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Airport RTLS - Real Time Location Systems
At any given moment, an airport is filled with thousands of people, staff members, and pieces of equipment. That is millions of dollars in investment moving around just a few square miles of area. It is surprisingly easy to lose track of vital equipment and people in these busy locations, which means airport management loses time and money in resolving each issue. Keep precise track of your assets with the real-time location – RTLS – airport asset tracking system from Litum. Using active RFID technology with a combination of UWB and ISM frequencies, we’re able to provide real-time tracking and monitoring of assets no matter where they are in your control area. Additionally, you’ll know the location of your people and the status of your equipment is at all times.
How Does Airport RTLS System Work?
Litum uses a combination of RTLS tags, readers, and airport RTLS software to create a private network that can monitor and track the location of active RFID tags within a defined area. Each tag is assigned specific information about the item it’s attached to or the person wearing it (airport assets – airport personnel.) Installed readers throughout the airport terminal, hangar, and on the tarmac actively scan these tags to track their location and gather data. Litum IoT can help you track thousands of different kinds of tags within a massive area with sub-meter accuracy levels.
The readers then transmit this information to your base of operations where the airport RTLS software analyzes the data and displays it in a simplified format. This location and movement data is overlaid on a map of the airport, so staff members know where each tag is located, the direction it’s moving in, and what person or object the tag is assigned.
More than just asset and people tracking software, our system allows you to improve employee safety and passenger safety at airports. You’ll be able to see where people are going, and an alert system allows staff members to request emergency assistance.
Minimal Hardware and Set-Up
Only a minimal amount of hardware is required for this system. We provide the installation and training needed for your employees, so you’ll be able to continue maintaining the system after we leave. Our consultants also provide you with the appropriate readers and RFID tags designed for your specific needs. We have a wide variety of tags suitable for use in an airport, from durable airport ground support equipment (GSE) tags to rechargeable badge tags for staff members. We will also provide you with ongoing support and an extended warranty to ensure your complete satisfaction with the airport RTLS system.
Airport Ground Support Equipment & Vehicle Tracking
There is a lot happening on the tarmac and it is essential for airlines to know exactly where all vehicles, not just the planes, are on the ground. Our unique RTLS airport tracking solution works both indoors and outdoors, and it works without relying on GSM systems. Some use cases of the Litum RTLS system are:
- Fuel truck tracking
- Push-back truck tracking
- Ground power unit tracking
- Loader tracking
- Container transporter and dolly tracking
- Terminal bus tracking
- Ground support vehicle tracking
- Maintenance vehicle tracking
Each tag is specific to each ground support vehicle and transmits data with its unique ID. RTLS system operators will be able to tell at a glance where each vehicle is at, whether or not it is in use and available for dispatch. When employees are given tags to wear as well, you’ll also be able to determine which employees are in the vehicle at any given time.
Maintain an airport environment devoted to safety by using RTLS to ensure that only qualified employees are using certain pieces of equipment or vehicles. When an accident happens, management can use the data history to determine which employee was using that equipment at the time to reduce the potential for confusion in an investigation.
Airport Asset Tracking
Imagine the possibilities for keeping track of tools and equipment within the terminal and on the tarmac. When a passenger requests a wheelchair, an employee will be able to log into the system and immediately find the nearest available one based on the tag attached to it. When a tool goes missing, maintenance can check to see where it is on a real-time map of the airport to retrieve it. This system can easily track any item with a tag on it. This includes:
- Baggage trolley tracking
- Wheelchair tracking
- Duty-free carts tracking
- Tracking computers –tablets and electronic devices
- Tracking handsets and headsets
- Tracking tools and toolboxes
- Tracking removed parts from airplanes
This improved visibility of assets that the Litum airport RTLS system gives means that workflow can continue uninterrupted, and costs for replacement equipment go down as fewer items are lost, never to be found again. With the appropriate RTLS software and placement of RFID readers, it is also possible to monitor for the theft of high-value property. If a piece of equipment is taken out of an area without permission the system can be set up to trigger an alert to the security.
Airport Equipment Condition Monitoring
Certain tags with the ability to monitor airport equipment usage and their condition are also available from Litum IoT. These tags can track motion, speed, power consumption, temperature, and engine status (on/off). It’s possible to monitor a piece of equipment and diagnose whether it needs maintenance or is close to breaking down without even opening the case. Airport maintenance crews can prevent the need for major repairs with automatic maintenance requests and system monitoring. If it seems like a conveyor belt is overheating or consuming more power than it should, repair crews can be dispatched to examine the equipment and determine an appropriate solution. The airport RTLS system also allows maintenance managers to review the history of equipment to better determine what needs to be repaired or replaced soon.
Locating & Track Airport Staff Members
Our active RFID employee badge tags are designed to be durable and simple to update with any important employee information. When new hires are brought in, use our software to assign that person an ID tag and tie it with information, such as their name and position with the airline. We’ll help integrate these tags with your security systems and other logistics software. ID tags locate each staff member and can automatically validate identity when they enter secure areas, allow the airline to keep track of employee hours, and even indicate whether an employee is at work or on a break by their location.
Locating Airplanes On the Ground with Airport RTLS
Air traffic control has the difficult job of keeping track of every flight in and out of an airport. Airlines can ensure that their planes are always on the screen with our aircraft ground tracking module. This RTLS system keeps track of your planes on the ground, by monitoring signals that existing hardware in the aircraft transmits. With real-time updates and complex automatic calculations, our software can:
- Provide Estimates Of Taxi Time
- Create Gate Runway Statistics
- Monitor Runway Demand
We give you the ability to locate and track all aircraft that are taxiing, taking off, or landing at the airport. Your airline will be able to keep a close eye on those planes until they are in the air and radar takes over.
Passenger Tracking at Airports
It is even possible to track passengers in the airport terminal to provide an improved travel experience. Tags might be incorporated into tickets so that the airline knows when passengers are starting to queue up in a certain area for boarding, or when they are straggling a bit. This allows staff members to make decisions about when to start or stop boarding and make important announcements for flights. Over time, airlines can use the gathered data to optimize flight times and terminal locations to make it easier for passengers to find their flights.
Automatic Alerts in Airport RTLS
The Litum airport RTLS software application allows airports to set up control zones and automatic alerts for a variety of purposes. This system can alert you when an employee enters an area they aren’t allowed in or attempts to use a piece of equipment they aren’t qualified to handle. The system can also trigger an alert when certain tags leave control areas, such as equipment being taken out of the airport.
We can provide tamper-evident tags that trigger alerts if someone attempts to remove them too. This automatic alert system helps airports by:
- Cutting Costs
- Preventing Accidents
- Reducing Theft
- Improving Employee Safety
All of our active RFID tags come with panic buttons that allow employees to request help at a moment’s notice. Whether a fight has broken out in the terminal, or a staff member becomes ill and falls, an SOS can be triggered at the push of a button. Even without the need for monitoring the RTLS, the system will automatically notify the right people and facilitate quick dispatch of appropriate assistance to that location.
Helping airlines, ground service, and MRO companies to improve turnaround
Travelers these days don’t want to put up with any more delays than necessary. To keep aircraft turnaround time at a minimum, fast decision-making and effective resource management are essential. With the Litum Airport RTLS system, your staff will gain complete visibility over airport operations and have access to all the information they need to maintain an efficient workflow.
