Month: October 2022

Airport terminals and cruise ports have a surprising amount in common, especially when it comes to technology. From passenger movement to navigation, technology is a fundamental part of how both of these modes of transport support people in their travels. Learn more about the different pieces of technology and applications of practical engineering at cruise ports and discover how these aren’t that different to the airports millions of people use every single day.

What are cruise ports?

Cruise ports are to oceans what airports are to the skies. They are where people board cruise liners at the start of their holidays and also where they dock to take excursions ashore during the duration of their trips. With thousands of people flooding through these ports each day, efficiency, organisation and safety are essential. As such, they are hubs of technology, supporting staff at the port and on ships with navigation, surveillance and communication.

What technology is available at cruise ports?

Compliance & Legal Recorder Systems

The communication that a cruise ship engages in is recorded by both the ship and the authorities. This is a necessity for a few reasons, first providing emergency services with all the information they need in case of an emergency. If a ship has an incident, compliance and legal recording systems narrow down the series of decisions that the ship’s captain makes, establishing better protocols for the next time an issue like that emerges. Learning from history is a necessity, especially when passenger safety is on the line.

Visual Guidance Docking System (VDGS)

A Visual Guidance Docking System is a system that provides clear visual indicators for ship captains lining their ships up to the dock. This series of lights and posts ensures that the ship navigates its way in a safe manner, and is very similar to the VDGS systems that airports – like Hamad International Airport in Qatar – use. These systems are highly effective, with their visibility showing up even in the worst conditions, allowing passengers to disembark.

Passenger Tracking System

Talking to and moving ships is only one part of the way that a port works. The movement of passengers plays another key role in this. Passenger tracking systems are used to monitor things like passenger flow, waiting times, queue lengths, retail analytics and passenger behaviour, allowing port managers to respond in real-time to any problems (like the slow boarding of passengers onto the ship) and mitigate the same issues going forward. This helps to keep the flow of people moving and increases efficiency throughout the port.

Bayanat Engineering Qatar

If you have an interest in learning more about technology and practical engineering in both docks and airports, contact Bayanat Engineering today. We offer a range of airport and dock solutions for transport hubs around the world and can support a port right through from consultation to installation.

At Bayanat Engineering Qatar, we specialise in providing airports across the globe with world-class aviation solutions. In this publication, we discuss how passenger check-in and boarding solutions can be optimised to minimise airport wait times, and how Bayanat Engineering Qatar can help.

Why are airports experiencing increased wait times & delays?

The past 2 years have seen passenger levels in UK airports dip to 5% of the footfall experienced pre-pandemic. During this time, airlines have been forced to let staff go, with a number of employees also choosing to leave their positions for better prospects elsewhere.
As we emerge into a post-COVID world, the number of people choosing to travel abroad has increased, meaning that airports are once again flooded with holidaymakers and those travelling for business purposes. Airlines are facing more passengers with fewer or inexperienced staff, resulting in long queues, delayed flights and unhappy customers.

How can passenger check-in & boarding solutions be optimised?

Optimising passenger check-in and boarding processes can help to minimise wait times and prevent flight delays, enabling airports to run smoothly. But how exactly can these processes be optimised for smoother travel, and what would this implementation look like for airline staff?
Digital self-services

Already introduced in select airports across the UK, rolling out widespread digital self-check-in services would dramatically reduce wait times and the pressures on airline staff. Whilst it’s already common for travellers with only hand luggage to check in online prior to arriving at the airport, new technology enables passengers to check luggage into the hold using self-service machines.

Self-service bag drop-off points enable passengers to print off their own luggage tags and boarding passes before passing their bags through to the hold. This leads to reduced wait times for travellers, and fewer check-in staff needed by airlines. In using self-service check-in, airports also require fewer kiosks and are therefore able to free up space for increased traveller numbers.

Biometric boarding verification

Long queues at the gate when boarding can be frustrating for passengers, overwhelming for staff and delaying for flights. Biometric verification processes can be used to accelerate boarding, with digital software utilised for facial recognition and barcode scanning.

By accelerating boarding, airlines can reduce the likelihood of flight delays, ensuring planes leave the runaway within their allocated timeframe. This contributes to the overall smooth running of the airport.

Automated border control

A study carried out by Which? found that post-Brexit border control wait times have increased drastically. Implementing automated border control solutions could help to minimise queueing, with facial recognition software utilised to see passengers through the process smoothly.

Experts in airport management and optimization

At Bayanat Engineering, we have 40 years of experience providing premium airport and aviation solutions. By implementing our check-in, boarding and passport control solutions, airports can optimise traveller experience and ensure staff aren’t spread too thin. To find out more about how Bayanat Engineering Qatar – contact us today!

When running an airport, there is a wide range of systems and services that need to be in the best shape to ensure the best outcomes. Meteorological and weather management systems are fundamental aspects of an airport that not only keep flights as comfortable as possible but can save lives. In this article, we discuss why meteorological and weather management systems are so important to an airport, along with examples of these weather systems in action.

What are meteorological & weather management systems?

Meteorological & weather management systems are those that airports use for tracking weather patterns. This includes everything from understanding the wind around the airport at any given moment to tracking weather fronts and learning when rain is due at the airport. Some of the systems airports use include:

• Weather RADARs: Tracking weather fronts through the sky by using sound waves.

• Wind profilers: Understanding the direction and strength of wind.

• Runway Visual Range: Establishing the visibility pilots have on approach to the runway.

• Weather Decision Support Systems: Automating weather decisions and understanding how weather affects flights.

• Lightning detection systems: Finding the lightning in the surrounding area and estimating the location of future lightning strikes.

Why are meteorological & weather management systems important?

Meteorological & weather management systems are important for a range of reasons. These reasons include:

Guiding planes

In some rare cases, weather fronts are too dangerous for pilots to fly through. These affect the stability of planes and can lead to damage or even complete crashes. By understanding weather systems, air traffic controllers can let pilots know what is ahead of them and guide them around it. This process removes the risk of damage from weather and ensures that everyone is completely safe and secure when travelling through the skies.

Scheduling

As you might expect, inclement weather conditions cause a lot of harm to the scheduling plans that an airline has. After all, landing in poor weather is a more dangerous process, the taxiway is slicker and turbulence plays its own part in slowing planes down. Having a better understanding of weather ensures that airports are able to schedule ahead of time. By using accurate weather forecasts for the week ahead, an airport can adjust its schedules to more realistically reflect the weather. This ensures that the airport manages to service all of the flights for the period in the most timely manner possible.

Increasing comfort

Using meteorological systems in an effective way also helps airports to make their passengers feel as comfortable as possible. Travelling through the pounding rain and buffeting winds can cause anxiety, so having secondary routes in place is ideal for an airport. This means that using Qatar as an example, aircraft can approach Hamad International Airport from over Saudi Arabia rather than the Persian Gulf. These are relatively small changes, but significantly affect the passenger experience on an aircraft.

Bayanat Engineering Qatar

If you’re interested in weather management systems for your airport, get in touch with the Bayanat Engineering expert team today to find out more about our services and systems.