Recent increases in security measures at UK airports have brought passenger check-in to a crawl, but IT could hold the key to normal services.
IT directors are examining new technology to speed up airport processes including radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on boarding cards to track passengers and use of mobile phones for check-in.
Widespread chaos erupted in August when hand luggage restrictions were introduced and technology that is used for hold baggage struggled with an increase in demand.
‘A big problem with the restrictions on hand luggage is that 100 per cent of baggage checked into the hold must be scanned and the technology could not cope with the sudden increase,’ said Ryanair IT director Brona Kernan.
New technologies being considered by airports include thermal imaging scanning devices, X-ray scanners, intelligent CCTV cameras that identify unusual behaviour, and devices to detect chemical odours.
‘In the long term, airports will need to provide more scanners, but they are extraordinarily expensive,’ said Kernan. ‘Ultimately, that cost will be passed on to airlines and passengers.’
Airlines are already investing heavily in a range of technologies that allow and encourage self-service check-in.
‘Mobile phone check-in is a development that is likely to happen soon, although whether it is widely adopted is questionable,’ said Kernan.
‘While it is convenient for passengers, it must improve efficiency for the airline and be as simple to check as a boarding pass.’
A spokeswoman at Virgin Atlantic says the organisation is constantly reviewing new technologies to improve security, and has taken part in a number of trials including iris scanning for passengers arriving from the US.
‘We have also worked on RFID trials for cargo and aircraft parts so it is not technology we would rule out in the future,’ she said.
‘But we can only introduce technologies if they add value and are approved by the relevant authorities that govern airports.’
Forrester Research analyst Henry Harteveldt says RFID could be the answer to many airlines’ and airport’s problems. University College London is working on a project to integrate RFID chips on boarding cards with CCTV to reduce the number of passengers that arrive at gates late.
‘This could let an airline know when a passenger has arrived, where they are and could transmit information before the passenger reaches the departure gate,’ he said.
But Harteveldt says that while increased investment will be made in screening technologies, accuracy, reliability and cost are likely to be significant barriers for airports.
‘I would be very surprised if biometric passports, such as fingerprint or iris identification, are not in place within two years,’ said Harteveldt.
‘But the biggest issue is scalability and whether the technology can handle the huge volumes of passengers.’
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RFID tickets to track travellers
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