What are e-Gates?
An e-gate is a system that validates the identity of passengers using various technologies such as iris scanning, fingerprint scanning, or face scanning. The technology is used for screening individuals at arrival and departure gates of airports.
Airports worldwide are struggling with security issues because of the growing number of passengers traveling globally. In recent years, the number of travelers in airports has increased considerably.
Installation of airport e-gates has become a necessity to ensure security of passengers. Airport e-gates allow automated entry to passengers at security checkpoints. E-gates identify individuals using either iris scanning, fingerprint scanning, or facial scanning. Also, e-gates at airports reduce the check-in time of passengers.
Pros
Decreased Passenger Processing Time
Passenger processing time extends from check-in to boarding the flight. Increase in processing time leads to congestion at airports and customers need to spend a huge amount of time in queues. Hence, e-gates are installed to help optimize processes at airports and reduce time spent by customers at airports. They also enable efficient verification of individuals. Thus, decreased passenger processing time is expected to drive the Global Airport E-gates market during the forecast period.
Enhanced Border Security
A country shares its borders with several other countries. Air transportation is one of the most convenient ways of cross-border travel. However, this can also lead to increase in the number of terrorist attacks because of cross-border rivalry. Therefore, the need for security at airports is high. Hence, e-gates are installed at airports to ensure verification of individuals as it helps in identifying and eliminating terrorist activities.
Increased Efficiency in Passenger Profiling
Threat of terrorism is high in the Aviation industry. Hence, a huge amount of time is spent on security checks to safeguard lives of passengers. E-gates help in efficient profiling of passengers. Currently, passenger profiling is carried out by security officers who screen travel documents, behavior, and appearance manually. Airport e-gates automate this process and make it easy to identify any risks. Thus, increased efficiency in passenger profiling is a driver for the growth of the Global Airport E-gates market during the forecast period.
Cons
Lack of Technical Know-How
Airport security is very critical, and any carelessness can lead to security threats. Use of e-gates at airports ensures a high degree of safety for passengers. However, a well-trained group of professionals is required to maintain a high-performance security infrastructure; but, there is a shortage of skilled manpower for maintaining security infrastructure, which is leading to a shift toward cloud computing and virtualization. Hence, lack of technical know-how is expected to be a major challenge for the growth of the Global Airport E-gates market during the forecast period.
Interoperability Between Devices
One of the major challenges faced by the vendors is the provision of interoperability among various devices. Different security systems in an airport may be provided by different vendors, which makes interoperability a challenge. This can cause delay in security checks or lead to inefficiency of security systems.
For instance, X-ray screening devices and e-gates at airports should be linked to ensure security. Thus, interoperability between devices is a challenge for the market and could lead to limited adoption of airport e-gates.
High Cost of Device
E-gates use various technologies for verification of individuals such as checking boarding passes and passports, iris recognition, fingerprinting, and facial recognition. The prices of e-gates remain high because of the consolidation of various technologies into one device.
As a result, it becomes difficult for developing countries to adopt them owing to paucity of funds. Hence, high cost of the device is a major challenge for the growth of the market.
