ACSA technological innovations are transforming the airport experience

In the quest to redefine the airport experience in South Africa, Vishalan Govender, ACSA’s Chief Technology Officer, outlines innovative initiatives poised to transform operations and passenger interaction at South African airports, reshaping the customer experience and operational efficiencies.

How is ACSA using the latest technologies to enhance the customer experience?

ACSA is leveraging the latest technologies available to redefine the airport experience in South Africa.

A significant innovation coming to ACSA airports in 2026 is self-service bag check-in, initially launching at OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) before expanding to other ACSA airports. This ground-breaking system, which harnesses facial recognition and mobile device integration, promises a new level of convenience and control for passengers, empowering them to manage their journey without agent intervention.

Facial recognition and automation will also be introduced at security checkpoints and boarding gates, alongside biometric-based passport control. These measures aim to reduce wait times and enhance security protocols for departing and arriving South African passengers, providing a strong sense of safety and reassurance.

We are also utilising technology to redefine the parking experience. An example is the integration of one-touch parking into the intuitive ACSA application, simplifying parking navigation and payment processes. This initiative provides visitors with a comprehensive overview of parking facilities, enabling them to pre-plan their airport visits, calculate tariffs and pre-book parking online. By registering their licence plate number onto the app, visitors can seamlessly access parking facilities, with boom entrances automatically recognising their registered vehicles and facilitating swift entry and exit while also calculating parking tariffs and final fees. Visitors also have the option of tapping their credit cards at the boom gates on entry and exit. This system is designed to relieve passengers of the stress often associated with airport parking.

What investments has ACSA made in digital infrastructure to support efficient digital services and applications at its airports?

ACSA has adopted a cloud-first approach and utilises Software as a Service (SaaS) to bolster the efficiency of its digital services and applications. This has enabled a single-source transport layer to disseminate information to different stakeholders. Upgrades, such as doubling the internal bandwidth network later this year and consolidating hardware into virtualised hyperconverged infrastructure, will further streamline operations, ensuring resilience and capacity within a unified platform. It will enable a single management tool that manages the entire suite of products.

What cybersecurity measures are in place to safeguard ACSA’s airport systems, passenger data, and operational information?

To safeguard ACSA’s airport systems, passenger data and operational information from cyber threats, robust cybersecurity measures have been implemented, including a high-tech Cybersecurity Operations Centre that enables rapid incident detection, protection, and response. Leveraging threat intelligence, predictive analytics and machine learning, ACSA employs a zero-trust architecture across its organisation, swiftly flagging unauthorised devices or personnel.

We’ve also prioritised user awareness and collaboration to mitigate risks. At the same time, alignment with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) framework ensures robust protection of airport systems and passenger data.

How is ACSA utilising artificial intelligence at its airport to enhance operational efficiencies and passenger safety?

Artificial intelligence and predictive analytics are pivotal in enhancing operational efficiencies, resource allocation, and passenger safety at ACSA airports. It aids in incident management and resolution, from optimising IT service management to informing crowd management strategies, such as swift responses to potential bottlenecks in passenger flows.

When it comes to aviation, the Airport Management System is the heartbeat of our organisation. It monitors aircraft on the ground, assigns boarding and arrival gates and allocates aircraft parking bays and check-in counters to the airlines.

Through predictive analytics, aircraft positioning is aligned with our retail offering, enabling retailers to stock their shelves based on passengers’ spending patterns. This year, ACSA will leverage its airport Wi-Fi systems and Airport App to offer departing passengers personalised promotions from nearby retail stores and restaurants.

Predictive analytics is also utilised in ACSA’s CCTV cameras, which can flag unusual incidents, such as unattended baggage in the departure or arrivals halls or unauthorised personnel in a particular area. The cameras create an alert, and a response team is immediately dispatched to the area of concern. We will also embark on major security upgrades where AI will be the underlying technology platform.

Artificial intelligence is also used in sustainability management. Through its integrated Control Monitoring Centre, ACSA monitors the airport environment regarding power utilisation and temperature control, ensuring operational continuity and sustainability.

How is ACSA using biometricbased border control systems to streamline immigration processes?

ACSA’s adoption of biometric-based border control systems aims to expedite passport control processes, reduce transaction times and enhance security.

Our innovative approach integrates fingerprint and facial recognition for seamless movement through security checkpoints and passport control. When the pilot project was introduced, the desired results were not achieved. We expected throughput to be much faster than the manual passport control.

Passengers tend to feel anxious and fumble at biometric touchpoints despite our comprehensive education drive that includes videos, posters and banners. This has led to slower transaction times than with manual throughput. We are therefore creating a platform on the ACSA app where passengers, especially international passengers, can take a virtual tour of the airport so they know what to expect. It will include a video on using the biometric system before arrival at the airport. The app will also provide travel recommendations, and passengers will be able book flights, accommodation and transport within the app in the future.

What is OneID, and how will it make moving through the airport a seamless experience for travellers?

OneID is a unique passenger identifier which passengers can create through selfenrolment on the ACSA app. Utilising facial recognition will streamline the airport experience by enabling automated processes from bag drop and pre-security to immigration and boarding checks, enhancing efficiency and convenience for passengers. By utilising facial recognition, OneID does away with the need to present physical documentation at the different touchpoints. Passengers’ OneID numbers will also be assigned to their baggage on check-in, and they can track their bags through to their final destination.

How is ACSA preparing itself for the future when it comes to tech innovation?

Looking ahead, ACSA is positioning itself as a global leader in airport technology and innovation. With a comprehensive roadmap and forward-thinking approach, ACSA aims to set new benchmarks in airport technology, cybersecurity, and customer experience, paving the way for further advancements in the aviation industry.