Etihad Airways is trialling touchless technology to help screen passengers at Abu Dhabi International Airport for Covid-19.

Armed with hand sanitizer, mandatory masks and thermometers, Dubai reopens its airports to international travellers for the first time in months.

France has announced international travellers arriving from at-risk countries will be systematically subjected to nasal swab tests on arrival. FRANCE 24 health editor Julia Sieger says the list of countries on the list is not yet public, but could include the United States, Mexico, South Africa and even Australia.

German airport hubs Frankfurt and Munich are now offering COVID-19 tests to all arriving and departing passengers.

The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test allows for travelers to satisfy entry requirements both in Germany and abroad, says Elmar Simon, of the MediCare clinic at Munich Airport. Germany has opened its borders to unrestricted travel with most EU countries but for most others, travelers must either quarantine for two weeks or take a COVID-19 test. 

“You go into the back area, a short waiting area, then get the appropriate smear from the doctors. And this is then analyzed accordingly in our laboratory on-site and after 3-4 hours the patient has the corresponding test result.”

Munich native Martin Wessab hadn’t worn a mask until he stepped foot onto the plane that would bring him home from Sweden. He had been living in the Nordic country for the last two years completing a Master’s degree.

Sweden is not on the list of countries for which Germany has opened its border for unrestricted travel.

“Sweden is treating coronavirus a little bit differently,” says Wessab. “I lived with 20 people together so I have maybe a risk of maybe having coronavirus so that is why I am here (taking the test).”

The tests cost $213 but a negative result removes the need for two weeks of isolation.

Munich Airport is giving coronavirus tests for travelers that cost $213. /CGTN

Frankfurt and Munich join other international airports worldwide, such as Hong Kong and Tokyo also offering onsite tests in an effort to re-open international travel – an industry that has been one of the hardest hit by COVID-19 restrictions globally.

Germany’s testing corresponds with the re-opening of Europe to a number of international travelers on 1 July. According to the International Air Transport Association, or IATA, passenger demand has dropped more than 50 percent since the onset of COVID-19 restrictions globally. Mandatory quarantine has certainly contributed to that decline.

“We currently have between 50 and 70 tests (a day) on average,” said Simon. “We are currently mindful of organizing it as a travel test centre in order to simply boost flight operations and to ensure that the entry quarantine, which is currently the case in Germany when entering from risk countries, can be shortened.”

Airlines around the world, including Germany, have been hard-hit by the lockdown.

While it is hoped that COVID-19 tests will begin replacing mandatory quarantine periods globally, the World Health Organization warns that infection rates continue to rise, pointing towards further challenges for the travel industry.

source : https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2020-07-05/Munich-and-Frankfurt-airports-offering-COVID-19-tests-for-travelers-RSNkh573Ms/index.html

Passenger Screening, Baggage Scanners, Smart Tag & RFID, e-Gate & e-Kiosk, 5G Infrastructure, Cybersecurity Solutions and Ground Support Equipment

NEWS PROVIDED BY:

Research and Markets 

Jul 10, 2020, 10:45 ET

DUBLIN, July 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The “COVID-19 Impact on Airport Operations Market by Technology (Passenger Screening, Baggage Scanners, Smart Tag & RFID, E-gate & E-Kiosk, 5G infrastructure, Cybersecurity Solutions and Ground Support Equipment) and Region – Global Forecast to 2025” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

In the short term, the market is expected to see a huge drop from 2020 to 2021 (12.4%) and is expected to see a slight recovery from 2021 to 2022. The airport operation technologies market in a realist scenario is projected to grow from USD 6.2 billion in 2020 to USD 11.2 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 12.6% from 2020 to 2025.

This report covers the airport operations market across segments. It aims to estimate the market size and the growth potential of this market across different segments, including technology and region. The study also includes an in-depth competitive analysis of the key players in the market, along with their company profiles, key observations related to product and business offerings, recent developments, and key market strategies.

Increasing demand for the thermal scanners and biometric solutions at airport globally is expected to drive the market growth in a COVID crisis

The COVID-19 crisis has created a demand for facial recognition solutions that will have no need for human interference. At the same time, fingerprint scanners are expected to be phased out. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, various airports across countries have ordered thermal scanners and infrared scanners for passenger screening. For instance, demand for thermal imaging cameras that can detect fevers from a distance has soared as nations ramp up surveillance and quarantine measures.

The increase in demand for passenger screening and management systems at airports is anticipated to boost the growth of the market during the forecast period. However, the decrease in air passenger traffic across the globe is limiting the overall growth of the market.

