GMR airports ensure Corona-Safe Journey by adopting tech-based operations

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National Technology Day: Delhi and Hyderabad airports adopt new-tech infrastructure to make passengers' journey CORONA - safe

15 May 2020

The emerging technologies in the nation have not just boosted the economy charts but have also provided potential opportunities to curb the development challenges. On its part, GMR Group has always been proactive in harnessing innovation and technology for seamless operations across all their businesses. And this time on National Technology Day 2020, GMR led Delhi and Hyderabad airports made several technology based facilities operational to contain the spread of Covid-19. Also, the new norms of social distancing and sanitization are well-followed at the airports.

Contact-less terminal entry

At the GMR Hyderabad International Airport, a passenger can enter the terminal in a contactless way. The entry to the terminal which earlier required a CISF personnel intervention to check travel documents (ticket, valid Govt. ID for proof) are done away with. With the contactless terminal entry process that has been adopted now, passengers instead of handing over the physical documents viz. travel itinerary and Govt. Photo ID card to a CISF personnel for verification will now be required to display the documents onto a High-Definition Camera installed at each gate at its domestic departures terminal. The display of the same is then verified by a CISF Personnel from the specially designed Computer Monitor kept at a safe distance from the passengers on the opposite side. Once the CISF personnel has validated the documents, the passenger will be allowed inside the terminal building for check-in and other processes.

Along with this, Delhi and Hyderabad airports will also be ensuring that at the passenger security check-points, passengers get screened by CISF personnel in appropriate protective gear by Hand Held Metal Detector device ensuring appropriate social distancing.

Technological sanitization

Keeping the airport contagion free is another major aspect of dealing with this pandemic. GMR Airports have undertaken an extensive and exhaustive deep cleaning and sanitizing exercise that includes:

Installing moveable ultraviolet disinfecting towers at properly cordoned areas of Delhi Airport's terminals. Once the process is completed, UV power can be switched off and towers can be manually re-located to other areas for fulfilling the real-time sanitization needs.

Integrating the baggage belts with in-line sanitization tunnel at both the airports to ensure that all the baggage coming to the baggage belt get sanitized before the passengers pick them up from the belt. There will also be availability of sanitized trolleys at arrival baggage reclaim hall.

Sanitization tunnels for disinfecting trays used by passengers at departures.

Health screening

It was after the 9/11 attacks that security and baggage screening across airports reached unprecedented levels, thereby completely changing the way people travelled. Similarly, Covid-19 catastrophe has also necessitated health checks at airports. To ensure least human contact but efficient and reliable health screening of passengers, GMR's Hyderabad International Airport has strategically placed thermal cameras at departure gates to screen passengers for body temperature that can be detected in a completely non-intrusive way. And, in case any passenger is detected with abnormally high temperature, the passenger will be restricted entry into the terminal and Airport Health Officers will be alerted, who will then take care of the next steps.

Innovation in existing avenues

Along with improvising the operations by adapting new technologies, airports operated by GMR group have also focused on improvising the existing facilities. With creative ideologies and innovation at its core, following spaces at Delhi and Hyderabad airports have been transformed:

At both the airports, all check-in counters, including immigration counters have adorned a new look. They are now fitted with acrylic shields to bar any direct contact between passengers and the check-in staff.
The airports have installed an absolutely touch free water dispensingsystem which are sensor based to trigger the water fountain to dispense water. Now any thirsty passenger can quench the thirst at any of the IR (Infra-Red) based water dispensing stations, which have been implemented with in-house resources to ensure contactless water dispensing mechanism.
As shoes can also be the potential source of Covid-carrier, shoe sanitizer mats have been placed at strategic places in and across the terminals of Delhi International Airport. These mats are soaked with chemical that will disinfect the shoes of the passengers.
All elevators at the airport will have contact-less foot pedal based mechanism to press buttons. Further the infrared / QR code based control systems are being installed to ensure the hassle free / touch less access to elevators.
Hyderabad International Airport's air conditioning System adheres to the latest guidelines of ISHRAE in terms of Indoor Air quality and ventilation requirements inside the airport terminal building. The airport's Air Handling systems is having state-of-art air filtration system with Dual filtration by using rough and high-efficiency MERV 13 filters which will ensure that, any bacteria and viruses are filtered out from the air.
Even the Retail and F&B experience will see a sea-change in terms of how shopping and eating used to be earlier. Now, passengers would be required to use digital mode of payment through HOI app, which is being integrated with outlets for contactless ordering & digital payment.
Car Park at Hyderabad International airport is already enabled with Fastag (only one in India) and the Central Pay Stations inside car park are being enabled with PhonePe mobile wallets for digital payments.