Doha’s recently opened Hamad International Airport and Qatar Airways will undertake a Smart Security pilot as part of the wider trials of the joint International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airports Council International (ACI) security concept.
Smart Security aims to strengthen airport security, improve the passenger experience and increase operational efficiency through the use of a risk-based approach, advanced screening technologies and processing innovations.
Hamad International Airport is the third airport to be confirmed as a pilot site, with Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and London Heathrow Airport also confirmed. Speaking to FTE in March, Paul Behan, IATA’s Head – Passenger Experience, said he expects the trials to start later in 2014, and for each to last for a minimum of three to six months.
Meanwhile, Hamad International Airport includes five of the six IATA Fast Travel options for passenger self-service, which has resulted in Qatar Airways receiving the Fast Travel Green Award. The carrier’s passengers flying from the Doha hub can make use of self-service check-in, self-tagging, flight rebooking, self-boarding and self-service baggage recovery, while plans are also in place to implement the sixth and final Fast Travel option, self-service document check.
Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, said: “Qatar Airways and Hamad International Airport are committed to giving passengers the best experience possible. To do that, we are working in close partnership to give our passengers the self-service options that they increasingly expect. And we are pleased to be among the world’s pioneering airports for Smart Security.”
