BIAL to screen men and women together by December

Bengaluru: Men and women passengers flying out from the city airport will soon no longer have to stand in separate queues during security screening.

In a first in the country, Bangalore InternationalAirport (BIAL) Monday said it has signed an agreement with UK-based technology developer L3 Macdonald Humfrey to roll out a new security system by December, which will screen men and women together.

The new system is also expected to reduce the wait time for passengers drastically.

BIAL has signed an agreement with L3 Macdonald Humfrey (Automation) India to introduce a Smart Security Lane with Automated Tray Retrieval System (ATRS), the company said in a release.

Work on the security hall enhancements will begin with the first automated lanes being installed in the domestic and international check points by the end of 2018, it said.

Replacement of existing manual lanes will be undertaken in a phased manner to ensure minimal disruption to airport operations, the release said, adding the project is due for completion by March 2019.

Once fully operational, the passenger screening capacity will rise by over 50 per cent, it said.

The smart lanes with ATR will automatically return empty trays to the preparation area for passengers to place their bags and belongings, ending the hassle of looking for trays and also prevent empty trays from piling up.

In addition, the automated rollers will enable the trays to automatically move into the screening machine, without the need for passengers or staff to push their trays/ bags into the X-Ray machines.

This advanced technology will dramatically bring down wait time for passengers at the security check point at the Bengaluru airport, the company said.

Also, according to BIAL, men and women will no longer need to be security screened in different locations and will be screened together.

The airport operator also said that it had conducted a successful trial run early last year prior to signing the pact with the airport security and automation firm.

“With the new proposed system, we can now process more passengers in a secure and controlled environment, improving overall operational efficiency and enhancing safety and security. In addition, passengers will benefit from a quicker passage through security checkpoints,” said Javed Malik, chief operating officer, BIAL.

BIAL is the joint venture company that operates Bengaluru’s Kempegowda international airport.

Canadian firm Fairfax holds 54 per cent stake in the JV, Siemens Projects Ventures 20 per cent, while the central and state governments hold 13 per cent each through AAI and KSIIDC.