Melbourne Airport, Qantas, Airports Council International (ACI) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have signed an agreement to work together to develop a Smart Security pilot programme, which will take place at Melbourne Airport in 2015.
The agreement is the fourth of if its kind globally, following confirmation by Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, London Heathrow and Doha’s Hamad International Airport that they will all host Smart Security pilots. Smart Security is a joint project between IATA and ACI that brings stakeholders together to facilitate the development of innovative solutions to shift today’s security screening towards a more passenger friendly, sustainable and efficient process.
“This partnership between Qantas and Melbourne Airport is an important step toward realising a new model of security that will improve the experience for our passengers while boosting the efficiency of security checkpoints,” said Tony Tyler, Director General and CEO, IATA. “Global passenger traffic is set to double in the next 20 years. Smart Security responds to this growth as well as continuously evolving security threats.”
Angela Gittens, ACI’s Director General, added: “ACI is looking forward to working with Melbourne Airport and Qantas in cooperation with IATA on the Smart Security pilot program. Having already trialled the program with three other airports, we’re confident that this latest pilot will result in a more streamlined Smart Security, making it even easier to implement for airports and airlines, and further speeding the security screening process for passengers.”
The focus for the 2015 pilot is on optimising security screening resources and asset utilisation, integrating innovative technology, repurposing existing equipment and implementing new procedures to facilitate risk-based passenger screening.
