Veovo launches airport social distancing solutions for safer travel

With COVID-19 lockdowns beginning to ease, the pace at which flying restrictions will be lifted is likely to be heavily influenced by airports’ ability to implement physical distancing measures. In support of these new requirements, Veovo has released a new addition to their stable of solutions, designed to monitor crowd density and maintain safe distancing airport wide.

The newly introduced solutions use movement monitoring and machine learning to offer real-time and predictive passenger density and movement insights, for better live situational awareness and future planning. 

Virtual queuing

Veovo’s virtual queuing solution enables travellers to pre-book a time slot for processing at airport checkpoints, rather than having to wait in line.

It enables airports to control queue entry, preventing too many people from congregating in one area and evenly distributing passengers across the airport’s checkpoints. Available time slots are adjusted in real time, based on queue wait times, changing arrival patterns and processing capacity so that passengers show up at the optimum time. 

Passenger density management

Veovo’s passenger density management solution monitors crowd density in queues and spaces across the terminal, enabling airports to take action if social distancing limits are at risk of being breached.  

The solution bundles location analysis from various IoT sensors, with machine learning and an alert framework, to give a detailed view of how people move and dwell. From typical crowding zones like check in and security to areas like gates and concessions, it continuously monitors and analyses movement to highlight the degree of risk in real time. 

Live heatmaps and dashboards show operators a reliable breakdown of the current situation, triggering tailored alarms and automated actions if density thresholds, based on current guidelines (for instance, six feet, one or two metres), are exceeded. Recommendations to limit crowding can include capping entry to busy escalators or stairwells, adjusting security lane openings, changing call-to-gate times, updating digital signage or distributing gate and baggage belt allocations.

With these valuable people movement insights, operators can also improve the responsiveness of sanitation service providers, directing teams to where cleaning is most needed.

Besides real-time insights, the Veovo platform also includes predictive capabilities that not only help operators manage crowding in real-time but also plan for days, weeks and months ahead. It offers detailed insights into people’s movement habits, and how factors like time of day or day of the week, or other events, affect passenger behaviour.

“Having worked with busy airports like JFK, Amsterdam and Auckland in smoothing passenger journeys, we understand the enormous challenge the industry currently faces in supporting physical distancing,” said James Williamson, CEO of Veovo. “To safely manage crowding, operators need accurate, timely data. By accommodating new social distancing needs in our solution, we enable safe and proactive planning to reduce crowds and to make sanitation and disinfection programmes more effective.”

The ‘Virtual Queuing and Passenger Density Management’ solutions are quick to deploy, allowing airports to rapidly support social distancing recommendations. The solutions can provide detailed insights within weeks while allowing operators to continue adapting to maximise safety and efficiency.