Going Hands-Free: The Role of Touchless Access Control in Creating Safer, Healthier Airports

Airports faced a brand-new security conundrum during the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing them to pivot and rethink their security strategies to keep travel safe while emphasizing the health of passengers and staff. Addressing these new demands for airport security infrastructure is essential for regaining the trust of passengers and employees. Ultimately, new security procedures have led to manual passenger temperature screenings and regular staff COVID-19 tests, which have resulted in slower screening procedures, bottlenecking of high-touch areas and a decrease in both airline and non-aeronautical airport revenue. Touchless access controls can solve these problems by delivering solutions that improve the efficiency of essential airport processes.

Streamlining Essential Processes with Increased Security

The biggest sources of bottlenecks in airports are security checkpoints, check-in, baggage drops, and boarding. By installing touchless technologies, airports can reduce these traffic congestions and help prevent the spread of viruses, including COVID-19. Touchless access controls can streamline these processes and minimize disruptions. From there, installing touchless biometric devices and/or retina scanning technology for staff controls and investing in mobile ticket apps for passengers can limit the possibility of touch contamination while improving efficiency. By installing FAA standard equipment, airports can seamlessly communicate with airlines to ensure the digital ticket or credential is integrated with the needed technology, promising a seamless boarding process. Airports can also reduce passenger-employee contact in other high traffic areas, such as entryways, by installing thermal imaging cameras that rapidly scan moving crowds for elevated temperatures, eliminating the need for an employee to manually take temperatures.

These bottleneck areas can also make social distancing difficult for passengers and staff. To address this issue, airports can integrate Bluetooth technologies that track an occupant’s movement against others and warn travelers of their proximity to others. , In addition, artificial intelligence-enabled video surveillance can provide real-time, 24/7 monitoring of airport occupants’ compliance with public health protocols. Facial recognition technology can also be implemented to identify if occupants are wearing the proper PPE such as masks or face coverings.

By integrating all these technologies, airport leaders can create a holistic security suite that provides travelers and staff with an overall healthier environment and sense of security, thus reducing the stress of travel during the current pandemic and beyond. And by streamlining security checkpoints and other high traffic areas, airport leaders can also boost airport revenue. Faster checkpoints mean travelers spend more time and money in the airport shopping and dining. They can better relax when they know their health and safety are being prioritized.

Meeting the Needs of Airport Employees

Not only is it crucial to limit employee-passenger contact to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses, but airport leaders should also implement solutions that limit contact between employees. Airport staff encounter dozens of touchpoints in their day-to-day between keypads, check-in kiosks and standard badges. Implementing touchless access control within non-passenger airport areas can maximize security by reducing touch. Additionally, facial recognition, biometric and retina scanning technologies can replace the need for standard badges and keypads, allowing employees to move through the airport hands-free and ensure only authorized employees have security access.

Preparing for the Future with Personalized Touchless Solutions

Touchless technologies can optimize future emergency preparedness and response, ensuring your airport is ready for anything. By connecting data points through the cloud, security managers can get actionable insights into the airport’s security operations, allowing them to identify internal and external risk factors from one centralized location, while staying safe and socially distanced. Looking ahead, resiliency will be essential to the airport industry to prepare for any future crisis and to prevent a repeat of 2020.

Now is the time to evaluate your airport’s specific security needs and risks to implement a personalized, touchless security strategy. Cloud-based touchless access control and video technologies can be financed with a subscription-based payment plan, alleviating the need for a large capital expenditure, and allowing for improved data communication. By integrating security and health-focused technologies, you can run the most efficient, safe and comfortable airport possible – today and years down the line.

Greg Parker is the Senior Director of Product Management and Business Development, Security Solutions for Johnson Controls.