Airport security technology to be under spotlight
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Regional airports are increasingly focused o
n enhanced security, efficient operations and enhanced constituent service to meet the ever-increasing volume of passengers and cargo. This would be the focus for the Airport Show 2012 will be held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, chairman of Dubai Airports and chairman of Emirates Airline and Group.
HE Mohammed Ahli, director general of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), said: “No matter how sleek and contemporary its architecture and design, an airport is always going to be judged by its security, service standards and the capability to handle peak periods and irregular operations. For the airport operators, it’s crucial to alleviate these concerns by adopting innovative technology. Airports are seeking to improve security, find new ways of streamlining efficiencies, creating new loyalty solutions and offering enhanced services.”
The event scheduled to be held from May 22nd – 24th will witness participation of over 178 exhibitors and thousands of visitors from over 60 countries.
Georges Hannouche, an aviation expert and CEO of Bayanat Airports, said one of the key challenges that airport operators face was finding a way to provide robust and effective security measures that can prevent and identify the full spectrum of threats while ensuring passenger satisfaction, legislative compliance and seamless infrastructure functioning.
According to IATA projections, the UAE, Kuwait and Jordan will be among the top 10 fastest growing countries, with the UAE projected to rank 7th for handling over 82.3 million international passenger by 2014.
The capacity of the UAE airports will be increased to handle 250 million passengers by 2020. Dubai International alone is expected to spend US$8 billion in the capacity expansion. Dubai is expected to handle about 98 million passengers by 2020.
A report by Frost & Sullivan said $86bn will be spent by Middle East airports in expansion plans until 2025. According to the Middle East Airport Security Market Assessment report, the spending in this sector is estimated to reach US$57.7 million by 2015.
