“If one of the passengers was still in the retail area or the wrong gate area, then the airline could send a message, or call the passenger, informing them that they have five minutes to get to the gate.” Bluetooth vs RFID If an airline is about to close out a flight and they are missing three passengers (two of whom happen to have opted-in), the airline could bring up a map of the terminal and have the two passengers’ locations highlighted on the map, in real-time (with Bluetooth) or where they were seen last (via BCBP), along with an estimate of their time to the gate. He said: “SITA is looking at developing the capability for airlines to query where “opted-in” passengers are within the airport. In addition to the existing system – which extends to passenger tracking via a bar-coded boarding pass (BCBP) – Kevin Peterson, Senior Product Manager at SITA, explained that passengers could one day be able to “opt-in” to Bluetooth tracking for added value. Displaying the accurate waiting times also has a positive impact on the passengers’ perception.”Įlsewhere, SITA has also recently partnered with Bluelon to provide Bluetooth-based passenger tracking through the iQueue Bluetooth tracking solution, which has already been installed in major hubs, such as Frankfurt Airport. He continued: “The feedback from the airports that are using Bluetooth tracking is that efficiency has gone up and the consistency of the service has been improved. While Bluetooth-based passenger tracking allows the airport to address bottlenecks, tactically deploy resources based on real-time data, and compile historical data from the results, Deacon added that the “passenger benefits from getting an improved level of service”. You can essentially measure the complete passenger journey from the car park to the gate.” The signal that is received at the front door is the same as the signal that is received at security, immigration and at the gate. Bluetooth offers complete journey management. Passengers are passively tracked using their Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices, real-time queuing information is then generated, and accurate queuing times are displayed on the flight information display screens (FIDS).Īlaistair Deacon, Transport Solutions Director, Amor Group, explained: “Airports can gain an insight into what’s happening in real-time at security search and at any other area in the terminal where there is a queue. The Bluetooth-based system has already been introduced in, among other airports, London Heathrow, Oslo and Copenhagen, and will soon be introduced in Toronto Pearson. In our experience, the passengers do understand the need for the security controls, but what they do need is information on the duration of the process and that is what we hope to achieve.” Real-time queue management “We have streamlined the service within the limits of the EU regulation but also want to improve the passenger experience. “Security control is a process that everyone has to go through and there are very strict rules for the actual checking procedure as we all know,” explained Finavia’s Head of Passengers & Airlines, Pirjo Lähteelä. The Finnish airport will start the implementation of Amor Group’s PAXPath+ solution in mid-April, and it is expected to become fully operational in June. Ranging from Europe to North America, the uptake of Bluetooth-based technology for passenger tracking is swiftly advancing and the latest implementation of the technology is due to take place at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Firstly, it allows for the airport to address bottlenecks and reduce queuing times, and secondly, it provides for a more seamless journey for the passenger and, in turn, an enhanced airport experience. The benefits of Bluetooth-based passenger tracking are two-fold. Helsinki-Vantaa Airport will start the implementation of Amor Group’s PAXPath+ Bluetooth tracking solution in mid-April, and it is expected to become fully operational in June.
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