After two years of COVID-19 related travel restrictions, recruitment difficulties and the resurgence in demand for air travel have piled the pressure on airports throughout the world.
An added bottleneck is that after two years of not travelling, many passengers are out of practice when reaching security checkpoints, only adding to delays.
Images of queues snaking out of terminal buildings have made consumers wary of flying in what should have been a bumper year, with broad agreement in the industry that the situation will persist for up to 18 months.
It’s acknowledged that the main issue is the availability of security staff, but technology can also provide solutions to speed up a passenger’s journey through the airport, increase efficiency, alleviate stress points and improve staff productivity.
“We’ve seen the challenging situation that some of the world’s airports are in, and we have the technology that can help them cope better with their personnel shortages. We’re not yet at the stage where passengers step off the train at a busy hub and are immediately digitally profiled and screened, enabling them to walk straight onto a flight, but there are solutions available today that can alleviate queues and delays at terminals” says Cymoril Metivier, Smiths Detection’s Global Director, Digital Solutions.
COPING WITH PEAK PASSENGER FLOWS
In most years, there are only a limited number of weeks when there are large crowds at airports and terminals are stretched for staff. “It’s peak passenger flows that are normally the problem,” says Daan Van Vroonhoven, Smiths Detection’s Global Director for Aviation.
However, airports that usually recruit extra staff during the peak season have found they were unable to do so fast enough this year to offset already low staff levels.
“That’s the problem, staff aren’t available. They won’t be coming back soon,” says Van Vroonhoven.
It’s at times like these that airport operators need to review bottlenecks in their security systems and look to short and medium-term fixes using the latest technology. In the next 12-18 months, the issues that have dogged airports this summer will remain, because recruitment will continue to be challenging as airports try to cope with the passenger volumes they saw pre-pandemic.
Fortunately, there is now technology that can enhance human intervention and speed passengers through security checks to help fight those recruitment issues.
THE POWER OF AI: AUTOMATIC OBJECT DETECTION
One such solution is AI-powered software, which uses machine learning and advanced material discrimination to automatically identify dangerous, prohibited and contraband items in X-ray images in real time. AI algorithms can be installed on screening systems to detect items from a list that includes weapons, currency and lithium batteries.
Smiths Detection has tested this concept for several years and the results are such that it is proven safe and more accurate than when screened only by human operators. In the short-term these algorithms will be used to assist operators by drawing a frame around detected items, increasing efficiency and security levels. Looking ahead, they have the potential to become real game changers in terms of automating security processes by enabling “alarm-only viewing” at the checkpoint.
THE NEXT STEP: ALARM-ONLY VIEWING
“Medium to long term, regulators are looking to automatically clear and not show images that are not alarmed to operators, so you’ll need fewer people. In a step-by-step approach, regulators will fully automate screening,” predicts Van Vroonhoven.
“We’re in the process of trialling our software with a number of operators and national regulators in the UK, The Netherlands and Germany,” Van Vroonhoven says. “In the next six months, we hope to get the algorithm approved. The next step is for the required regulation allowing alarm-only viewing to be put in place.”
It is likely individual countries will permit alarm-only systems first and then pan-European approval will follow. The goal is a progressive reduction in the number of images shown on screens that must be viewed by an operative until most are AI-screened and only 15-20% need additional human scrutiny.
“By the mid-2023 I would expect a certain percentage to be allowed, that’s what we’re pushing for,” adds Van Vroonhoven.
THE ROLL OUT OF CT SCANNING
Some other big changes are afoot in the security lane thanks to the continued development of Computed Tomography (CT) scanning.
The technique generates a cross section image of a solid object using X-rays. Using technology originally developed for medical applications and adapted for screening hold baggage, new generation machines are now capable of screening liquids, gels and large electronic items without passengers having to remove them from their hand luggage.
Regulators are keen for the adoption of this new equipment, with the UK, for example, setting a deadline of June 2024 for the introduction of the latest generation of EDS CB C3 approved CT scanners. The first users of C3 technology have seen immediate benefits, as the second largest airport in Jeju, South Korea has found.
The 3D images created by the new technology means fewer items need be removed from luggage. This in turn means fewer trays and when coupled with automatic tray handling, Jeju saw a 50% increase in passenger throughput to between 400 and 500 trays an hour after switching from conventional scanning systems.
