BEUMER Group Re-imagines the Airport Security Screening Area to Improve the Passenger Experience and Promote Operational Efficiency
• Optimising flow at security checkpoints improves efficiency and banishes bottlenecks
• Biometrics link passengers to baggage in a secure, automated environment
• Compact design integrates effectively into existing terminals
Passenger security screening areas at airports are no longer efficient and require an urgent redesign, according to automation specialists BEUMER Group. The company proposes to replace the conventional linear security screening lines (SSLs), which rely largely on passenger co-operation and manual security interventions, with an automated and centralised system called SECTRO. Designed to optimise flow, improve security and reduce the organisational pressures involved in keeping passengers and their cabin baggage safe, the SECTRO solution takes full advantage of the latest baggage automation technologies to optimise operations and enhance the passenger experience.
“Airports are under pressure to make the passenger experience as efficient and stress-free as possible, but to achieve this they need to address multiple logistical, operational and staffing challenges,” says Gernot Pöchgraber, BEUMER’s system expert on the topic. “A major annoyance for airports and passengers alike is today’s screening area, which is synonymous with queuing and requires passengers to follow manual divest and reclaim procedures that are not always intuitive. This outdated and very manual approach is inefficient and labour-intensive: none of which makes this mandatory part of flying a pleasant experience. We have therefore applied our specialist baggage handling automation knowledge to develop the SECTRO solution, a new automated system that eliminates delay and minimises risk, delivering significant benefits for passengers and airport operators alike.”
Screening flow challenges
Requiring passengers to place coats, shoes, electronics and other valuable personal items into multiple open trays for checking is fundamentally flawed and many passengers experience high levels of stress during security checks. In addition, from an operational point of view there is no reliable way to automatically link a passenger and their possessions as they move through the check-in process. For passengers, this can lead to anxiety because of the notion that their possessions may go astray. Also, the current linear screening system is not sufficiently flexible and can only move as fast as the slowest passenger – causing inevitable frustration and delay. During particularly strained peak periods, passengers have missed flights because they are unable to move through security promptly.
Airports have invested heavily in CT scanners to try to cope with peak demands, but the rigid linear system means that many of these machines are not in use for much of the time. In addition, conventional security points require several teams of suitably trained and skilled staff, which are in short supply. This has led many airports to outsource, which can involve higher cost.
Automated airport solution
The SECTRO solution from BEUMER Group addresses all these problems by totally rethinking the passenger screening experience. Instead of using a linear approach with multiple SSLs placed in parallel, SECTRO groups each step of the process logically and uses automation and intuitive touch screens to guide people seamlessly through the process during passenger and cabin baggage separation. This new automated screening solution is both secure and compact, with a logical system design that integrates seamlessly into existing terminals.
On arrival, passengers will divest their baggage at one of the self-service stations. A touch screen guides them through the simple procedure to connect their biometric data with their baggage. From this point, the baggage remains in a sealed and automated system. While their baggage is being checked, the passenger proceeds through the body scanner to reach the information point. A screen here will show when their baggage is cleared and direct them to reclaim it from another self-service station using their unique biometric ID. If the automated baggage checks raise any issues, the passenger is directed into a re-check isle, where staff can assist. This flow prevents any delays or bottlenecks.
The new automated screening system design has a high degree of flexibility and can easily handle peak flows. The process allows slower passengers to be overtaken, easing pressure and stress as people can proceed at their own pace. In addition, BEUMER estimates that the SECTRO system can achieve up to 30 percent savings in operational resources for the airports.
Gernot Pöchgraber concludes: “The SECTRO solution meets today’s airport screening requirements and addresses the urgent need to dramatically improve the passenger experience. It re-introduces flow to eliminate inefficient queuing, removes the risk of possessions being lost during screening, and reduces the resources required. We believe it will revolutionise the passenger experience, as well as saving airports millions of euros over the next decade.”
The system is being piloted during 2024, with full commercial implementation anticipated in 2025.
For more information, you can visit BEUMER Group’s booth at the Saudi Airport Exhibition from 11 to 12 November.
