HIA hosts meeting of Smart Security Management Group

Hamad International Airport (HIA) is hosting the 17th meeting of the Smart Security Management Group (SSMG) in Doha.The two-day meeting, which concludes today, gathered 25 delegates, including official observers and Airports Council International (ACI) organisers.The ACI Smart Security initiative aims to implement specific and measurable improvements in security effectiveness, operational efficiency, and passenger experience at airport security checkpoints through improved use of technology, process innovation, and the use of risk-based security concepts.As airports and their stakeholders play a key role in facilitating effective, efficient, and enhance passenger experiences, the Smart Security initiative gathers stakeholders with the shared objective of transforming the security checkpoint for the benefit of the travelling public.HIA chief operating officer Badr Mohamed al-Meer said: “We are thrilled to host the 17th annual Smart Security Management Group meeting at Hamad International Airport.“As an active member of ACI Asia Pacific’s Regional Security Committee, and through our Smart Security Programme, we are among the few leading airports in the world to consistently trial and improve our security processes at HIA for increased efficiency and for the comfort of our passengers.“Knowledge-sharing is pivotal to optimising our airport processes and enhancing our security procedures.“We look forward to a productive meeting where we, along with our stakeholders, will benefit from ACI’s expertise and recommended practices.”ACI World director general Angela Gittens said: “We thank Hamad International Airport for hosting the 17th annual Smart Security Management Group meeting.“With the predicted growth in air travel, evolving security threats, and passengers’ evolving expectations about their airport experience, it is more important than ever that airports forge sustainable security models that optimise their facilities and meet the growing demands of their passengers.”In 2018, HIA developed an industry-leading transfer security screening product, which resulted in significantly shorter queuing times for passengers.With the airport’s introduction of more transfer gates and minimum connection lanes, passengers at HIA are screened to national standards at the arrival gate directly, ensuring that at least 95% of the airport’s transfer passengers queue for under five minutes.HIA is currently in its final stages of an evaluation programme that measures the security and operational benefits of different screening technologies, utilising new algorithms that would allow the airport to provide screening of cabin baggage without the need to segregate electronic devices, and exploring the use of body scanners instead of traditional walk through metal detectors, amongst other developments.Looking ahead, HIA, along with Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free, is set to host the world’s most influential airport commercial revenues conference “The Trinity Forum 2019” from October 30 to 31.The conference, organised by The Moodie Davitt Report, ACI World, and ACI Asia-Pacific, will take place in Qatar for the first time.