Birmingham Airport has introduced BLIP Systems’ BLIPTrack queue management technology, following in the footsteps of Bristol, Edinburgh and Manchester airports.
The sensor-based solution helps the airport to improve resource planning and strives to remove traveler concerns about queuing by providing accurate wait times.
Birmingham Airport uses the data to monitor line density in real time, which allows management to respond promptly to irregular operations and disruptions such as opening additional lines.
It helps the airport comply with service-level agreements, as well as its ability to evaluate and challenge key performance indicators with better accuracy. The live wait time is shared with passengers on screens, improving the travel experience and hopefully encouraging passengers to return.
Chris Wilson, head of terminal operation at Birmingham, commented, “The solution is used at the north immigration hall to measure and predict the wait time at the UK border.
“The data really helps to understand the actual wait time at the border, and helped discussion with the UK Border Force planning team and resourcing for the future. By sharing the information on screens, we help reduce passenger frustration by creating realistic wait-time expectations.”
The solution works by placing Bluetooth and wi-fi sensors in key positions. The sensors detect mobile devices at these points, providing accurate statistical information like travel times, dwell times and movement patterns.
More than 25 international airports use the technology, including New York’s JFK Airport, Auckland Airport and Oslo.
Christian Bugislaus Carstens, marketing manager at BLIP Systems, added, “Many airports display wait times to their passengers and this is typically done by measuring dwell times of people leaving the line. However, these times may not be accurate for those entering the line, especially if the number of people suddenly changes or more lines open.
“BlipTrack combines and analyses both the number of people in the line and the average throughout the area. With these two measurements, accurate wait times can be displayed.”