The makers of that transportation oddity the Segway personal transporter are targeting Middle East airport operators, claiming it is particularly well-suited to airport security.
The race to cope with passenger growth is leading to unprecedented expansion of air terminals. This places new demands on airport security patrols, as passenger volumes increase and heightened security measures become paramount, according to the company.
The self-balancing Segway gives security personnel a more noticeable presence, raising them eight inches above the surrounding crowd, while maintaining a footprint just slightly wider than a person. Emirates is a customer in the Middle East, but Segway believes the machines could take off across the region. They are extensively used at major airports in Europe and the US.
“Traditionally there has been a trade-off between a highly visible security presence and the ability to move quickly to deal with incidents,” says Steven Brown-Cestero, Segway’s distributor for the Middle East.
“Standard airport transports are large and difficult to manoeuvre through crowds, while foot patrols are difficult to see and limited to running pace at best. Segway PTs allow patrollers to see and be seen, to move quickly, and to stay fresh and ready to react, whatever the situation,” he says.
The race to cope with passenger growth is leading to unprecedented expansion of air terminals. This places new demands on airport security patrols, as passenger volumes increase and heightened security measures become paramount, according to the company.
The self-balancing Segway gives security personnel a more noticeable presence, raising them eight inches above the surrounding crowd, while maintaining a footprint just slightly wider than a person. Emirates is a customer in the Middle East, but Segway believes the machines could take off across the region. They are extensively used at major airports in Europe and the US.
“Traditionally there has been a trade-off between a highly visible security presence and the ability to move quickly to deal with incidents,” says Steven Brown-Cestero, Segway’s distributor for the Middle East.
“Standard airport transports are large and difficult to manoeuvre through crowds, while foot patrols are difficult to see and limited to running pace at best. Segway PTs allow patrollers to see and be seen, to move quickly, and to stay fresh and ready to react, whatever the situation,” he says.
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Source: Flight Daily News
