Manage queues and improve security

It’s generally easy for travelers to plan out their route from their home to their gate at the airport. They know how long it will take them to get to the airport by car or by public transport, and they might factor in some extra time for checking their luggage. One leg of this pre-flight trip is unpredictable, though: the wait before passing through the security checkpoint. Long lines tend to form here, which can often lead to unpleasant surprises. For many travelers, the first thought that comes into their mind when they see a long line is: ‘Will I still make my flight?’

As lines grow in front of security checks, travelers get more and more annoyed. This also heightens the security risk, since the area in front of the checkpoints is easier for potential attackers to reach than the area behind them is. For travelers at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport the situation might change in the future. As part of a pilot the estimated waiting time is displayed on a screen at Terminal 2a. There are two checkpoints, one for each terminal, and travelers can choose where to get in line based on the current waiting time for each. For instance, if one of the checkpoints is very crowded, but there is hardly anyone at the other one, travelers can go to the latter to save time.

These video cameras deliver excellent image quality and therefore provide the right material for further data processing using an algorithm. This allows the solution to recognize how many people are waiting at each checkpoint entrance and when they pass through the exits. In turn, the solution can calculate an average waiting time and display this to the travelers who haven’t passed through security yet.

“This solution is able to automatically distribute travelers between the checkpoints,” says Szabo. Travelers no longer will have to rely on airport personnel to find out about the respective capacity at each checkpoint; they can see for themselves which of the two checkpoints they’ll pass through more quickly.

This not only increases traveler satisfaction, but also reduces the workloads for video management system operators in the control room who no longer need to balance the crowd between the checkpoints manually.

For his part, Szabo wants to further expand this service: “The waiting times should be integrated into our airport app so that travelers can receive this information when they’re on their way to the airport.” Annoying surprises along the route from travelers’ homes to their gates will therefore become a thing of the past.