To manage and curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus, various airports across the world have taken precautionary measures such as alternative seating facilities, seamless contact-free check-ins, a continuous provision for protective gear, etc. Taking one more step ahead in this ordeal, Indira Gandhi International Airport(IGIA), New Delhi has introduced a passenger tracking system or PTS at Terminal 3 to effectively manage the crowd and ensure social distancing.
A press release by Delhi Airport operator DIAL says “The Xovis passenger tracking system (PTS), a queue management system, displays live waiting time, taken at various processes like check-in, security check, etc., on screens put up at various places”.
In this system, passengers are counted and constantly tracked anonymously by the sensors mounted on the ceiling all across the airport. The PTS receives streams of data from those sensors and then goes on to provide the airport operator some important key performance indicators(KPI) such as process times, waiting times, etc.
The airport operator has installed sensors at all the crucial places spread out at Terminal 3 which includes departure and entry gates, security check areas, all check-in rows, and the emigrations area that is in Departure level. At the arrival level, sensors have been spread across the Immigrations area for both the Indian and the foreign passport holders.
The key performance indicators(KPI) transmitted by the sensors will be received on an intuitive dashboard enabling the airport authorities to quickly identify the crowded areas and manage them promptly.
The PTS also auto-alerts the airport officials to act swiftly as soon as crowded swarms of people are identified near or in the terminal. And in the case of a situation not being handled under the stipulated duration of 10 minutes, alerts the higher management.
According to a press release by the DIAL, the Xovis PTS has been installed after multiple successful trials to “ensure better management of passenger flow and adherence to social distancing norms as a part of COVID-19 protocol”.
