AIRPORT SHOW: Honeywell is adapting technology for new needs

Honeywell's Raghu Seelamonthula, director – strategic growth connected airports & ATM Systems (Image: Jill Stockbridge)

Raghu Seelamonthula, Director – Strategic Growth Connected Airports & ATM Systems, Honeywell Airports Business, said: “We have been leveraging existing technology and adapting it to the new needs of airport operators.

“Initially COVID was seen as being passed through touch, and so we had the safe distancing protocols. Now we are aware that it is airborne, and we are working with airports to ensure the air quality meets their needs. We have technology to ensure filtration, ventilation and change of air. The systems assess the freshness of the air, and respond. We have electronic air cleaners with UV lighting, which pump in fresh air and measure and maintain the air quality within the building.”

He added: “Airports were already fortified with cameras, now we have enhanced the video capabilities to help maintain social distancing compliance – with customers shown in green and red highlights. We have also adapted our facial recognition technology to be used to show if people are wearing masks.”

This was existing technology used in maintain safe airports, but the spotlight has been turned onto certain areas, and its role in the healthy journey has been highlighted.

Seelamonthula explained that these systems are part of the make it safe mantra. They are integrated with software that constantly measures myriad different factors and displays the results, giving a healthy building score – allowing the operator to know it is safe.

The final factor, and used airside on aircraft, as well as in the terminal, is the sanitisation equipment and monitoring that keeps it safe. Seelamonthula has a sanitisation system on display that can sanitise a narrow body aircraft in just 10 minutes.

While the systems Honeywell has developed to make airport operations seamless and controllable are constantly evolving and improving, what the last year has shown, is that they can also be adapted to new pressing needs from airport entry to take off.

  (Image: Jill Stockbridge)