UK extends airport slot waiver until summer

Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg to shut Terminal 5 temporarily

German airport operator Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH has announced that Berlin Brandenburg Airport’s Terminal 5, previously known as Schönefeld Airport, will be shut for a period of one year from 23 February.

Due to the fall in passenger numbers as a result of the pandemic, the expected passenger traffic will be handled at Terminal 1 until further notice.

By directing air traffic to Terminal 1, the airport will save nearly €25m for the year.

The new Terminal 2 will also be temporarily shut.

Once the passenger footfall improves, the terminals will gradually restore services as per the requirement.

SunExpress will be the first carrier to shift its passenger handling operations from Terminal 5 to Terminal 1 on 1 February.

On 22 February, the final airline will leave Schönefeld, ending operations at Terminal 5 for the time being.

Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH CEO Engelbert Lütke Daldrup said: “This year, the airport company must again assume that passenger numbers will remain far below the pre-crisis level. We assume that in 2021 we will be able to handle around ten million passengers safely and comfortably in Terminal 1.

This step reduces costs and expenses for the year by about €25m. Terminal 5 will still be promptly available to us if the need arises. The dormant operation is organised in such a way that Terminal 5 can be up and running again within a few weeks when it is needed again.”

LAX introduces touchless ID verification at all its security checkpoints

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the US has introduced touchless, automated photo ID scanners at all its security screening checkpoints.

According to TSA, LAX is the first airport in the country to be completely equipped with this technology.

TSA is now making use of credential authentication technology (CAT) at every security checkpoint in the airport.

At the travel document checking station, passengers will be required to hand over their ID to the security officer, who will confirm the authenticity of the document by inserting it into the scanner.

Instead of handing over their boarding passes, passengers will only have to hold them up for visual inspection by the security officer.

Around 30 CAT units have been previously deployed at the airport by TSA.

Last week, 50 more units were installed, making LAX the first airport in the US to have CAT units in every lane of its security checkpoints.

The CAT unit will verify that the traveller is pre-screened to travel out of the airport for a flight that day using a secure internet connection. 

However, minor passengers below 18 are still required to produce a paper or e-boarding pass.

Furthermore, passengers will still have to check-in with their airline in advance and must bring their boarding pass to their gate agent before boarding their flight.

Bahrain International Airport opens new passenger terminal

Bahrain International Airport has announced that its new passenger terminal has commenced operations.

The facility has been extended with an investment of $1bn from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development.

Assisting the project on behalf of the UAE, the fund extended around $3bn to Bahrain in 2013 under the GCC Development Programme.

Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications and BAC chairman Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed was quoted by Bahrain News Agency as saying: “I would like to thank our strategic partners, contractors, all companies working in Bahrain International Airport, and all parties involved for their strong support for this national project.

“We are very grateful for their assistance and contributions throughout, which were vital to the smooth and successful launch of the airport’s new infrastructure. Their contributions helped to ensure the project’s on schedule and on budget completion, without disrupting operations at the legacy airport, which has served the kingdom efficiently for decades.”

He also said that the terminal project was introduced in February 2016 as one of the most significant national projects in the kingdom’s history, and currently the largest investment in Bahrain’s aviation sector.

Moreover, the national airline of Bahrain, Gulf Air, operated the very first commercial flight to Delhi, India from the new terminal.

The first arriving flight to the new terminal was also a Gulf Air flight that arrived from Lahore, Pakistan.

The development project also covers two receptions, hospitality lounges for first and business class passengers, car parking for 5,500 automobiles, a building dedicated to private aviation, an extended Duty-Free area, and a hotel.

BAC CEO Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah commented: “This milestone is the culmination of years of careful planning and hard work. It marks the start of an exciting new chapter in the kingdom’s rich aviation history and positions BIA as the most modern boutique airport in the region.”

He also emphasised that the new facility will support the growth of travel and tourism in the country while also reviving trade.

The expansion project was finished in around four years.

