Axis Communications has made technology upgrades to improve passenger experience and enhance operational efficiency at Toronto Pearson Airport, operated by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA).

Airport efficiency

To address the issue of transparency on airport wait times and to help remedy common traveler complaints to improve airport efficiency, the airport’s leaders wanted the ability to accurately and reliably measure factors like queue length and wait time, rather than relying on rough estimates.

By leveraging the open-architecture design of Axis Communications devices and the Zensors artificial intelligence (AI) platform, Toronto Pearson Airport is now able to correlate the relationship between wait times, corresponding flight numbers, time of day and the overall schedule of inbound flights.

According to Axis Communications, doing so now provides actionable insights to airport personnel while maintaining the privacy and anonymity of its visitors.

“An airport is a complex system with many moving parts and it’s our job to ensure the passenger experience is smooth and enjoyable no matter the situation,” said Zeljko Cakic, Director of Airport IT Planning and Development for the GTAA.

“Axis cameras and the Zensors AI platform have been instrumental in helping us better manage operations and deliver a safer, more streamlined experience to travelers moving through Toronto Pearson.”

Surveillance and AI

Zensors used AXIS Site Designer to determine which camera models would provide the best coverage for processing areas, prompting Toronto Pearson to add to its more than 3,000 Axis cameras already in use throughout the airport.

The Zensors AI platform conducts predictive analysis by processing snapshots and real-time video streams from the Axis cameras and this camera coverage is split into matrices so the airport can clearly identify individual passenger flows.

The AI continually measures the length of queues, associating them with the flight schedule, time of day and other factors, delivering wait time predictions that are then posted on the airport website and on overhead monitors in the terminals to increase airport efficiency.

According to Axis, this has greatly improved the passenger experience and airport efficiency, allowing travelers to more accurately plan their arrival time, relieve worries about making connecting flights and even inform those waiting to pick up arriving passengers when to expect their exit from the terminal.

“We take great pride in our ability to help the transportation industry with not just security needs, but overall operational needs as well,” said Anthony Incorvati, Transportation Segment Leader at Axis Communications.

“To run smoothly and keep passengers happy, airports like Toronto Pearson require seamless surveillance systems that encompass both security and especially operations and Axis is able to assist with striking that balance across a variety of unique applications.”