Helsinki Airport is now able to track the exact location of passengers via their personal electronic devices following the installation of sensors across the airport.
Up to 300 tracking devices will be installed across the airport in total, each of which can pick up the WiFi signal from smartphones in their vicinity. These signals enable Finavia to pinpoint the exact location of a WiFi-enabled smartphone, and therefore the specific location of the smartphone’s owner. Importantly, none of the passengers’ personal data is stored. While WiFi sensors have been installed initially, Finavia has suggested that beacons, which use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology to locate and push notifications to Bluetooth-enabled personal electronic devices, could also be installed in the near future.
As well as allowing Finavia to identify bottlenecks at checkpoints, concessionaires are able to push notifications to passengers when they are in the retail area, as long as the smartphone owner has opted in. Offering directions around the terminal via push notifications has also been highlighted as another potential application for the technology.
