Page 22 - Security Today, May/June 2021

Devastating Impact
Airports look to video technology to do more with less in the face of devastating pandemic
By Jake Cmarada
What a difference a year can make. The COVID-19 outbreak has hit airports hard, and the devastating impact will be felt for years to come. The situation is worrisome not only for the sake of the industry itself but also because airports and air transportation services are critical to the economic stability and growth of cities, regions and countries. The safe, efficient, readily-available transporta- tion of people and goods worldwide benefit nearly all aspects of modern life.
According to preliminary data filed with the Bureau of Transportation Stat- ics (BTS), U.S. airlines carried 96% fewer scheduled service passengers in April 2020 than in April 2019 — the largest year-to- year decrease on record. The large airlines carried just 3 million passengers in April, the lowest monthly total in BTS records dating back to the previous low of 14.6 million passengers in February 1975.
This unprecedented drop in passengers adds up to real money. A recent CNN Business news article states that U.S. air- lines reported combined losses of $12 billion in the second quarter of 2020 as revenue plunged 86% from the prior year. Analysts forecast that losses will come to about $10 billion in the third quarter of 2020. At the end of 2020, COVID cases were spiking and a new wave of lockdowns hitting many states. The turnaround for the airline industry seems to be underway, thanks in part to a vaccine that has be- come widely available.
THE EVOLVED ROLE
OF VIDEO SURVEILLANCE Traditionally, video surveillance within an airport focused on safety and security for the facility and travelers alike. Often the focus was on assuring in real-time that runways, gates and terminals were clear, safe and operational. Much of a system’s recorded video played a role in resolving liability issues or assisting with theft or damage investigations.
Over the years, as surveillance systems became smarter, less expensive, and easier to use — especially with the migration of video surveillance to standard IP net-
works — the use of video at airports ex- panded greatly.
While public safety sits at the heart of airport operations, from the terminals to the taxi line, airports have constantly adapted video systems to meet potential threats identified by the security leader- ship and federal authorities, such as after 9/11. At the same time, airport managers note that advances in software and sys- tems integration have created many uses that go beyond security.
The current and expanded role of cam- eras and open platform network VMS is helping airports leverage video data in many ways. The number of beyond-se- curity applications for video surveillance at airports can now include tools for im- proved operations and business growth.
• Vendor and contractor management
• Airline client self-help services
• Parking fraud management
• Ride share verification
• Baggage tracking and management
• Passenger “heat mapping” for queue and
flow improvements
Many potential improvements in air-
port operations can be identified to justify such an investment, including more cost- effective use of video analytics to monitor crowds and dispatch ground transporta- tion more efficiently.
VALET PARKING OPTIONS
License plate recognition technology can replace a parking vendor’s aging system, opening the possibility of managing ac- cess for valet drivers taking vehicles off- site for cleaning and oil changes, generat- ing another revenue stream for the airport. On the public-safety front, analytics can help spot security threats like oversized trucks among the millions of vehicle trips recorded at an airport annually.
A few years ago, JFK Terminal One, for example, needed to provide greater video access to a range of internal users, including security, air terminal managers and the terminal’s vendors such as restau- rants, retail shops and newsstands — en- abling broad coverage of the entire termi- nal. The system now provides users with the flexibility to view any of the nearly 600 cameras from any workstation throughout the airport, even from their mobile devices.
Greater video coverage means the ter- minal can be protected against a range of threats, including security breaches, ag- gressive actions and injury and liability is- sues. With many agencies requiring access to the system, from building maintenance to the FBI, the terminal’s new design is more comprehensive and user-friendly, making it easy for operators to manage.
At the other end of the spectrum, the
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MAY/JUNE 2021 | SECURITY TODAY
AIRPORT SECURITY
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