Airport International

Datastrip Introduces Biometric Reader for One-Step Identity Verification of E-passports

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:33:31 GMT

The new EasyRead™ handheld device advances ID management and security for airports, immigration and border patrols.

New York Airport Bird Strikes in the Spotlight: Airport News

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:01:00 GMT

While officials in New York have done their best to ensure airliners can land and take off at the city's airports without being hit by birds, a birdstrike still occurred at the end of June 2009, resulting in some damage to the airframe of the aircraft involved. The issue, therefore, still poses a considerable problem to the airport industry.

The most recent bird strike took place at La Guardia Airport on June 30th. According to industry analysts, approximately 7,000 similar incidents are occurring per annum in the US, with close to 1,000 of them inflicting damage on the aircraft. The financial impact these 7,000 birds strikes have on the airport industry in the US is substantial - with annual costs of as much as $650 million dollars - while the worldwide cost is in excess of $1 billion.

"It's a problem that has been increasing", the U.S Department of Agriculture's Michael Begier explained. "We're flying a lot, we have quieter planes, and we have a lot more wildlife. We're all competing for the same airspace."

While not elaborating in full, Begier - who coordinates the department's Airport Wildlife Hazards Programme - referred to the gradual increase in recorded bird strikes since the middle of the 20th century.

Hudson River Landing

The recent Hudson River landing incident in which an airliner came down after striking a whole flock of geese illuminated the issue on a worldwide scale. "I think when people hear the word 'bird strike' now they know what it means", Begier acknowledged.

The effect of the Hudson River landing ignited a new wave of attempts to eradicate the airliner/birdstrike issue, including a wide-scale goose cull at New York's two principal airports - La Guardia and JFK - and a dedicated bird radar trial at JFK airport only. As Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York, recently put it: "The incident served as a catalyst to strengthen our efforts in removing geese from, and discouraging them from nesting on, city property near our runways."

Bird Strikes at Airports

Bird strikes at airports or their peripheries represent 75 per cent of all bird strikes. Culling the birds, according to Begier, was only to be done after other methods like noise-making had been tried.

"We know we that we can mitigate the problem and we can definitely reduce it at airports", he concluded.

"But there's always a chance that there could be an incident."

Sound Results for Vanderlande Industries with Automated Material Handling Systems

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:57:43 GMT

Veghel - Vanderlande Industries (automated material handling systems) results are in line with the long-term objective of building further on its strong reputation as a reliable partner with leading market positions.

UK Airport ID Card Scheme Dropped: Airport News

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:13:09 GMT

A proposal to make ID cards mandatory for people working at UK airports has been dropped, although the political figure behind the announcement - Alan Johnson, UK Home Secretary - stressed that the card scheme remained alive.

Under the terms of the original plan, ground staff employed at two significant UK airports - London City (LCY) and Manchester (MAN) - were compelled to submit their details in exchange for an ID card and, subsequently, be issued with the necessary security clearance. Such ID cards, however, will now not be compulsory - a revision that comes swift on the heels of strike threats from airport unions including the British Air Transport Association and BALPA - the British Airline Pilots Association.

"BALPA has always had aviation security high on its agenda and has a number of ideas on how we can improve airport security which we will be pursuing with the secretary of state for transport", the organisation's general secretary, Jim McAuslan, stated. "But we have never seen the national ID card as an improvement to security and we are glad that the new Home Secretary has listened to us."

ID Cards for Airport Workers

The legacy of ID cards stretches back five years to the time of Britain's former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, who unveiled the scheme as an anti-terrorism mechanism. "It's said these measures are scaremongering, but the fact is that the threats faced by the country are real", the ex-PM said at the time. Then, it was proposed to mandate the carriage of an ID card by each and every British citizen - including ID cards for airport workers, of which Britain has 200,000 - but this has now been amended to apply solely to foreign workers and residents.

"People who worked airside were resenting the fact there was compulsion involved", Mr Johnson explained, adding: "Now we can have a much more constructive discussion about the issue if we remove that one element of compulsion."

According, however, to Chris Grayling, UK Shadow Home Secretary, the airport ID card revision represented "an absurd fudge", and was "symbolic of a government in chaos."

"They [the British Government] have spent millions on the scheme so far - the home secretary thinks it has been a waste and wants to scrap it, but the prime minister won't let him", he added.

