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Olympics trigger IT investments in airport security

Sita eyes opportunities as the volume of air passengers in the mainland grows

Mainland investments in aviation security technologies are set to pick up as local air travel expands and preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games intensify, industry experts say.

Senior executives at Geneva-based Sita, an information and telecommunication systems provider for the air transport industry, expect China to focus initially on its three major hubs, in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

'We see China confidently turning to information technology as the cornerstone for new airport security programs,' said Francesco Violante, managing director at Sita's information networking computing (Inc) business unit.

Sita has been providing services, including fare management and check-in and departure control systems, to mainland airlines and air transport authorities for more than 25 years. Its IT applications arm, Sita Inc, is currently implementing an integrated airport systems project worth more than US$10 million at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.

Mr Violante noted a growing interest in biometric verification, which enables airport authorities to check each passenger against physical characteristics (for example, iris scan, face scan, fingerprint and voice-print systems).

There is also a growing market for 'intelligent' border management systems that automate the way government agencies review and analyse passenger details.

These technologies - a combination of hardware, software and services - are meant to improve security and boost operational efficiency, while speeding up the movement of low-risk passengers.

'Airports in China and around the world must invest in the necessary physical changes to meet new security mandates,' said Bruno Frentzel, Sita Inc senior vice-president for sales and marketing. 'This is a huge effort.'

He estimated the deployment of key aviation security platforms and relevant information technology systems could comprise 5 per cent to 10 per cent of a new airport's development costs.

Mr Violante said initiatives in China to put advanced aviation security systems in place would be spurred by the growing number of domestic and international passengers using the top three airports and second-tier terminals in the provinces. China has about 150 airports.

The World Tourism Organisation has forecast that China will host 180 million foreign tourists by 2020. About 100 million mainland tourists are expected to travel overseas that year.

Mr Violante said the push for improved aviation security in China was being driven by preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Operator Beijing Capital International Airport plans to raise 13 billion yuan over four years to finance 78 per cent of the total money required to expand the airport. The project is expected to boost passenger capacity by more than 25 million a year when it is completed in 2008.

Mr Frentzel said the Beijing airport, which handles a large volume of passenger traffic, would require a portfolio of integrated services to manage air passenger arrivals and departures quickly and efficiently. At the same time, border security systems needed to identify visitors requiring special attention quickly and quietly.

This development is expected to open an opportunity for Sita Inc to apply the border-management systems experience it gained helping the Australian government cope with visitors for the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

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