Airport ground transportation systems must be designed with physical security and technology integration in mind. In order to provide the best possible service to customers, airport ground transportation coordinators must consider various factors when designing their systems. Among these are surveillance cameras, access control, automatic vehicle identification (AVI), Wi-Fi, and back-office IT network systems and databases.
Physical security is of paramount importance in any transportation system. The most advanced technologies can help to improve the efficiency and coordination of airport ground transportation services. However, integrating these technologies can be challenging. It is important to work with experienced professionals in order to ensure that your system is properly designed and installed.
“Airport parking lots are coming under more scrutiny due to the sudden increase in theft,” says Dr. Ray Mundy, Executive Director of AGTA since 1976. “Other technology concerns related to ground transportation are automatic exit/entry systems, taxi and rideshare driver tracking (AVI), and curbside monitoring.”
Seeking a referral to an expert that could speak on the topic at a recent meeting of the association, Dr. Mundy learned about BTI Group, a technology convergence provider serving the airport ground transportation, logistics, aerospace, and healthcare sectors.
BTI is a single-source provider of complex phone (VoIP), physical security, and network systems, down to the installation of wiring and conduit.
“When successfully integrated, security systems can provide a host of improved capabilities such as object classification, people/object counting, loiter detection, unusual activity detection, and sensor triggers. It can also provide helpful metadata such as license plates, entry tickets, access reader, and alarm events,” says Eric Brackett, President of BTI.
Airport Parking Security Integration
Airport parking structures are often the first and last stop for many travelers. Unfortunately, they are also a prime target for theft, as valuables are left in vehicles while passengers are away. To combat this issue, it is important to have a comprehensive security system in place. Additionally, without an appropriate approach for verifying damage, false claims of vehicle damage may become a major problem for airport valet services.
“In a valet parking environment, the operator is responsible for damage to vehicles in their possession, so scanning vehicles on entry and exit for damage helps to mitigate false claims,” says Tony Dvorzsak, a BTI Systems Engineer, and the lead engineer responsible for the near-airport parking company nationwide.
In Dvorzsak’s opinion, people rarely walk around and inspect their vehicles for damage on a daily basis. “However, if they hand their keys to a valet, they will be more likely to inspect their vehicle upon its return. In this scenario, there could be existing damage that went unnoticed for some time, and which they first observe after the valet has taken possession of the vehicle,” he says.
In today's airport ground transportation facilities, including parking structures, fraudulent claims are not tolerated and can lead to increased liability at inadequately monitored locations. To combat false claims, BTI deployed high-definition cameras throughout the parking garage, including on arches at all valet entrances to capture detailed images of the top, front, back, driver, and passenger sides of each vehicle as they enter the facility. This allows for clear photo documentation of the vehicle's actual condition when it enters.
While a solution like this sounds like it would be very costly, Brackett says that the payback period is actually quite short. “This is a significant difference between us and our competitors. We can provide a solution that is not only highly effective but also cost-effective,” he adds.
Published on aviationpros.com
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