Established at more than 120 airports worldwide, Airsphere’s industry preferred PaxControl passenger management solutions have been the choice.
This new landmark airport terminal in the South of India was inaugurated with Airsphere solutions for all e-gate touchpoints at terminal entrance, pre-security and boarding. Together with our partners Dormakaba and SITA we have delivered customized process flows at all e-gates including the integration of biometrics according to the Digi Yatra program. It was the first airport that allowed a Day of Travel enrolment for passenger not yet enrolled in the Digi Yatra program. All gates are centrally management and configured with PaxControl which also provides the validation business logic for each touchpoint. A specifically designed Mobile Tablet application supports CISF agents at terminal entrance in validating passenger’s documents but also supervise the seamless biometric access from Digi Yatra enrolled passengers.
Berlin Airport was the first airport to introduce Airsphere’s SmartDepart solution for seamless travels. The combination of an airline- and airport-agnostic, yet easy to use smartphone app for biometric enrolment, a free time slot for security check access and the comfort of touchless access control at security and lounge emerges as a compelling offer to the passenger.
For the airport, deploying SmartDepart didn’t only skyrocket the number of biometric accesses to 4 times the number of Germany’s two biggest airports, Frankfurt and Munich, combined. The SmartDepart app complements BER’s commercial ambitions by offering paid services like lounge access to passengers – just a fingertip away from booking a time slot or enrolling biometrically.
While maximizing benefits for the airport and passengers, our solution minimizes the amount of sensitive data to be processed. No personal data will be shared or stored on any server unless a passenger chooses to enrol for a flight. Even then, the passenger’s image will never be shared: instead, a digital „fingerprint“ of the face as well as the boarding pass are cryptographically secured stored on a backend server, inaccessible until the day of travel and deleted once the flight departed. At the airport’s touchpoints, the passenger’s captured face is also transformed into a digital fingerprint before it is sent to the backend server for identification. Berlin’s aeronatics authority appreciated the solution’s data minimisation when reviewing GDPR compliance.
Finavia runs eight airports on one single PaxControl server installation. The airports’ sizes range from large to small, resulting in different environments and needs. For example, GateControl is used on Helsinki airport’s e-gates at presecurity, where PaxControl is validating boarding passes. It is also installed on the airport’s boarding e-gates, where it connects to Amadeus for DCS validation. Our MobileClient is used to control the e-gates’ boarding state. In contrast, some small airports don’t have any e-gates at all – this is where our MobileClient steps in as an excellent cost-efficient alternative: running on a Zebra device, it acts as a boarding pass scanner and validates in the same way through PaxControl as GateControl does.
Finavia is selling fast track access through DragonPass. Thanks to PaxControl’s open API architecture, DragonPass can create vouchers in the PaxControl system through an API endpoint. Airsphere’s flexible and powerful validation engine is configured to check for appropriate vouchers at the respective touchpoints. Since the validation engine is extensible by external validations, PaxControl can also control access to the Finnair lounge which relies on Finnair’s own vouchers.
Airsphere won the competitive bid to replace the existing pre-security solution at Frankfurt airport. Airsphere customized the PaxControl solution to the needs of Frankfurt Airport.
A mix of e-gate, DesktopClients and MobileClients are operating today at multiple boarding pass checkpoints in all terminals. E-Gate operations is supervised and controlled by PaxControl DesktopClients. The clients graphically show e-gate status, transaction information and agents can take full control. For larger checkpoints with a higher number of e-gates and intelligent process was implemented to split the monitoring load to multiple agents in the high peak times. In low peak times supervision of e-gates transfers back to one agent. Mobile Tablets are support by PaxControl MobileClient app and give supervising agents the freedom to walk around and be close to the touchpoints to provide passenger service right where it is needed.
PaxControl was integrated into various airport systems, including Fraport’s Display System. Changes in operation mode of the e-gates will automatically change the display above the e-gate with agents even being able to override the display scenario and bring custom content to the screen.
Keflavík airport in Iceland relies on Airsphere to strengthen their position as hub for transatlantic flights. PaxControl is doing boarding pass validation on Dormakaba e-gates at presecurity, and the numerous shops within the security area are using PaxControl’s boarding pass validation, too, via API. Also for boarding, Airsphere controls the e-gates and connects to Amadeus DCS for validation.
Being a transatlantic hub, Keflavík’s majority of e-gates is located in the transfer area. There, we implemented an external validation for an automated SSSS check for flights departing to the US.
For its new Terminal A, Newark airport chose Airsphere to control e-gates at presecurity and boarding.
At presecurity, boarding pass validation is handled by PaxControl. Passengers can either scan their boarding pass at the e-gate or access the security area biometrically. SITA’s SmartPath, which is implemented at Newark, is one of multiple biometric backends supported by GateControl.
At boarding, GateControl operates the e-gates and integrates SITA CUTE for validation. For biometric access, it tells SITA SmartPath whether boarding is done for a domestic or international flight. SmartPath then tries to identify the passenger either in a local gallery for domestic flights or queries Customs and Border Protection systems for international flights.
Hong Kong International Airport was looking for self-boarding gate installation for all concourses at Terminal 1. A total of almost 400 self-boarding gates have been deployed in this project. All passengers at HKG get enrolled at the integrated pre-security e-gates. Therefore HKG decided to install e-gates that are only equipped with biometric camera. This boosts biometric passenger processing rates up to nearly 100%. Together with NEC, Airsphere delivered the GateControl e-gate software, integrating the NEC biometrics and communicating with the Collins Common Use platform. All e-gates are centrally managed by PaxControl and benefit from central logging, updating and configuration.
Specifically for this project Airsphere developed an agent facing UI that is running on a second display at the other side of the e-gate, giving agents individual control over the gate e.g. selecting one of 5 defined operation modes or activation of PRM mode.
In collaboration with Düsseldorf airport, Airsphere implemented its Virtual Queuing solution in record breaking time frame. The solution allows passengers to book a time slot for security checkpoint on the DUS airport web site.
PaxControl Virtual Queuing is unique in providing access for passengers to a dedicated service of the airport with no additional scan of barcodes, simply by the use of the boarding pass. Airports save effort to control access to the dedicated service as well as passengers gain comfort by simply using the service with their boarding pass. The solution is fully integrated into the PaxControl Passenger Management Solution already in place at DUS airport.
The PaxControl Virtual Queuing Booking App seemlessly inetegrates into the airport’s web sites by allowing customization of content and design. The App is fully responsive and will look great on any screen size and device.
The solution helps the DUS airport to manage passenger flows and reduce waiting times for passengers at security. The more passengers will use the solution, the more predictable loads the airport can expect for security operations.
In collaboration with Star Alliance, Lufthansa, NEC, Fraport and Munich Airport, we deliver a seemless biometric passenger experience at pre-security, lounge and boarding.
Airsphere’s solution has been fully integrated with Star Biometric Hub – the first airline-driven biometric data processing platform worldwide.
As one of our key deliveries in this project we seemlessly integrated biometric processes on multiple e-gate devices, e.g. on gates from Dormakaba and Gunnebo. In a strong and deep partnership with all parties involved, we tested, developed and consulted onwards to have a perfect solution. We tested and defined the process, the ideal camera choice and positioning on the touchpoint device. With the use of our own developed simulation tools, holding workshops in our testing lab Munich, and with working hand in hand with all our partners, we provided Lufthansa and the integrating airports a close-to-real testing environement to assure a perfect start in production.
