The emerging technologies in the nation have not just boosted the economy charts but have also provided potential opportunities to curb the development challenges. On its part, GMR Group has always been proactive in harnessing innovation and technology for seamless operations across all their businesses. And this time on National Technology Day 2020, GMR led Delhi and Hyderabad airports made several technology based facilities operational to contain the spread of Covid-19. Also, the new norms of social distancing and sanitization are well-followed at the airports.

Contact-less terminal entry

At the GMR Hyderabad International Airport, a passenger can enter the terminal in a contactless way. The entry to the terminal which earlier required a CISF personnel intervention to check travel documents (ticket, valid Govt. ID for proof) are done away with. With the contactless terminal entry process that has been adopted now, passengers instead of handing over the physical documents viz. travel itinerary and Govt. Photo ID card to a CISF personnel for verification will now be required to display the documents onto a High-Definition Camera installed at each gate at its domestic departures terminal. The display of the same is then verified by a CISF Personnel from the specially designed Computer Monitor kept at a safe distance from the passengers on the opposite side. Once the CISF personnel has validated the documents, the passenger will be allowed inside the terminal building for check-in and other processes.

Along with this, Delhi and Hyderabad airports will also be ensuring that at the passenger security check-points, passengers get screened by CISF personnel in appropriate protective gear by Hand Held Metal Detector device ensuring appropriate social distancing.

Technological sanitization

Keeping the airport contagion free is another major aspect of dealing with this pandemic. GMR Airports have undertaken an extensive and exhaustive deep cleaning and sanitizing exercise that includes:

Installing moveable ultraviolet disinfecting towers at properly cordoned areas of Delhi Airport's terminals. Once the process is completed, UV power can be switched off and towers can be manually re-located to other areas for fulfilling the real-time sanitization needs.

Integrating the baggage belts with in-line sanitization tunnel at both the airports to ensure that all the baggage coming to the baggage belt get sanitized before the passengers pick them up from the belt. There will also be availability of sanitized trolleys at arrival baggage reclaim hall.

Sanitization tunnels for disinfecting trays used by passengers at departures.

Health screening

It was after the 9/11 attacks that security and baggage screening across airports reached unprecedented levels, thereby completely changing the way people travelled. Similarly, Covid-19 catastrophe has also necessitated health checks at airports. To ensure least human contact but efficient and reliable health screening of passengers, GMR's Hyderabad International Airport has strategically placed thermal cameras at departure gates to screen passengers for body temperature that can be detected in a completely non-intrusive way. And, in case any passenger is detected with abnormally high temperature, the passenger will be restricted entry into the terminal and Airport Health Officers will be alerted, who will then take care of the next steps.