The German Federal Police (Bundespolizei) and airport operator Fraport AG have opened a new aviation security checkpoint at Frankfurt Airport (FRA). Featuring seven control lanes, the additional checkpoint has been installed in a purpose-built extension to Concourse A at Terminal 1 – after only six months of construction.
Kerstin Kohlmetz, President of the Federal Police Office at Frankfurt Airport, inaugurated the new security checkpoint on July 24. She was joined by Dr. Stefan Schulte, executive board chairman of Fraport AG; and Jasper van Gend, Head of Market, Europe North & East at screening technology provider Smiths Detection. The new security lanes were previously tested in a one-week trial phase.
At the inauguration ceremony, Kohlmetz pointed out the excellent cooperation between the Federal Police and Fraport: “The opening of the new security control lanes in extension hall A is the result of joint efforts by Fraport and the Federal Police to minimize waiting times for passengers at checkpoints, while also maintaining consistently high security standards.”
Fraport CEO Schulte explained: “Thanks to the new control lanes, considerably more passengers can now pass through security control in Concourse A, resulting in shorter waiting times. All partners involved in this project worked very hard to ensure that the extension hall would be ready during the busy summer peak. Let me extend my special thanks to everybody involved! Completing such a construction project within just six months is certainly not something that can be taken for granted.”
Jasper van Gend of Smiths Detection underlined: “This beacon project for Smiths Detection demonstrates what public-sector clients and industry can achieve together within a short period of time, when acting with the necessary flexibility and efficiency. The Frankfurt Airport solution is also a blueprint for other German gateways, where similar solutions are currently being tested or planned. We are pleased about the successful cooperation achieved at all levels during this project.”
By building the extension to Concourse A, Fraport has created the necessary space and infrastructure for the new security lanes implemented by the Federal Police, as the responsible government agency. An initial version of the technology for the new checkpoint has been in trial use at FRA since November 2018. The configuration of the new checkpoint offers more flexibility and faster security screenings. Thanks to the new lane structure, more passengers can present their hand luggage for inspection at the same time. Moreover, individual travelers can pass by other slower passengers within the same lane. The lanes also provide more space for analyzing X-rays and for carrying out manual checks, which are conducted by staff members of security service companies on behalf of the Federal Police.
From October, the final construction phase of the extension hall will begin. During this phase, the new security lanes will be removed and redeployed at other existing checkpoints in FRA’s two terminals. When construction is completed, extension hall A will go back into operation in time for the 2020 summer season.
The German Federal Police currently operate 186 security control lanes at Frankfurt Airport, nine of which feature the new configuration. Over the next few years, the new lane configuration will be gradually rolled out throughout FRA’s terminals – including at the future Terminal 3, which is currently under construction.