Based on technology, the biometric solutions segment is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period

Technologies such as self-service and facial & voice recognition have been introduced for passenger identity, check-ins, and availing boarding passes. These technologies at airports have improved customer service, reduced operational costs, and increased revenues of airlines as well as airports. Airports with such technologies are able to cope with the COVID-19 outbreak better. Demand for smart passenger screening solutions is expected to surge post the COVID-19 pandemic in the long term, as airports will strive to maintain vigilance levels.

The spread of COVID-19 is posing serious challenges for airlines, airports, and their ecosystems. In the long term, however, the pandemic could help catalyze investments in new technologies and radically reshape the industry.

Asia-Pacific is estimated to lead the airport operations market in 2020 Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific warns that the prolonged duration of the COVID-19 outbreak will significantly impact the region’s airports and prevent them from achieving previously-forecasted growth prospects. The airport association urges regulators and governments to implement well-defined adjustments and relief measures tailored to suit local-level contexts.

According to ACI World estimates, Asia Pacific is impacted the worst, with passenger traffic volumes down 24% for the first quarter of 2020 compared to forecasted traffic levels without COVID-19. After fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, China’s aviation industry is moving into the recovery stage, and it is unsurprising that Chinese airlines are the ones bucking the global trend and adding capacity. Moreover, Chinese airports are deploying 5G-powered robots for terminal operations, which can help reduce the chances of spreading COVID-19 as well as increase the handling capacity of passengers.

source : https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/impact-of-covid-19-on-airport-operations-2020-2025-passenger-screening-baggage-scanners-smart-tag–rfid-e-gate–e-kiosk-5g-infrastructure-cybersecurity-solutions-and-ground-support-equipment-301091504.html

UK/FINLAND. Veovo has launched a new AI-powered solution – named Live Passenger Forecasting – which is designed to  help prevent airport crowding, improve capacity planning and boost operational efficiency. It is also aimed at reducing the impact of recent travel volatility and supporting new distancing initiatives.

Some of the manifold benefits of Veovo’s Live Passenger Forecasting solution, which will help improve airport capacity planning and operational efficiency (click to enlarge)

Veovo – whose various technologies to unlock insights across the airport ecosystem are already used by more than 110 international airport clients – observes that as flights begin to resume globally, the ability for airports to cope with air travel fluctuations and new processes will be imperative to minimise crowding and ensure smooth journeys.

The Live Passenger Forecasting solution draws data from many available sources, including various sensor technologies, airline schedules and booking files, the Airport Operational Database (AODB), queue wait times and lane productivity, event calendars and boarding pass scans.

Isavia’s Thordis Bjornsdottir praised the capabilities of the Veovo Live Passenger Forecasting solution

This creates an accurate by-flight forecast of how passengers will arrive and transit through the terminal, Veovo said. The airport can then build a robust resourcing plan to match demand.

The solution continually re-forecasts, based on live data, and alerts the operator immediately when predetermined thresholds are reached. Resourcing and operational actions are recommended to minimise bottlenecks and prevent crowding, such as by adjusting call-to-gate time, changing border control lane openings or reallocating baggage belts.

It also allows the airport to understand the cause of the deviation from the plan, which could be anything from a late arrival, to a slower than predicted security process. This insight is then fed back into the future plan to continually improve the forecast accuracy, based on local conditions.

With a configurable, visual dashboard, Veovo said airport partners such as security, border control agencies and retailers, are also kept informed, as to when passengers will show up, and any impact on operational areas.

The Live Passenger Forecasting dashboard, configured for the needs of initial user Keflavík Airport (click to enlarge)

Available as part of the Veovo Airport Intelligent Platform, Live Passenger Forecasting can be customised to accommodate an airport’s access to data and planning needs and does not require any specialised skills to use.

Iceland’s Keflavík International Airport has become the first travel hub to adopt the new technology.

Thordis Bjornsdottir, Specialist in Operation Research at Isavia, operator of Keflavík Airport, said: “During this COVID-19 period, new air traffic patterns and changing passenger behaviour means that we can no longer depend on plans based only on historical show-up patterns.

“Veovo’s new live re-forecasting capabilities provide us with an early heads-up on changes to passenger presentation profiles. This allows us to easily adapt plans and rosters to reflect the current situation, improving journeys and keeping costs down.”

Veovo CEO James Williamson said: “Thanks to our continued partnership with Keflavík Airport, we have been able to quickly launch these new enhancements to our Intelligent Airport Platform. We’re delighted they’ve been able to realise the benefits of real-time passenger forecasts since re-opening their borders to most travellers last month.”

Norwegian airport operator introduces touchless travel check-in to limit the potential spread of Covid-19

By Karl Flinders, Emea Content Editor, Computer Weekly

Airport operator Avinor has rolled out technology across airports in Norway that will enable passengers to make their journeys without needing to interact with people or machines.

