MEXIA Interactive, the maker of the MEXIA Sensor Array, the most sophisticated suite of location-based monitoring, analytics, and mobile marketing equipment, has today announced that Belfast International Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport are embracing the benefits of the Internet of Things through the use of the MEXIA Sensor Array suite of technology.
The system uses sophisticated technology to monitor passenger movement within the airports and provide pinpointed detail down to, for example, an individual security line or a specific shelf at a duty-free shop.
The work with Belfast International Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport follows MEXIA Interactive's success with smart sensor projects in Cyprus at Larnaca International Airport and Paphos International Airport since 2013, as well as at the Cork Airport since the end of 2014.
"The MEXIA Senior Array uses video analytics, Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi in order to accurately track passengers and calculate their queue times at various stages of their journey," says Ciaran O'Connell, process improvement manager at Cork Airport.
The technology is not only helping the airports facilitate an easier and more enjoyable experience for passengers, but is also helping to unleash the hidden revenue potential of the many shops and restaurants the airports host.
"Airports globally are under pressure to improve non-aviation revenues by increasing passenger spend," explains Glenn Tinley, president and founder at MEXIA Interactive. "Airport management consists of two divisions; operations, which includes activity such as managing staffing to avoid long lines at security check-points, and commercial, which includes the restaurants, shopping and entertainment available to passengers. The MEXIA Senor Array suite of technology products addresses both of these divisions by helping to cut down the amount of time passengers spend getting to the gate, giving passengers more time to enjoy the airports commercial offering."
"Using MEXIA Interactive's location-based analytics to monitor passenger traffic we can instantly identify bottlenecks in security lines, thus enabling us to correct them quickly and provide a more enjoyable experience for the 4 million passengers that pass through our airport annually," says Graham Keddie, managing director at Belfast International Airport. "It is also now possible for us to know when passengers are congregating around a particular promotional zone in the airport and how many of these passengers are then driven to make a purchase, data which we can use to improve in-airport marketing going forward."
Building on its previous work with both Larnaca International Airport and Paphos International Airport, MEXIA Interactive is now also enabling them to become the first airports globally to deploy smart sensor Wi-Fi.
"MEXIA Interactive's upgrade to our passenger Wi-Fi system means that passengers will receive a stronger Wi-Fi signal and are ensured consistent coverage throughout the airport, positioning us to better service our passengers by enhancing their travel experience," explains Elias Liolios, senior manager of commercial and business development at Hermes Airports Ltd, the operator of Larnaca and Paphos International Airports. "It also means that our smart sensor technology will have a Wi-Fi access point to
facilitate the better use of the beacon technology already deployed."
