by Donald Wood
Last updated: 3:30 PM ET, Fri October 14, 2016
Using a program called BlipTrack, Brussels Airport is the latest international airport to use sensor technology to improve the traveler experience and accurately predict wait times for airline customers.
According to BlipSystems.com, the BlipTrack program helps airports like the one in Brussels measure flow within the facilities, enabling them to provide more accurate wait times on screens throughout the airport and on mobile devices via the company's app.
The sensors from the BlipTrack devices can detect Wi-Fi from mobile phones and tablets, and from that information, the app can provide more accurate wait times and movement patterns throughout an airport.
The BlipTrack program is also being used in other international airports like New York's John F. Kennedy International, Amsterdam Schiphol, Barcelona El-Prat, Copenhagen, Dublin, Edinburgh, Cincinnati, Keflavik and Oslo.
Brussels Airport has been using the data from the BlipTrack program to monitor security line congestion, allowing officials to respond to irregular operations and disruptions in order to reduce processing times. With a 2014 study claiming passengers stuck in long lines spend less money on retail at the airport following extended waits, preventing long lines can help airports in more ways than one.
"Today, many airports display wait times. Typically, this is done by measuring the wait time of people leaving the queue. However, these wait times may not be accurate for those entering the queue, especially if the flow of people suddenly changes," Blip Systems marketing manager Christian Bugislaus said in a statement. "BlipTrack works by measuring the number of people in line and the average throughput of the area. With these two measurements, accurate wait time, for those entering the line, can be displayed. For example, if there are 100 passengers in line and the processing rate of the area is 15 people per minute, the predicted wait time is 6.5 minutes."
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