From the end of April, Etihad will be embarking on an unprecedented experiment in air transport health monitoring. The airport ofAbu Dhabithe airline's hub, will be equipped with kiosks self-service machines, which will be used to measure the temperaturethe heart rate and the respiratory rate of the passenger. This technology could be integrated into the tools currently used by passengers, such as check-in and information kiosks, as well as baggage drop-off areas and security and immigration checks. In the event of an anomaly, the technology developed by the Australian company Elenium Automation must block the passenger's travel chain. Check-in and baggage will be automatically suspended, and the relevant authorities alerted so that more thorough checks can be carried out. In addition, the technology chosen by Etihad incorporates a version of contactlessto prevent contamination of the terminals concerned.
a guarantee that future viral epidemics will not have the same devastating effect on the global aeronautics industry
The aim of this experiment is not only to respond to the Covid-19 health crisis, but also to anticipate future episodes of this type that could - and unfortunately should - occur. " We are testing this technology because we believe it will help not only to [tackle] the current COVID-19 epidemic, but also in the future, by assessing a passenger's ability to travel, thereby minimising disruption. "warns Jorg OppermannVice President of Hub and Midfield Operations at Etihad Airways, who said: " another step towards ensuring that future viral epidemics do not have the same devastating effect on the global aviation industry as is currently the case ".
In short, this may well be the new face of tomorrow's airport. The unprecedented scale of the phenomenon will leave its mark, and will inevitably transform travel patterns, by integrating the health dimension more systematically into the management of migratory flows. In the short term, airlines will also have to respond to another imperative: convincing the general public and business travellers to return to flying, as the CEO ofElenium Automation : " We believe that the introduction of contactless self-service and automatic screening will encourage passengers to fly earlier ". In the longer term, air transport players - airlines and airports first and foremost - will have to resolve the eternal safety/frequency equation. While biometric technologies become widespreadThe addition of a new health filter will pose new challenges for all those involved in the development of thetomorrow's airport…
