Travel the world safely
Because they play such a strategic role in a country's economy, airports present an unparalleled set of security challenges.
Even a short disruption in an airport's activities can cost it tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars — not to mention the impact on the national economy, which could be completely paralysed by an airport closure. Airport operators need to step up to new security challenges while at the same time ensuring continuity of service, come what may, to meet their own business objectives.
A record of success
Many airports around the world have already chosen Thales to provide tailored security solutions to protect their infrastructure, personnel, passengers, data and operations.
John F. Kennedy (JFK) airport in New York, for example, recently awarded Thales the contract to modernise the Security Operations Centre (SOC) for Terminal 4, the airport’s largest, which handles over 20 million passengers per year. Thales is to deliver an Airport Operation Control Centre (AOCC) platform that provides processes and procedures to make management of security and operations of the airport terminal smoother and more efficient, enabling security personnel to respond more proactively to emergency situations.
Bahrain International Airport – aiming to become one of the most important global hubs for business and tourism – has chosen a consortium comprising Thales and SITA to provide the airport’s security and operations management system. Thanks to smart data processing, the system will provide operators with real-time situational awareness of airport security and operations.
Handling 86 million travellers in 2016, Dubai International Airport is one of the biggest in the world in terms of passenger numbers. With more than 10,000 access control points and 1,500 videoprotection cameras, the airport is equipped with ultra-modern communication and security solutions from Thales that provide the highest levels of safety and security. Muscat International Airport and Salalah Airport in Oman – the two largest airports in the sultanate – have also opted for a state-of-the-art integrated security system from Thales (managed via a Thales AOCC), which includes intrusion detection, videoprotection, access control, security control points, telecommunications, etc.
In further confirmation of Thales’s positioning as a major player in airport security, Doha International Airport in Qatar has also chosen the Group to design and implement security and communication systems for its new passenger terminal, and for all airport buildings, which are now interconnected and equipped with leading-edge technologies.
The list of other airports around the world that have placed their trust in Thales’s solutions includes Changi (Singapore), King Shaka (South Africa), Lyon Saint Exupéry (France), Pisa, Florence, Madrid and Funchal (Portugal).
A smooth transition to the future
By joining forces with Thales, airport operators are giving themselves the best possible chance of successfully making the transition to the 21st century, the century of mobility, communication and interconnection. In addition to meeting their security needs, Thales offers airports the opportunity to become genuinely smart. Thanks to its in-depth knowledge of the complexity of airport operations, and its ability to engage in dialogue with all stakeholders, its globally leading expertise in cutting-edge technologies, and its proven capabilities as an integrator, Thales is a key partner for airports as they pursue their digital transformation. All airports – from ultra-modern new builds in the Middle East and Asia to traditional hubs in the US and Europe – can make the transition to the future smoothly and successfully thanks to Thales’s unique expertise.