Metivier explains: “There are a lot of airports around the world that are not using CT technology yet. This means every passenger takes longer to get through security because they must remove liquids, laptops, etc., so the investment will pay back immediately because the savings in personnel will be more or less immediate.”
At London’s Gatwick Airport, for example, around 10,000 hand luggage items are currently being rejected each day because liquids and large electronics have not been removed, adding an average five minutes to the time a passenger takes to pass through security, which at peak times contributes to delays.
Although CT scanning is not yet mandatory, it is the only technology that can currently meet future standards because of its ability to generate 3D images and examine bag contents from every angle – distinguishing, for example between a bar of chocolate and a batch of explosives.
Airports around the world will be asking whether a system upgrade such as this is cost-effective, but the trend is towards regulation in favour of CT technology and there are efficiency gains for the airport as well as a better passenger experience.
Airports that already have C3 in operation have a competitive advantage over other hubs where liquids and laptops must still be removed from baggage. Passengers can expect C3 to be the norm at the world’s major hubs in the next few years.
UNLOCKING EFFICIENCY THROUGH CENTRALISATION
With centralised image evaluation multiple personnel can examine X-ray images in a much quieter location compared to a busy checkpoint, before diverting them for further searches or delivering them back to the passenger.
One of the main benefits of Centralised Image Evaluation is the ability to multiplex images. Multiplexing facilitates a flexible ratio of operators to lanes so resources can be optimised to meet the peaks and troughs of demand and individual operational objectives. X-ray images taken across the airport are sent to analysts based in a location away from the checkpoints and shown to the first available person. Multiple images can be reviewed simultaneously by multiple analysts, removing the need to pause conveyors during the inspection process and ensuring the optimum use of equipment.
Metivier says: “It won’t be that there are no human beings, it will just mean there will be one human being less, but safety will be improved.”
Remote or centralised image evaluation has the added advantage that staff can be switched to different locations, a different airport or even country or continent according to peaks and troughs of demand, bringing significant cost efficiencies. One projection for a parcel shipping company with seven processing facilities spread throughout a country and 11 X-ray screening systems reduced the number of screeners from 16 to four, cutting the daily cost from $5,680 to $1,600.
MULTI-SITE REMOTE SCREENING IN EXPRESS AIR-CARGO
The same technology that enables security screening at airports is also used in the express air-cargo market for piece-by-piece screening of freight. The high demand for express air cargo was sparked by the pandemic has continued to grow and evolve as businesses and individuals benefit from the speed and convenience that can only be provided via air freight.
A major difference in screening air-cargo compared to aviation is that screening operations are conducted in a fully automated environment with little to no human interaction. In addition to this, air-cargo providers generally have multiple processing facilities where screening is conducted with items packed and transported to airports. This operational model lends itself very well to centralised image processing (CIP) as screening processes and operations are identical between all sites. Although peak demand varies between sites, it is rare for screener demand for all sites to be identical throughout the day.
Smiths Detection along with DHL Australia Express has successfully implemented a fully operational multi-site central image processing solution with the latest site being integrated in August 2022. Several sites in major cities across Australia have been connected to process images centrally at one location, optimising staffing rostering as well as significantly increasing the utilisation of operators responsible for screening operations.
The solution meets regulatory and operational requirements amidst high demand and a challenging throughput environment while ensuring a high security outcome. There were no changes required to the existing MHS or operations allowing for a seamless implementation with little to no disruption.
UTILISING CONNECTIVITY: AUTOMATIC TRAY RETURN SYSTEMS
Automatic tray return is not a new concept and there are many airports globally harnessing the efficiency gains. However, even greater efficiency could be achieved by leveraging data, AI, automation and connectivity.
Automatic recirculation not only speeds up passenger flow but also allows staff to be redeployed as it removes the need for trays to be manually carried back to the starting point. The net result is increased throughput, cost reduction, shorter queues and happier passengers.
Moreover, automated tray return, coupled with data analytics and reporting applications, provides airports with KPIs, giving them accurate pointers of how staff should be deployed.
“We have the capability to track efficiency of security lanes. We can see which are used most and which are under-used,” says Van Vroonhoven.
The pandemic sped up the introduction of another innovation, UV light sterilisation, which, while not visible to the average passenger, helps cut airport operator costs. The UV application, means trays are sterilised as they pass through the system, killing viruses, removing the need for operatives to undertake the process and reducing the risk of staff and passenger sickness.
