Current waiting time on display at the airport A newly introduced passenger tracking system at Terminal 3 of Delhi’s IGI Airport is expected to reduce waiting time for people and better manage crowds to maintain social distancing, officials of the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said Monday.
Sensors have been installed at eight departure gates, all check-in rows, domestic and international security checkpoints, and emigration and immigration areas. A DIAL official said, “Based on images computed directly on ceiling-mounted sensors, passengers are counted and tracked anonymously. The system receives data streams from the sensors and provides airport operators with valuable key performance indicators (KPIs) such as waiting times, process times and passenger throughput, etc.” These KPIs are then visualised on a dashboard, leading airport officials to act quickly in case of bottlenecks and crowds.
The system generates alerts when crowds or long queues begin to form. And in case the crowd is not managed in 10 minutes, higher authorities are alerted.
The official said, “Before this, everything was done manually. It was possible that a staff might have been at lunch break and an area got crowded. That will not happen anymore. As soon as an area gets crowded, terminal operators and staff get emails and messages about it, following which they take steps to control the situation. For instance, if there is a crowd at immigration, an airport official can ask the immigration officer to open additional counters.”
In addition, the Xovis passenger management system displays the waiting time at a number of junctions like the check-in area or arrival pier so passengers have an idea of how long they would have to wait.
DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said this would “help in reducing waiting times and enhance our operational efficiency”.
“It also ensures that movement of passengers is smooth and will help us in ensuring that physical distancing is not compromised at the terminal. This would help us in providing a safe and secure environment for the passengers in an efficient manner,” he said.
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