Security has always been of paramount importance in airport operations. It must include passenger safety, streamlining of boarding, and the management of staff and tracking. Despite a big halt in business operations of the aviation sector caused by the Covid, global airline travel is again back on track. IATA suggests that factors like liberalization of the aviation market, new travellers from developing countries, and diverging demographic outlooks drive the market to new heights. In that case, it is essential to automate the activities that ensure smooth passenger flow and staff control.

This article will lead you through the major components of airport access control that will allow airports to meet the growing need for secure and efficient airport security.

Key features of airport access control system

An airport access control system must enable effective tracking, monitoring, security, secure passenger identification, smooth cargo flow, vehicle management, etc. A complete access control solution must include biometrics, access card readers, and gate control technology.

The access system must segregate passengers and airport staff. This allows staff and passengers to move freely without risking security.

Solutions for staff controlling

The segregated staff is either identified with their biometrics or access cards. They have smooth access to the airport's protected zones, where only workers are permitted.

There are several areas in airports where only restricted staff are allowed to pass, like controlling towers, tarmac, hangars, and the data centre. The security personnel can use a portable card reader or biometric reader to verify staff identity from anywhere in the airport. Also, the luggage area has to be protected from unauthorized people since they are the target of smugglers and terrorists.

Passenger control for a seamless boarding

The passenger access control system streamlines the process from check-in to boarding the flight. The passengers in access control are further segregated into arriving and departing passengers. It involves some cutting-edge technologies such as biometric kiosks, boarding gates, biometric immigration checks, and access control to the lounge.

The airport access control system makes it easier for passengers to register at the check-in kiosk machine. Facial biometrics is commonly used to identify passengers. The passenger's face is then authenticated at each stage of transit, including luggage drop, immigration check, Longue access, boarding, etc. The facial recognition authentication offers seamless passenger movement inside the airport, avoiding long queues and hassles in onboarding processing.

Many countries now provide E-passport to their citizens, which saves the facial biometric data of the holder according to IATA standards. Hence, at immigration check, the official can verify passengers fast and accurately with IP cameras. This could further reduce the traffic and increase the throughput of the airport.

Also read: DigiYatra To Start Facial Recognition Boarding From March 2022

Vehicle access and management

As the data center and tower, vehicle access is classified as a high-security zone. Offenders usually try to steal access to airport vehicles to reach the runway and cargo areas. The system will monitor and track who is accessing the airport vehicles and gives information about the vehicle usage and movement within a secure area like a taxiway, ramp, and hanger.

Visitor management

To segregate visitors, they get a different access card that grants access only to certain places, allowing airport security officials to regulate gallery access better. The streamlined process enhances airport security and eliminates the need for an administrative workforce, ultimately leading to overall efficiency.

Bottom Line

Airport security is just an access control system. It is an all-encompassing, networked system that includes access control, vehicle management, CCTV monitoring, video analysis, and sophisticated reporting. The entire system is critical for airport security, passenger safety, and convenience. Only a few organizations offer complete airport solutions. One of them is Mantra. Contact us