Phoenix-Mesa Gateway debuts automated exit for arriving passengers
Feb 19, 2018, 4:12 AM | Updated: 8:36 pm
(Photo: Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport)
(Photo: Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport)
PHOENIX — If you’re always in a hurry at the airport, you may want to check out Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.
The airport recently installed a fully-automatic exit lane for arriving passengers.
Brian Smith, an airport spokesman, said this allows a better use of resources.
“In airports across the country, when you’re exiting the secure area, you always see that really bored TSA agent just sitting there,” Smith said. “This automated exit lane removes the need for that human element.”
“We are happy to find innovative ways to serve more passengers and improve on the hassle-free experience that travelers have come to expect at Gateway Airport,” said Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority Chair Jenn Daniels.
Related: Mesa Gateway reports increase in passenger traffic
“These projects were finished just in time for the busy spring travel season and were completed without any passenger disruptions.”
Smith said the system is easy to use, too.
“It’s a system of three doors,” he said, “that uses sensors and cameras to make sure that you’re not walking in the wrong way.”
Gateway Airport partnered with DWL Architects, DPR Construction and dormakaba for design and construction. The dormakaba Exit Lane Breach Control system was selected due to its modularity and “smart technology” interface, which optimizes airport operations.
(Photo: Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport)
Smith said replacing guards with technology not only eliminates human error, it offers more control and substantial cost savings without compromising passenger safety.
Phoenix-Gateway has also installed an expanded TSA Security Screening Checkpoint.
It provides a larger, more efficient passenger-queuing system as well as a fifth security-checkpoint lane. There’s also capacity for a sixth lane in the future.
“Expanding our TSA Security Screening Checkpoint and adding a new fully-automated exit lane enables us to better serve the growing number of air travelers choosing Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport,” said Executive Director and CEO J. Brian O’Neil.
“These projects provide enhanced security, increased efficiency, and a better overall passenger experience.”
Gateway Airport served almost 1.4 million passengers in 2017, its second-best year on record.