The new terminal, which is four times the size of the old one, will allow the airport to handle nearly 14 million passengers annually.

Eindhoven Airport completes trial of AI-enabled baggage check-in technology

Eindhoven Airport in the Netherlands has announced the successful completion of its ‘bag recognition’ test.

The new baggage check-in technology was tested at the airport from August to December 2020 by baggage identification specialist BagsID and logistics automation company Vanderlande.

Eindhoven Airport stated that it has decided to extend the pilot until 2023 in order to test the technology even more thoroughly and extensively.

According to BagsID, Eindhoven is the world’s first airport to conduct such trials.

When compared to scanning baggage tags, this technology is more precise, environmentally friendly and cheaper for the purpose of checking in hold baggage.

The technology will notify passengers about the status and location of their luggage.

This new way of checking in will eliminate the need for luggage tags, which are sometimes attached incorrectly or become detached from the suitcase, thus ensuring higher levels of accuracy.

Furthermore, it will discard the use of luggage tag and label printers, making the airport more environmentally friendly.

The all-round installation of cameras in the airport’s baggage system is also cheaper and easier than the 360º barcode scanners.

This technology is user-friendly as the passenger just needs to take a picture of their suitcase and upload it while checking in.

Eindhoven Airport innovation manager Ivar van der Smaal said: “The first phase of the trial has been completed successfully. The camera set-ups in Eindhoven Airport’s baggage system have demonstrated that the technology can be very useful and offer many advantages.”

However, Smaal stressed the fact that barcoded baggage tags will not be removed for the time being.

There will be a mandatory ten-digit code with respect to the information on baggage labels as prescribed in the International Air Transport Association guidelines.

In the upcoming trial period, the image recognition algorithm will be interconnected with the baggage system.

Following this, a test will be conducted where passengers of a particular flight will check in their hold baggage without a baggage label and will only have a photo of their suitcase.

The passengers will then be notified via their mobile phones regarding the status and location of their suitcase right up to the final destination.

Sharjah Airport becomes UAE’s first to receive AHA certificate

Sharjah Airport in the UAE has obtained the Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) certificate from the Airports Council International (ACI), a global trade representative of the world’s airport authorities.

The airport is the first Emirates airport and the seventh in the Middle East to have received this certificate.

The certificate highlights the achievements of Sharjah Airport in providing a safe experience for its passengers during the pandemic.

The process of accreditation involved a thorough evaluation of the health and safety measures in place, including the cleaning and disinfection of facilities, social distancing measures, and security inspections.

Sharjah Airport Authority chairman Ali Salem Al Midfa said: “Obtaining this accreditation from the Airports Council International is a reflection of the relentless efforts being made by Sharjah Airport to maintain public health and safety.

“The health and safety of all travellers, customers, and employees is our number one priority in all operations. Since the start of these exceptional circumstances, Sharjah Airport has developed an integrated plan in cooperation with partners from the operating authorities, to ensure that we are adhering to the highest standards.

“We thank and applaud the aviation sector and international bodies, including the Airports Council International, for laying out these guidelines and measures with the aim to protect all members of society.”

ACI Asia-Pacific director general Stefano Baronci said: “Sharjah Airport’s obtaining this international accreditation is further evidence that the airport’s team has succeeded in implementing health standards and measures that ensure safe travel through the airport. This accreditation also confirms that Sharjah Airport is making all efforts to preserve the health and safety of travellers, customers, and employees in various facilities and departments.”

Under its integrated plan, several measures were implemented by the airport to limit the spread of coronavirus.

The airport also intensified the sterilisation of its premises, including the arrivals and departures halls, public facilities, floors, walls, barriers, passenger bridges, check-in counters, waiting chairs and toilets.

The Airport Health Accreditation programme, which started in July 2020, focuses on a commitment to the health and welfare of travellers, customers, and employees.

The programme inspects the quality of airport health procedures in the wake of the pandemic.