Airport News

Airport News
Finavia has announced a deal with Finnish technology firm Walkbase that will allow the Helsinki Airport operator and concessionaires to precisely track passengers’ journeys through the gateway.

The technology uses dozens of sensors throughout the terminal complex that will track the estimated 60-70% of passengers with their mobile phone’s Wi-Fi transmitter turned on.

It will track their position from when they arrive at the airport’s parking areas, through check-in, to shopping and departure gates.

The Walkbase technical rollout at Helsinki Airport will also see up to 300 small devices installed in every part of the complex by the end of the year.

The iBeacons and Wi-Fi routers discreetly monitor signals from smart phones either passively, or with an app-based opt-in, and the whole technology bundle ensures complete personal data security.

Positioning information can be used to monitor and improve the passenger experience by identifying bottlenecks in passenger flows.

The technology also enables airport retailers to hone their marketing, and will eventually allow the airport and its tenants to push location-based content to passengers' smartphones.

Finavia vice president of passenger management, Heikki Koski, explains: “Implementing Walkbase technology is part of our smart airport strategy, which aims to offer passengers smooth airport experience and easy transfers between Europe and Asia.

“Helsinki Airport is the world’s first airport to introduce passenger flow management technology covering the whole passenger path way from car parks to departure gates.”