Products

Vanguard

Automated Passenger Processing

Introduction and Overview

Newsflash! Latest product from Damarel helps airports comply with new 2D Barcode security regulations.

The recent explosion in Web check-in has seen more and more passengers arrive at the airport carrying home printed boarding passes, allowing them to bypass the normal check-in process and proceed straight to security.

This has been a great benefit to travellers and airlines alike, speeding the general check-in process and allowing passengers to move more quickly through the airport. The downside is that these new document types also need to be thoroughly checked to ensure that they are valid, and not duplicates.

With the advent of IATA's 2D Barcode Resolution 792, covering the use of PDF417 barcodes on boarding passes, most airlines are now producing compliant documentation that can be checked quickly and securely at the airport.

Security

Airlines and government departments are demanding increased checks on 2D barcode home printed boarding passes, including:

• Checking the validity of the presented boarding pass
• Ensuring duplicate passes are recognised and rejected
• Controlling access according to the list of active flights

Getting these checks right, and getting them right quickly, is fundamental to the smooth, safe operation of the airport.

The Solution

Vanguard is the latest offering from Damarel, designed specifically to target this security issue. Vanguard offers a powerful, integrated software solution which delivers an immediate Go/No Go decision to the operator as a document is scanned.

At its simplest, Vanguard will read the passenger's document and check to ensure it is a valid boarding pass and that it is not a duplicate. This is the most basic test, and automates much of the manual process currently performed by the security agent, leaving them free to concentrate on any other processes they may be responsible for, such as image capturing and security profiling.

Moving on from that, Vanguard can also be configured to check the passenger's flight details against a list of active flights retrieved from the airport's AODB or FIDS system, ensuring that the document is not only valid, but that it is valid for a flight operating from that particular terminal. This powerful extension ensures the maximum possible security with mininum inpact on passenger processing times.

Vanguard doesn't just stop at 2D documents - it can also be configured to read IATA format ATB2 magnetic stripe boarding passes, giving the same degree of comfort and security for those passengers who have used the traditional check-in methods. By scanning all passengers, whatever their document type, the airport can also derive passenger flow and statistical data, such as dwell time reports - important information when analysing an airport's operation.

Benefits

Vanguard is designed to provide a fully automated, secure solution to controlling passenger access to restricted areas. Vanguard delivers benefits across the board:

• Designed to meet new airline and regulatory authority requirements for 2D barcode documents
• Supports all modern document types, including IATA 2D PDF417 Barcodes and ATB2 Magnetic Stripe
• Automatically validates boarding passes against a list of operating flights
• Provides an instant Go/No Go decision, reducing the scope for human error and increasing the speed of passenger flow
• Integrates with AODB and FIDS systems for live flight information
• Includes full audit trail and history reporting
• Uses off-the-shelf 2D barcode and ATB2 readers available from many suppliers
• Can be used standalone or integrated with a CUTE platform
• Is completely scalable - from the smallest regional airport to the largest international

Architecture

Vanguard is designed to run either standalone or networked:

• Based on modern 32-bit Windows® (NT/2000/XP platform)
• Communicates across standard local area networks.
• Makes use of BCR and ATB2 technology.
• Has a modular construction that can be tailored for a precise business fit.
• Certified for use on major CUTE platforms such as ARINC iMUSE.
• Runs 24 hours a day 7 days a week with minimal computer operations supervision.
• Supported and diagnosed remotely.

To discuss how Vanguard Passenger Processing System or any of Damarel's other products can help your operation, please contact us by phone +44 (0)1252  783787 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it