Domestic air travel is essential and well used in Norway because of the country’s geography, and many travellers have no choice but to fly to some destinations.

Avinor’s service, which it describes as “touchless”, was created to reduce the potential for the Covid-19 coronavirus to spread via air passengers who come into contact with it.

Using technology from Amadeus combined with social distancing, Norway’s state-owned airports will offer touchless check-in and bag drop.

Passengers can check in remotely and receive a boarding pass via their smartphones, including a tag for their luggage. When they arrive, a barcode is scanned at a self-service kiosk and bag tags are produced automatically.

Bags, with the tags attached, are put into the baggage system by the passenger with no involvement from airport staff.

As part of the project, self-service bag drop units were re-engineered by Avinor with a new smart configuration of the existing barcode scanners and passenger dialogue in order to make the process contactless. 

Avinor has introduced this capability at Oslo airport and will soon make it available in Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim. These four hubs account for 66% of flight departures in Norway. The technology and supporting processes will be implemented in a total of 17 airports.

Domestic air travel is essential and well used in Norway because of the country’s geography, and many travellers have no choice but to fly to some destinations.

Avinor’s service, which it describes as “touchless”, was created to reduce the potential for the Covid-19 coronavirus to spread via air passengers who come into contact with it.

Using technology from Amadeus combined with social distancing, Norway’s state-owned airports will offer touchless check-in and bag drop.

Passengers can check in remotely and receive a boarding pass via their smartphones, including a tag for their luggage. When they arrive, a barcode is scanned at a self-service kiosk and bag tags are produced automatically.

Bags, with the tags attached, are put into the baggage system by the passenger with no involvement from airport staff.

As part of the project, self-service bag drop units were re-engineered by Avinor with a new smart configuration of the existing barcode scanners and passenger dialogue in order to make the process contactless. 

Avinor has introduced this capability at Oslo airport and will soon make it available in Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim. These four hubs account for 66% of flight departures in Norway. The technology and supporting processes will be implemented in a total of 17 airports.

Domestic air travel is essential and well used in Norway because of the country’s geography, and many travellers have no choice but to fly to some destinations.

Avinor’s service, which it describes as “touchless”, was created to reduce the potential for the Covid-19 coronavirus to spread via air passengers who come into contact with it.

Using technology from Amadeus combined with social distancing, Norway’s state-owned airports will offer touchless check-in and bag drop.

Passengers can check in remotely and receive a boarding pass via their smartphones, including a tag for their luggage. When they arrive, a barcode is scanned at a self-service kiosk and bag tags are produced automatically.

Bags, with the tags attached, are put into the baggage system by the passenger with no involvement from airport staff.

As part of the project, self-service bag drop units were re-engineered by Avinor with a new smart configuration of the existing barcode scanners and passenger dialogue in order to make the process contactless. 

Avinor has introduced this capability at Oslo airport and will soon make it available in Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim. These four hubs account for 66% of flight departures in Norway. The technology and supporting processes will be implemented in a total of 17 airports.

Passengers flying with SAS, Norwegian Air and Widerøe will be the first to benefit.  

Avinor CIO Brede Nielsen said Norwegians rely heavily on air travel, so it is vital to reduce the chances of Covid-19 spreading. “Given our unique geography, many Norwegians depend on their local airport for both business and leisure travels,” he said. “Several domestic routes serve more than a million passengers every year. We operate several of Europe’s top 20 busiest routes within Norway.

“This reduces the risk of being exposed to the virus to an absolute minimum and we are confident that travellers will welcome our new touchless approach. We have worked quickly and flexibly with Amadeus and [Amadeus company] ICM to build and deploy new technology to make it both safer and easier to fly from our airports. We’re now in a strong position to serve increased numbers of passengers travelling during the summer period.”  

Nielsen added: “Our goal has been to design our touchless travel process to be as easy and intuitive as we can.”

Avinor uses Amadeus’ cloud-based passenger handling platform, which means that technical development and smooth data exchange with airline partners has been rapid, expediting the development of the touchless check-in and baggage system.

Yannick Beunardeau, vice-president airport IT, EMEA, at Amadeus, said the pandemic had forced the travel industry to look beyond conventional operating models, and to redefine the passenger experience. “Common to all is the need to create an agile and adaptive airport environment, that might mean shifting check-in off-airport, adding automation or accelerating the move to touchless check-in, bag drop and boarding,” he said. “In each case, flexible, cloud-based technology is a necessity.”

source : https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252485719/Avinor-creates-contactless-airport-check-in-for-Norway