With a second terminal at Bandaranaike International Airport not ready, security, self-service processes in Terminal 1 are being over burdened by passenger numbers.
SITA has operated in Sri Lanka’s air transport sector for 57 years, however, they have held an assembly with local authorities, airlines and airport services to expand biometric clearance through the currently limited facilities.
Joining journalists in Colombo, SITA APAC President Sumesh Patel said they conducted a consultation as a partner to ascertain the priorities to enhance efficiency at Terminal 1, and upon opening, Terminal 2.
After the pandemic, travel levels returned to a normal peak, putting pressure again on services such as bag check-in facilities to manage the demand given the slow progress opening Terminal 2.
It is also an opportunity to assess the capabilities of infrastructure already installed in the airport and update biometric technologies if necessary, as the pandemic stagnated travel and consumerism, so airports did not invest in infrastructure during this period.
“We are looking at how we can use the current assets and infrastructure to process more passengers and provide a better service. We will be looking at new other implementations of feeder technology at the airport”, Patel said.
All international flights are currently at a limited capacity at Terminal 1. Inbound travel has been on the rise with research from The Tourism Development Authority showing over 85,000 tourists travelled to Sri Lanka. Patel stressed only 20% of entry and exit processes were being directed through self-service kiosks for higher numbers of passengers. SITA will continue to supply high-grade biometric technology, like facial recognition, and digital identity systems at the airport’s security checkpoints, as they have done for nearly 6 decades.
A target for the airport will be to optimise efficiency whilst maintaining high levels of security at Terminal 1.
“These advancements are designed to facilitate quicker and more secure passenger processing, ultimately contributing to a more seamless travel experience,” he said.
