By Juan Pedro Tomás
Siemens and SITA said they are providing the Kansas City Aviation Department with “future-proof” technologies for the Kansas City International (MCI) Airport’s New Terminal project, dubbed Build KCI.
The new 1 million square-foot, 39-gate terminal will include a variety of building automation, fire and life safety systems, and security systems from Siemens as well as IT networks and next-generation airport systems from SITA. These solutions will help create a smart airport terminal that can grow with the aviation department‘s long-term needs, decrease operation and maintenance costs and enhance the passenger experience through automation.
Kansas City‘s Director of Aviation, Pat Klein, said: “Together, Siemens and SITA are providing the virtual and physical infrastructure that will ensure Kansas City International Airport’s New Terminal is equipped to deliver an exceptional journey for our passengers; one built on innovation, industry expertise and a true understanding of what travelers want today and into the future.”
President of solutions and services for the Americas region for Siemens Smart Infrastructure USA, Dana Soukup said: “Integrating the disparate airport systems has simplified and enabled data sharing across the airport ecosystem. Siemens and SITA, through a joint project management approach, are combining their expertise in airport facilities systems, operations systems, and IT systems to provide the aviation department with a solid technology infrastructure and intuitive, easy-to-use systems that allow terminal staff and operators to transition from their two current airport terminals to a new, technology-advanced single airport terminal.”
Siemens is using its Desigo CC platform to integrate airport and facility systems with a converged network. Access control, video surveillance, distributed antenna, airport common use systems, multi-user flight information displays, IpTV, VoIP, and various other building automation, fire, life safety, and security systems will be incorporated. Fire alarm, public address, and digital displays will be integrated with the Desigo CC mass notification system. The Desigo CC platform will, in turn, be integrated with the airport asset management platform.
SITA‘s mission-critical network connectivity will be “fundamental to the exchange of data around baggage, passengers and aircraft across the terminal,” the partners said. The network will be cloud-based and virtualized.
In the terminal, SITA Flex – a cloud-based common use platform – will allow passengers to check in through a simple biometric scan at one of the self-service kiosks or, if preferred, a traditional agent-assisted counter. The multi-user informational display screens for flights, baggage and gates will also provide travelers with the information they need to navigate their way through the airport.
President of SITA Americas, Diana Einterz said: “Emerging from the pandemic has taught us the importance of implementing scalable and flexible systems that can accommodate unexpected changes in real time. SITA is providing the airport operations backbone that will give MCI the agility it needs to operate in this new environment.”
