The Highlands and Islands (HIAL) group announced on Tuesday 20 March that it has awarded a contract to Flight Solutions, the UK-based airport technology provider, to install its innovative eScan Passenger Verification System across eight of its airports.
The new system is expected to be installed at Inverness, Benbecula, Dundee, Islay, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh and Wick in time for the busy summer season. In addition to confirming that every passenger is on a valid flight and permitted to proceed through security to the departure gates, the system will also provide real-time passenger data to HIAL, which the group can use to measure passenger flow and queue times.
Inverness Airport will also benefit from an airport-wide rollout of Flight Solutions’ passenger processing systems, including its common use system (CUTE) and common use self-service (CUSS) products. In total ten common-use check-in desks, six self-service check-in kiosks, seven self-service bag drops and six boarding gates are due to be installed at the airport by June 2018.
Commenting on the announcement, which was made at Passenger Terminal Expo 2018 in Stockholm, where Flight Solutions made its exhibitor debut this week, Cheryl Campbell, customer services manager at Inverness Airport, said:
We are experiencing terrific passenger growth. Having a common use passenger system will allow us to be flexible when it comes to looking after passengers. For example, it will be much easier to share check-in and boarding gate equipment between various airlines for departing flights. We will be able to make swift changes to initial plans should the need arise, without delaying passengers or causing congestion in the airport. Flight Solutions is helping us work towards our long-term growth plans.
Paul Secker, founder and CEO of Flight Solutions added: “In a constantly changing environment like a busy airport, we recognise the need for both hardware and software to be as simple and adaptable as possible. Getting rid of legacy solutions and capitalising on the new technology offered as part of our passenger processing and passenger verification systems are helping to future-proof airports while improving the passenger experience.”
