AIRPORT SECURITY
Airport access and security solutions Airport owners and managers are faced with an evolving set of complex access and security challenges
H
ere Mark Gore, Airport Business Development Manager at dormakaba explores how these challenges impact the passenger journey and how implementing a suite of smart access and security solutions can help airports achieve their objectives. Pas senger numbers in the UK have consistently increased in recent decades. Although the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the sector, the long term trend data suggests passenger numbers could reach 435 million people by 2050, up from 284 million in 2017. This is part of a wider global trend, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
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estimating that globally the number of air travellers will reach 8.2 billion by 2037, more than double the 4 billion passengers seen in 2017. Modern airports have implemented a range of additional security to protect the passengers, crew and aircraft from attack. Furthermore, airports play a key role in ensuring that law enforcement agencies can track and control who is entering and leaving the country. With the steady expansion of passenger numbers, airport operators must achieve streamlined movement through the airport from check-in to boarding, while ensuring that security is maintained at all times. In fact, research suggests that
passengers are now less accepting of delays at airports. An IATA survey found that 80% of passengers said they wanted to wait no longer than three minutes to drop off a bag. Similarly, 79% of travellers were happy to queue for a maximum of 10 minutes at immigration, with only 2% saying they would accept a waiting time longer than 20 minutes. It is also important to consider the ease of access and experience of people with disabilities, including those whose disability is not immediately obvious. This includes dementia, autism, learning difficulties, anxiety issues, mental health conditions and hearing loss. In addition, the UK Civil Aviation
