Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, has announced a partnership with Australian Aluminum Automation to test new technology using self-service devices at airports to help identify people with health problems, including symptoms of the early stages of the emerging coronavirus (Covid- 19).
Etihad will be the first airline to test this technology that can check the temperature, heart rate and breathing level of anyone using specific airport terminals such as the travel clearance office, information office, baggage delivery device, or any security gate or customs gate.
The system is designed to automatically suspend the travel procedures or deliver the luggage at the self-service devices in case the vital signs of the traveler indicate the presence of possible symptoms of a disease, then the device calls the concerned authorities or notifies a qualified employee to deal with this case, to do further checks and address the matter The appropriate way.
In cooperation with Amazon Web Services, Internet services, Elenium has developed "hands-free" technologies that provide self-service devices that do not require the use of hands but rely on voice recognition technology, thus reducing the potential for viruses and bacteria to be transmitted.
Etihad will begin testing this technology at Abu Dhabi International Airport during the months of April and May 2020 with a group of volunteers in the first stage before applying it to passengers when resuming flights.
On this occasion, the Vice President for Operations at Abu Dhabi Airport and the new terminal building, George Oberman, said, "This technology was not designed to identify or diagnose medical conditions. It is an early warning indicator that will help identify people with general symptoms, so that they can be further evaluated by Medical experts, which may prevent some of the symptoms from spreading to other travelers who are preparing for flights to multiple destinations. "
"It is well known that aircraft equipped with advanced air recycling systems that apply high standards of hygiene are not a means of transmitting diseases. We are testing this technology because we believe it will not only help in tackling an outbreak of the Corona virus, but also in assessing the suitability of the passenger to travel and thus reduce the resulting disturbances "We consider this technology a new step towards ensuring that future viral outbreaks do not have the same devastating impact that we are seeing today on the global aviation sector."
"This technology is the first of its kind in the world," said Elinum Automation President and co-founder Aaron Hornliman. "Elenium has patented both the automatic detection of symptoms of illnesses at the point of self-service in aviation facilities, and the technology of self-service without the use of hands." At the airport, these two procedures together confirm that medical checks can be taken at airports and without exposing staff to danger from manual procedures.
"The device scans every person, including all people who have a joint reservation. This technology can be installed in any kiosk at the airport or at the luggage delivery office and can also be installed as a computer system at the point of clearing travelers' transactions such as the customs office or others. We believe that This automatic health check-up service will encourage travelers to travel soon. "