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New software at JFK Airport will predict passenger traffic

John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 4 - one of the world’s most modern and efficient air terminals - has selected the BEONTRA Operational Terminal Prediction (OTP) tool from Leidos  to help maximize the efficiency of terminal operations following a successful pilot project.


October 12, 2016  By Leidos


With more than 20 million passengers passing through the terminal per year, Terminal 4 is the first airport terminal in North America to go live with the technology that will enable staff to spot variations from the operational plan before they occur and be better prepared to deal with events that take place as the day unfolds.

Accurate resource planning is critical to ensure that staffing levels reflect the volume of passengers that use the terminal throughout the day. Terminal 4 welcomes more than 70,000 passengers traveling through the terminal on an average day, with 48 percent of flights bound for international destinations.

Using data consolidated from a number of sources including live flight updates from the Airport Operational Database and stakeholders such as airlines, BEONTRA OTP provides an accurate prediction of passenger flow throughout the terminal for the immediate hours ahead. The prediction, which updates in real-time, uses the latest available information to give Terminal 4 staff the ability to identify and manage issues across the passenger journey before they arise.

“As part of our continuous effort to provide passengers with a stress-free travel experience, Terminal 4 has partnered with BEONTRA to help us better utilize our resources and proactively manage passenger journeys,” said Gert-Jan de Graaff, President and CEO of JFKIAT, the company which manages Terminal 4. “BEONTRA Operational Terminal Prediction will allow us to manage our terminal operations more efficiently and help us create a ‘don’t worry, be happy’ environment for Terminal 4 travellers. A smooth and seamless travel experience is what our team strives to provide. BEONTRA’s technology will help us do that even more effectively than before.”

Mark Cooper, Managing Director Transportation at Leidos added “Our airport customers are facing a number of common challenges such as capacity limitations, dated legacy technology and increasing airline and passenger expectations. Combined, this means airport terminal operators such as JFKIAT need to get the most out of their existing assets through better data analysis and predictive airport management.”

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In partnership with Leidos, Terminal 4 also was the first airport in the New York area to display processing times for travellers in 2015. The queue measurement system, which is located at Terminal 4’s TSA security checkpoints, Customs and Border Protection checkpoints and the indoor taxi waiting area, uses beacons to detect and track Wi-Fi or Bluetooth signals from devices to derive passenger waiting time, journey time and density. The information can be integrated with BEONTRA OTP to further augment the depth of data, to inform decision-making, and improve forecasting accuracy.

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