Socially Distanced Boarding

Reading, UK – December, 2020: In recent times we have all seen the devastating effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had around the world. Its impact on air travel has been particularly severe. However, the focus from hardware manufacturers and operators alike is on preparation for the travel sector to start to return to a new normal where the passenger experience protects passengers and staff alike.

Return To The Skies

For companies like Access-IS, the past few years have already been focussed on developing products that facilitate a contactless environment. Now, more than ever, that’s paying dividends as it’s become one of the driving forces behind the return to the skies.

We’ve all been there, lined up at the boarding gate, you hand over your boarding pass to the agent to be scanned, it’s read and passed back to you. Not only does this mean that you are stood close to the agent but you are physically giving your pass to them…the agent must then repeat this process for the other 100+ passengers that follow.

In some instances, automation may hold the key with upgrades to the airport infrastructure alleviating many of these risk points. The use of Self-Boarding gates fitted with contactless 2D barcode readers like the TripTick ATR2xx or LSR11x series allows passengers to board themselves removing any need for the passenger and agent to come into close proximity.

However, not every Airport will be able to implement such infrastructure. As an alternative measure, and where Airports predominately use agent based manual boarding, Access-IS has developed a solution that can be deployed extremely rapidly and allows safe distancing for both agent and passenger during the boarding process.

Simple & Fast To Roll Out

For those customers without the Access-IS BGR then the devices can be purchased and delivered together. Whether purchasing with a BGR7xx or adding to an existing BGR7xx installation the generous cable length immediately provides suitable social distancing and with the addition of a stand can be located in a traditional boarding gate configuration but without the need for close proximity of individuals. The 1950g Handheld merely replicates the BGR750 boarding pass scanning at a distance, all the hard work is still done within the BGR7xx device. In the future when Covid-19 is a distant memory and normal operations have resumed, the 1950g can simply be unplugged and the BGR7xx will take on its normal role. Simple and fast to roll out it’s just as quick and simple to roll back.

Speaking about the installation Raj Jain, Head of Sales at Access-IS said ‘the solution is simple to integrate, low cost and provides a mechanism that creates a contactless, social distanced boarding process. It is planned to test this solution at several Airports over the coming months’

About Access-IS

Access-IS, part of HID, is at the forefront of the development of innovative electronic systems, specialising in image processing, RFID/NFC and contactless EMV payment technology, barcode reading and specialist keyboards. Access-IS is dedicated to manufacturing products designed to accurately capture and transfer information into electronic systems.

Found in over 35 of the world’s largest airports, Access-IS is a world leader in the design and manufacture of technology for reading barcodes, RFID/NFC & passports/ID cards for a range of applications from check-in to boarding.

Accredited to ISO9001:2015 and with a track record stretching back 30 years, Access-IS continues to guarantee the highest standards of design and quality with its dedicated Research and Development team based in the UK and the vast majority of its products manufactured in the UK with only the highest quality materials and techniques.

For more information, visit us at www.access-is.com