Airport Security and Efficiency with Dallmeier
In an interview, Karlheinz Biersack, Director Business Development Airport at Dallmeier electronic, talks about the current security and efficiency challenges facing airports. He discusses topics such as cybersecurity, perimeter protection, remote tower solutions, and intelligent video analysis, as well as how Dallmeier technologies help to reconcile security and efficiency.
GIT SECURITY: Where do you see the applications of Dallmeier video technology at airports?
Karlheinz Biersack: Our camera technology is used in a variety of scenarios at airports. These include monitoring large car parks and terminal zones, as well as providing surveillance of the apron and runway and protecting the airfield perimeter against intruders. Our systems have also proven themselves in remote tower solutions.
What role does cybersecurity play for airport operators?
Karlheinz Biersack: The current global political situation has made cybersecurity a very important consideration for customers. As a German developer and manufacturer, we meet not only the European requirements of the GDPR and NIS-2, but also the strict requirements of the American NDAA. The NDAA includes provisions for supply chain control and ethical issues, such as a ban on child labour and exploitation.
To offer our customers the highest possible level of security, we have our products tested by white hackers, taking their comments and recommendations into account during software development.
What are the challenges in protecting the airfield and perimeter areas?
Karlheinz Biersack: Climate activists have highlighted the vulnerability of the security systems and solutions currently in place to protect airports’ entire airfields. Fences and patrols alone are no longer enough to prevent the significant damage caused by vandalism and flight cancellations. In response, Dallmeier has developed the Panomera Perimeter, which uses specialised AI to provide optimum perimeter protection.
In collaboration with radar manufacturer Navtech, we also offer an integrated solution that can efficiently monitor the entire airfield, providing security forces with video information for verification and operational control immediately.
In February of this year, we organised and held the “Airside Security Event” in Bangkok with Navtech. The presentations were recorded and are available to interested parties on our website.
How can video technology contribute to the optimisation of ground services?
Apron management is responsible, among other things, for ensuring smooth ground service operations. However, these processes do not always run flawlessly. As part of airport expansion plans, satellite terminals are often constructed. To avoid the need for building and staffing a separate apron tower at the satellite terminal, airports are increasingly turning to virtual airport solutions. In this context, Dallmeier’s unique Panomera multifocal sensor technology stands out, as it enables the coverage of vast areas in high image quality.
Could you please explain this multifocal sensor technology in more detail?
Karlheinz Biersack: With our special Panomera multifocal sensor technology, we can cover huge areas with just a few cameras. The small number of camera systems avoids a lot of hassle when planning and approving installation positions. In my experience, it can sometimes be difficult to obtain authorisations from various departments for installation points and the necessary infrastructure, such as power supplies, network connections and switch ports. The fewer you need, the fewer problems you have…
Cost is another important factor, as lower infrastructure and installation costs, reduced maintenance requirements and much more efficient operation clearly demonstrate the cost benefits of Panomera technology.
Can you provide any concrete examples of practical applications?
Karlheinz Biersack: Copenhagen Airport, for instance, opted for Dallmeier’s Panomera technology following a proof of concept (PoC). We can cover the entire apron area with just 18 cameras! During my visit to the Airside Coordination Centre in Copenhagen, the apron managers told me that the image quality was so good that they sometimes felt as if they were standing right next to the aircraft.
This video information is also made available to other departments and ground service providers to help ensure that services run as smoothly as possible. Additionally, our camera technology can be used by turnaround management software providers, such as Assaia. The video images show the tail area of the aircraft, providing turnaround analytics with an additional angle of view that is not obstructed by large refuelling or catering vehicles. This ensures even more precise turnaround analytics results.
What additional benefits does your video technology offer other airport departments?
Karlheinz Biersack: Dallmeier offers apron managers, de-icing managers, air traffic controllers and operations managers the integration of flight data (tail number, call sign, flight number and other information) directly into the video stream. This gives all users better situational awareness and access to more information from a single source.
Users do not need to look at separate radar or airport management system monitors. Even in poor visibility conditions, the position of the aircraft and associated flight data are visible in the video. An increasing number of airports are utilising flight data integration to achieve more efficient management.
Panomera technology also supports security checks. How does it work?
Karlheinz Biersack: Sometimes, passengers who have already completed the security check need to be checked again because doubts have arisen during the scanning process. In addition to the video footage itself, our cameras also provide metadata and searchable attributes that can be accessed in a matter of seconds — even across multiple cameras. This means that someone who has already left the security check area can be located and subjected to a further check in just a few seconds.
What role does video technology play in optimising the passenger experience?
Karlheinz Biersack: It is becoming increasingly important for airport management to enhance passenger experience. The time taken for check-in, security checks and passport control should be minimised – not least to allow passengers more time for shopping and relaxation.
In addition to high-quality video sequences, our camera technology provides information such as people counting data, waiting time data and information on crowd sizes. This enables airport management to adapt and optimise processes as required. Our cameras therefore offer airports a dual benefit: they provide this data alongside video images. Thus, airports save on the purchase of separate people counting sensors, which usually cannot provide usable video information for security purposes. Thanks to optimised AI analytics, we can now also provide this information via the cameras.
To what extent does your technology support the monitoring of runways, taxiways and aprons?
Karlheinz Biersack: An increasing number of airport departments are using video information to help them achieve efficient and secure operations. Air traffic controllers, apron managers and ground service providers all use video information to this end.
In times of cost pressure and limited personnel resources, you have developed a special remote tower solution. What does it involve?
Karlheinz Biersack: In collaboration with our technology partner, Triac GmbH, we have developed an attractive, flexible, affordable and approved remote tower solution that has been in successful use in Germany since November 2023.
Regional airports, in particular, are under enormous cost pressure and struggle to recruit and retain air traffic controllers in the long term. The fluctuation of air traffic controllers leads to recurring training costs, which can quickly amount to €200,000 per person. Triac’s remote tower solution enables air traffic controllers to manage flight operations remotely, creating synergies and increasing efficiency by allowing one air traffic controller to handle the flights of several regional airports.
Triac offers air traffic controllers the option of free seating, meaning they can work at practically any connected airport or in one of the two control centres. This is convenient for air traffic controllers and their families, as they do not have to live and work in a remote location, and controllers are free to choose their workplace.
The more airports that are connected to the remote tower concept, the more efficiently air traffic controllers’ shifts can be organised. Our partner, Triac GmbH, will be happy to advise you on how you can utilise these advantages, too. Dallmeier’s technical features, such as flight data integration, automated aircraft tracking, and runway incursion mitigation analytics, also support air traffic controllers in their work.
Dallmeier is successful with its airport solutions around the globe…
Karlheinz Biersack: That’s right. We offer a wide range of solutions, and we can also meet the specific requirements of airport customers by drawing on our extensive experience and collaborating with our technology partners. Among our satisfied customers are airports such as Bristol (UK), St. Louis Lambert (USA), Milan Linate and Naples (Italy), Copenhagen (Denmark), Istanbul (Turkey), Bangkok (Thailand).
Author: Dallmeier Editorial Team