"This is no way to run the country."

Previous Airport ID Card News Items:

ID Cards for UK Airport Workers

Biometric ID Cards For UK Airport Workers

MaxiTherm: Thermal People Counting

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:59:42 GMT

Actron specialise in advanced people counting solutions ideal for the airport industry.

Airport Massage Chairs: Show Me The Money!

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:37:19 GMT

The Back Rubber discuss the success of back rubbing massage chairs in airports throughout the world.

ESR Assist Multiple Sclerosis Society

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:31:00 GMT

ESR Technology raises funds for Multiple Sclerosis Society

The Perimeter Position System

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:15:39 GMT

PPS Position Sensing Buried Detection System - A differential pressure detection system that can pinpoint the intrusion to within 10m in any 200m section.

Long-Range Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) System Solutions

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:14:29 GMT

TagMaster designs, manufactures and markets advanced long-range radio frequency identification (RFID) systems and information services associated with automatic vehicle identification, rail bound transportation and people access, in order to increase efficiency, security, convenience and to decrease environmental impact.

Ryanair Baggage Check-In to End: Airport News

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:39:44 GMT

Irish airline Ryanair has plans to bring an end to traditional passenger luggage check-in procedures at airports in 2010, it has emerged. It will, however, still permit a certain amount of hand luggage on board.

Ryanair's move is to do with bringing down airport costs associated with luggage handling, and could turn into a model adopted by many other carriers.

Ryanair Hand Luggage

Ryanair's plan involves providing people flying it with an "unlimited" hand luggage capacity, so long as the bags involved meet size criteria, according to comments made by Michael O'Leary - Ryanair's CEO. As a result of the Ryanair hand luggage emphasis, the firm expects to be able to save 20 million Euros per annum. Aircraft cargo holds will still be able to be used, but only after overhead locker facilities reach capacity.

"We're going to move away from check-in luggage to more carry-on luggage", O'Leary told the media. "This isn't the end of civilization as we know it, it only sounds revolutionary. I can assure you it's not."

Ryanair Check-In Desks

In terms of the amount of passengers carried, Ryanair is presently Europe's largest short-haul carrier. With effect from the 1st of October, there will be no more Ryanair check-in desks of any kind, and travellers will instead be encouraged to confirm their details online.

From that date onwards, passengers will be responsible for getting their own luggage onto the aircraft to be flown on.

Ryanair has already made ripples within the travel industry. It recently upped its check-in luggage charges as a way of trying to shift travellers' preferences more towards hand luggage. In 2007, 80 per cent of Ryanair passengers were still checking luggage in. Now, a mere 30 per cent do.

Amidst the general downturn in the airline industry linked to the global credit crisis, Ryanair's European growth continues apace. During the last financial year, it flew a total of 58 million passengers - a figure that it aims to swell by nine million during the current year.

However -according to O'Leary - it will also take steps to limit UK growth - in part as a way of campaigning against a new wave of passenger taxes. Consequently, the number of passengers flying with Ryanair from UK hubs is expected to drop two million this year.

CORAL - Analogue Microwave With Unique "Butterfly" Antenna

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:36:30 GMT

The Coral is a new analogue microwave barrier detector with a special antenna to generate an asymmetric detection pattern for use in restricted areas.

Boeing's Delayed Dreamliner Flight: Airport International News

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:32:10 GMT

US aircraft manufacturer Boeing announced on June 22nd that its 787 Dreamliner's first flight would again be delayed. The 787 Dreamliner is a new, twin-engined airliner design set to serve airports the world over. With 865 orders placed for it even at this stage, the Dreamliner already stands as the fastest-selling aircraft in Boeing's history.

The re-scheduled date for the Dreamliner's maiden voyage into the skies was June 30th, but this has now been put back on account of the need for structural modifications - a decision that will impact on Dreamliner deliveries.

Dreamliner Construction

Weigh-reducing plastic composites feature prominently within the Dreamliner construction but, according to Boeing, the use of these was not connected to the new delay. "Consideration was given to a temporary solution that would allow us to fly as scheduled, but we ultimately concluded that the right thing was to develop, design, test and incorporate a permanent modification to the localized area requiring reinforcement", Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO, Scott Carson, explained.

