The adoption of touchless technology in airports was on the rise pre-pandemic and is now further accelerated in the recovery period due to its infection control benefits in mitigating the spread of the virus.
Reduction of touchpoints
According to the World Health Organisation, hand transmission is the main pathway to germ contagion. In comparison to manual operation which requires hand to hand and hand to surface contact, touchless technology negates the touchpoint entirely, minimising the opportunity for germ transmission that would otherwise occur.
It is all about reducing contact between passengers and airport personnel and eliminating the physical act of touching surfaces where the virus could be viable.
By using automated gates with inbuilt readers allowing contactless authentication and automated processing of passengers, high contact touchpoints are eliminated and passengers are protected from the transmission of viruses or harmful pathogens that can be found on commonly touched surfaces in high traffic areas such as airports and public transport hubs. Of course, touchless technologies assist in the recovery from Covid-19, but pandemic aside, these innovative implementations and the limitation of contact points will still be valuable and vital for future wellbeing to safeguard human health and sanitisation in public areas once Covid-19 is in decline.
Sanitisation
Touchless technology means that people are not required to have physical contact with hardware and systems can work without any manual input. As a result, there is no reason for hands to continually touch surfaces. The clean and sanitised area remains sanitised, free from natural oils found on the fingertips, and free from the transference of any substance that may have been picked up at any point on the passenger journey. Sanitisation has been of utmost importance in the fight against Covid-19; by all accounts, and for the greater good, it is here to stay.
Often branded as the future of air travel, biometric technology is playing a crucial role in enabling touch-free operations.
One ID ready
The use of biometric authorisation can
be easily implemented within Gunnebo airport access control. The One ID concept involves using the face as a way to authorise one’s passage through each stage of airport security gates. Customers can move around the airport - from entering the terminal, through to boarding by simply using their face as their identification without the need to continuously present boarding passes and other identification documents and exchange them with airport staff. The user looks at a screen with a built-in camera and upon positive authorisation, the gate automatically opens. The whole accreditation process takes only a few seconds and is entirely touchless.
Social distancing and other benefits
Automation and touchless technology increase the efficiency of passenger flows to allow seamless, fluid and user-intuitive passage, reduce queues and congestion and ensure airport staff are directed to where they are needed most. Sanitisation and social distancing are also key benefits of having contactless processes installed at key passenger touch points.
Automatic sensors, computer learning, and individual algorithms are all used in conjunction to perform the seamless process of a user moving through the access point without ever needing to touch a surface. These algorithms can also ensure that social distancing is adhered to, and that a user occupies the lane alone, without fear of congestion around the access point.
For further information on touchless authorisation used in the airport environment, download our guide on One ID.
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Topics:
Airport Security