Major Luton Airport hangars secured by ICTS (UK)

24 Nov 09

International security consultant and installer ICTS (UK) is safeguarding major hangars at London Luton Airport for a flight support service provider responsible for 20,000 annual air traffic movements at the site.

By Brian Sims

To complete its work, the company has employed networkable entry controllers developed and supplied by Dublin-based Access Control Technology (ACT). These units are operational alongside biometric technologies to discriminate between legitimate and unauthorised visitors, ensuring the safety of passengers and staff as well as protecting aircraft and infrastructure.

When networked to a PC, the ACTpro access system selected for this site can accommodate up to 2,000 separate doors and 30,000 individual users. At London Luton Airport, the controllers are deployed on an ‘airlock’ or holding area between pairs of doors which cannot be opened simultaneously (except in the event of an emergency).

Visitors are collected and escorted by flight support staff, while the practice of ‘tailgating’ is eliminated by the judicious use of surveillance cameras.

ICTS (UK) specified and implemented the ACT equipment after a legacy installation proved unsuitable. The door controllers are complementing an Ingersoll Rand palm print reader. Staff who wish to proceed ‘airside’ are required to identify themselves to an entry panel camera and present their own access control card to the reader.

Prevention of unauthorised entry

The security measures taken not only prevent unauthorised entry into controlled areas by staff or intruders, but also ensure that legitimate visitors (including significant numbers of VIP travellers) can progress smoothly through the site.

The ACT units used at the airport are gaining widespread endorsement due to their reliability and compatibility with most third-party readers.

Martin Gould of ICTS (UK) told SMT Online: “One of the many merits of the ACT equipment is that we didn’t have to run any cable, since the controllers work from the facility’s LAN cabling and ‘piggyback’ on an existing conduit. This not only reduces engineering disruption to the airport’s core activity, but is also ‘green’ in terms of minimising material usage. We now have a system that’s completely IP-addressable.”

London Luton Airport is most notable for its distinctive aluminium and glass terminal inspired by world-renowned architect Foster and Partners. The airport currently serves as a hub for Thomson Airways, Ryanair, EasyJet and Monarch Airlines, being a major maintenance base for the latter two carriers.

Luton is London's fourth airport and the fifth busiest in the UK.