A Queensland University of Technology (QUT) led project assisting the way airports are run to make them safer and more efficient has won a major Queensland engineering award and international acclaim.
The 'Airports of the Future Pilot Project', led by QUT Professor Prasad Yarlagadda, has won the Research and Development Award in Engineering Australia's 2011 Queensland Engineering Excellence Awards.
"The 'Airports of the Future Pilot Project' has not only assisted in reducing passenger queuing times at x-ray screening points at Brisbane Airport significantly, but has proposed a new international benchmark for the design and operation of security screening points," Professor Yarlagadda said.
"The pilot project's recommendations for passenger processing are now being considered by other Australian airports and have been endorsed by the International Air Transport Association, so it's great to get that national and international recognition."
Professor Yarlagadda said the project's success centred around its 'people-friendly' orientation.
"We looked at the two major groups of people who use the airport - travellers and airport personnel - and considered what security and passenger screening systems and other processes were needed to ensure an efficient and more positive travel and work experience," he said.
"Looking at the airport operation as a whole, rather than in segments, enabled us to bring together business management processes, human factors, human-centred design and intelligence surveillance to work out how to improve the airport system.
"We were able to develop a simpler, more efficient system without compromising border protection or transport security in any way. In fact, critical infrastructure protection at Brisbane Airport has been enhanced as a result of the implementation of the pilot project's recommendation."
Professor Yarlagadda said the holistic approach to solving an engineering problem had set a new benchmark in Australian engineering and outcomes and could be adopted by other highly-used facilities with a need for stringent security such as transportation hubs, sports stadiums, or critical government infrastructure.
"Essentially, this project is about putting people first, and has resulted in the development of a system that has provided passengers with a better travel experience due to less time waiting in queues," he said.
He said the year-long pilot project involved QUT, Brisbane Airport Corporation and 12 other industry partners and for the first time brought together significant Government Agencies into one Australian aviation research project. Partners included Australian Federal Police, Customs and Border Protection, The Office of Transport Security, Immigration, AQIS, capital city and major regional airports, and airlines.
"The pilot has led to the creation of a further $4.3 million, four-year project funded by the Australian Research Council and aviation industry partners."
Further information on the project can be found on the project's website: www.airportsofthefuture.qut.edu.au
Contact: Professor Prasad Yarlagadda, 'Airport of the Future' Project Director,
07 3138 5167 or y.prasad@qut.edu.au
Media contact: Rose Trapnell, QUT media officer, 07 3138 2999 or rose.trapnell@qut.edu.au
