia, Chicago, Salt Lake City, Houston, and Minneapolis.
A Custom Approach
Because of their individual security requirements, airports need to have platforms that are fully customizable. An intelligent solution can help to make sense of a lot of data; it can consolidate customizations into a single port centric software platform. By doing this, solutions can be created that address the varying needs of the airports market as well as constantly changing security requirements.
In order to have the most effective security and productivity strategies, all parts of airport operations must be incorporated into the security and IT master plans. Only by including passenger services, business systems and air-side operations with integrated building and security services (IBMS) can a truly big-picture, real-time operations-enhancing strategy be implemented.
With such a system, it is necessary to have a well-designed command centre to oversee real-time data acquisition and operations management. By properly designing, integrating, installing and testing the command centre, airports can ensure that they have an effective single control room providing them with intuitive, on-screen graphic control interfaces to manage all integrated functions.
A Safer, More Efficient Future
Our heightened awareness of potential risk continues at the same time as budget travel increases the number of people passing through airports. This can only mean increased pressure on airport operators to boost productivity while ensuring tight security and safe operations.
With integrated building and security services, the two key drivers of safety/security and productivity no longer have to be seen as separate challenges. A fully integrated project approach can ensure that essential real-time information is simultaneously used to increase productivity and revenue generation as well as make airports compliant, safer and more secure.
More information: derek.harrington@honeywell.com or paul.crombie@honeywell.com