Page 11 - AAA JANUARY-MARCH 2021 Online Magazine

sity at the airport. It has already been installed
at central India’s GMR group-led Hyderabad
airport. Delhi airport, which is also led by a GMR
group-headed consortium, installed the ‘Xovis’
passenger tracking system at Terminal 3 early
this year. It uses sensors to check passenger
density. “We are also evaluating some other
technologies. As you might be aware that the
Terminal 1 is getting revamped, so while this
(Xovis) system is a tried and tested one, there
is also is also something called computer vision
technology our Hyderabad airport has tried. We
are also evaluating that for future uses,” Videh
Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO of Delhi International
Airport Limited. In the Xovis passenger track-
ing system (PTS), passengers are counted and
tracked anonymously using ceiling-mounted
sensors. The Xovis system calculates passen-
to ensure thorough disinfection of public areas and passenger ger density and if it goes beyond a particular
facilities. London’s Heathrow Airport announced it is trialling UV level, it sends a signal to Delhi airport operator’s
sanitation, facial recognition thermal screening technology and team, Jaipuriar said.
contactless security equipment. The airport assess these tech-
nologies on medical effectiveness, consumer confidence and The PTS receives data streams from the sen-
practicality in an airport environment. sors and provides the airport operator with
valuable key performance indicators (KPIs)
As airports around the world explore new ways to accelerate the such as waiting times, process times and pas-
revival of air travel demand, Abu Dhabi opened the region’s first senger throughput. The operator has put PTS
airport polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing laboratory display screens at various points of Terminal
for COVID-19. The laboratory is located within the Abu Dhabi 3’s check-in hall, arrival pier junction, etc. The
International Airport (AUH), and provides quick coronavirus test security personnel as well as the Bureau of
results in line with global travel standards. “Through partnering Immigration – have also been linked with the
with Pure Health and Tamouh Healthcare, Abu Dhabi International Xovis system.
Airport is now able to offer travellers state-of-the-art rapid testing
services delivered by a dedicated laboratory facility,” said Shareef In Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Hashim Al-Hashmi, chief executive of Abu Dhabi Airports. International Airport (CSMIA), where domes-
tic flight operations started in March this year,
Touchless Drive witnessed 102 flight movements across 27 des-
In India, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport is evaluating a tinations on day 1 of its revival. After closing
“computer vision” technology to track passengers, reduce waiting operations of Terminal 1 in March 2020 due to
time and ensure social distancing at its terminals. Computer vision the pandemic, CSMIA’s T1 resumed operations
technology uses images to analyse and understand passenger den- after almost a year with a total of 51 flights at
departure and 51 at arrivals. The airport has
38 check-in counters operational across the
5 domestic carriers to avoid crowding. CSMIA
has also placed 8 Common Use Self Service
(CUSS) kiosks on the curbside of the termi-
nal to enable passengers to complete their
check-in process without direct interaction
with airport personnel; passengers can use the
kiosks to print their boarding pass and gener-
ate their baggage tag before proceeding for
security check.

CSMIA’s T1 hosts 8 registration desks and 6
testing booths where passengers can opt to
undergo the RT-PCR test at the airport for a
minimal cost of INR 850. Adhering to the proto-
cols laid down by governmental and regulatory
bodies, a dedicated room has also been iden-

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