LEAVING NO STONE UNTURNED: UNACCOMPANIED BAGGAGE INSPECTION
Another new advance that reduces the need to offload hold baggage when, for example, passengers do not make connections, is undergoing testing. The Specialist Unaccompanied Baggage Inspection (UBI) app uses the image of the bag taken when it was scanned. If a passenger does not make it to the gate, this image is then sent to a qualified security operator who will scrutinise it and decide if the bag needs to be removed from the aircraft or not.
If clear, the flight can take-off without costly delays to the carrier, which in 2019 were estimated to amount to $97 for every minute spent sat on the tarmac with engines running. Even with the aircraft stationary, a similar amount is often spent on retrieving each bag.
Some of these innovations are small gains, some of them big, but with the difficulties airports currently face, none of them can be ignored. To do so risks incurring the wrath of passengers who, in the post-pandemic period, regard their travel experience as more emotive than ever.
THE FUTURE IS CONTACTLESS
Disgruntled holidaymakers arriving at an airport to queues extending out the door can take some comfort in knowing technology to screen them before they even enter the terminal will soon be adopted by some countries.
This summer’s issues with staffing at airports could be alleviated with systems already developed but not yet licenced. However, the tide is firmly in the direction of contactless travel and pre-travel passenger profiling.
The UK is one country taking these first steps, with contactless border crossing to be tested from 2024. New technologies will allow some passengers to enter the UK and undergo automated border screening without going through an eGate or speaking to a UK Border Force officer.
The UK government says Electronic Travel Authorisations will also allow more international visitors to use eGates via a Digital Customer Account. Initiatives such as these will be a precursor to other developments that are only a few years further away.
BIOMETRICS FOR BESPOKE SCREENING
Beyond scanning developments, Risk-Based Screening (RBS) is the future, using facial recognition and passenger profiling in a ‘sift the haystack’ approach that offers a seamless curb-to-gate experience. RBS, using artificial intelligence and biometrics advances, signals the days of taking the same security approach to every passenger are numbered.
The UK is again making the first moves towards contactless travel, but RBS will allow much fuller profiling of passengers. RBS uses information gleaned such as the passenger’s destination, point of origin, ticketing or routing data and travel behaviour. Some additional measures can be authorised as required, such as investigating bags, targeting them for more stringent screening.
SEAMLESS TRAVEL: IBORDERCTRL
The EU-funded iBorderCtrl project is one example of RBS in use. It was initially tested pre-pandemic and is aimed at non-EU citizens crossing borders, using a two-stage procedure to assess applicants before they travel. The interview with an avatar gathers personal details, alongside travel document and vehicle data. At borders, data gathered is matched with results of security controls performed with a portable wireless connected unit that can be used inside buses or trains.
Such techniques can be applied globally at airports and could herald the day when security staff wave through the majority of passengers, concentrating instead on those considered a higher risk. Gone will be the days when your passport stamps are examined as you join the line for check-in; staff will already know where you’ve been.
Passengers will be paired with their bags using biometrics, with some individuals providing a trigger when their hand luggage is scanned that changes the detection algorithm to a higher level. A similar technique can be used for hold baggage, with, for example, bags of transfer passengers from high-risk destinations being given greater scrutiny.
ALIGNING TECHNOLOGY WITH LEGISLATION
Apart from the cost of the new systems, there is the obvious drawback that RBS will violate some countries’ privacy laws. Technology is advancing in leaps and bounds, but legislation lags far behind.
“We have the technology to match the passenger with the boarding card and the cabin baggage, but I don’t think the majority of countries is ready for it,” says Cymoril Metivier, Smiths Detection’s Global Director, Digital Solutions. “European countries have stricter privacy laws. We’re not quite there, but risk-based screening is definitely on the menu.”
COVID-19 proved that passengers are generally compliant when asked to show proof of vaccination to enable them to travel, but RBS is another step altogether, given the amount of information held on an individual in cloud systems. Ultimately, the goal is seamless check-in with nothing removed from bags and with vaccination records confirmed via facial recognition, but the public has to be comfortable with this.
Smiths Detection does not believe this step change will be made within the next five years, but make no mistake, it is on the way. Until then, airport operators will continue to implement readily available solutions which can help overcome staff shortages and alleviate security bottlenecks as the aviation industry continues its recovery. They offer an immediate and far more permanent fix, with both airports and passengers set to benefit.