System is designed to create shorter security lines at MIA
Travelers accustomed to steaming in long lines at Miami International Airport while unoccupied security employees idle nearby at a scanning checkpoint that is inexplicably closed may finally get some relief from a new monitoring system designed to reduce wait times.
QueueAnalyzer, which manufacturer SITA calls “the intelligent queue management technology,” utilizes cameras, sensors and algorithms to assess how lines are or are not flowing. Passengers can view wait times before they go to the airport and when they arrive at the airport on a mobile app, website and terminal screen displays. Airport managers will have dashboards to view live video feeds of lines, gauge wait times and pinpoint bottlenecks.
But this “smart technology” will still depend on humans to make smart decisions about how to deploy manpower to the right locations and where and when to open more security lines.
The goal of the QueueAnalyzer system is to improve the typically miserable airport experience of travelers sick of being herded like cows and wasting time with little to do but chew their cuds while standing in serpentine lines before being inspected like pieces of meat. If only the system could be used during the tediously inefficient boarding process onto overbooked flights as well.
Miami-Dade County approved a $2.92 million contract with SITA, which is based in Atlanta and Geneva, to install the video analytics system and digital cameras at 10 MIA security checkpoints. It will aid Transportation Security Administration agents in anticipating and reacting to long lines with staffing adjustments.
“This enables rapid response to unexpected conditions, helping ensure the airport authorities and TSA can work together to minimize disruption,” said Matthys Serfontein, SITA vice president for airports. “It also provides predictions, which supports planning to avoid delays when possible.”
QueueAnalyzer, which also measures terminal foot traffic by tracking travelers’ cell phone signals, has been effective at Orlando International Airport, where 53 percent fewer passengers are spending more than 15 minutes in line, SITA data shows.
“Passengers want the right information at the right time,” SITA president Randy Pizzi said. “This is a great example of smart technology being used to deliver a better passenger experience.”
Wait times at MIA have improved during normal day-to-day operations. TSA