"Structural modifications like these are not uncommon in the development of new airplanes, and this is not an issue related to our choice of materials or the assembly and installation work of our team."

"We are already working towards a solution and are focused on continuing our progress", Mr Carson added, while the firm's vice president, Scott Francher, detailed the extent of the area to be rectified.

"We are talking about a one or two square inch area along the upper wing joint", he said.

"It is a very limited area that needs structural reinforcement."

Boeing Dreamliner Delay

Announcing the Boeing Dreamliner delay, the firm did not specify when the initial Dreamliner flight would now take place.

As well as minimising the 787's weight, the plastics in the aircraft will also lead to greater fuel efficiency over other designs, says Boeing of its new aircraft - its first for 14 years.

It is anticipated that the Dreamliner's range will exceed comparable, contemporary twin-engined airliners, meaning it will be able to connect up airports via new air routes. These routes have been described as "long" and "thin", meaning that - in the hands of airlines including British Airways, Qantas and Continental - they will take fewer passengers over longer distances

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was rolled out in July 2007.

Passive Fire Prevention - Are You Serious About Fire Safety?

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:22:08 GMT

The following article looks at passive fire prevention and fire stopping products brought to you by Envirograf.

Aircraft Line Maintenance

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:21:58 GMT

The following article describes what aircraft line and base maintenance services are available from AMS GmbH & Co KG.

Biometrics And Airport Security Photo Stock Images

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:19:01 GMT

The BAA Aviation Photo Library has a large collection of biometric and other security images, in addition to photos of aircraft, passengers, transport and retail.

Electric Mobility, The Filling Station Of The Future

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:46:00 GMT

The RWE Group and APCOA Autoparking GmbH are entering into a partnership in the area of electric mobility.

Destination Coded Vehicle (DCV) Systems

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:03:28 GMT

Destination Coded Vehicle (DCV) systems meet the increasing needs of airports for fast baggage transport over longer distances.

Geospatial Database Management System Installed for Qatar Civil Aviation Authority

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:41:10 GMT

Geospatial Database Management System (GDMS) eTOD and Safeguarding software, is installed for the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority in Doha.

Red Box International Takes Hanger Space To New Heights

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:43:40 GMT

Red Box international launched the new Airlift on the 12th July at AeroExpo London.

British Airways Asks Workers to Forgo Pay: Airport News

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:20:24 GMT

Airport International has learnt that major British airline British Airways - which flies out of airports across the UK - has contacted a large portion of its workforce to ask whether they would be prepared to forgo a month's salary. The request was linked to BA's current cash-flow situation, and went out to over 30,000 UK workers - many of whom are employed at British airports including London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

The request put forward the options of taking leave on an unpaid basis, or of working for no financial return and, in both instances, suggested a period of between seven and 28 days.

The chief executive of BA, Willie Walsh, has set a company precedent by forgoing his July pay.

Staff Pay Cuts

Mr Walsh described the airline's staff pay cuts appeal as one component of "a fight for survival".

"I am looking for every single part of the company to take part in some way in this cash-effective way of helping the company's survival plan", he added. "These are the toughest trading conditions we have ever seen and there simply are no green shoots. Our survival depends on everyone contributing to changes that permanently remove costs from every part of the business."

A further representative from the airline spoke of how no specific target to be raised through the initiative had been set, bar it being "as much as possible."

British Airways Loss

In May 2009, details were made public of an unprecedented £400 million+ British Airways loss, which was semi-linked to rising fuel costs.

News of the pay cut drive emerged in May, with an initial request sent out to workers asking them to either take one month's holiday, or to work free of charge. In both cases, the specified time period was one month, and, in all, more than 1,000 people replied back.

The new appeal gives more alternatives in varying the timeframe from one week up to one month, and appeared in the airline's in-house publication, British Airways News.

'Colleagues are being urged to help the airline's cash-saving drive by signing up for unpaid leave or unpaid work', the request said.

'From tomorrow, people will be able to opt for blocks of unpaid leave or unpaid work, with salary deductions spread over three to six months, wherever possible. The new unpaid work option means people can contribute to the cash-saving effort by coming to work while effectively volunteering for a small cut in base pay.'

BA workers are reported to have until June 24th to respond to the pay cut drive.