SITA and Siemens to Facilitate Digital Transformation of Kansas City Airport

SITA and Siemens will be working together to help the Kansas City Aviation Department build a modern (and connected) airport terminal. The partnership is part of the department’s Build KCI project, which will culminate with the opening of a new 1 million square foot terminal with 39 gates at Kansas City International Airport.

On that front, Siemens will be providing much of the technology infrastructure for the building itself. That includes the access control, video surveillance, and fire safety systems, as well as flight information displays and other common use systems. The features will be delivered through Siemens’ Desigo CC platform, and will enable building automation and assist with asset management once the terminal is up and running.

SITA, meanwhile, will be supplying IT network and screening technology that the airport needs to run actual flights. Most notably, SITA will also outfit the terminal with SITA Flex self-service biometric kiosks. The kiosks are touchless, and allow people to check in for their flight, clear security, and board their plane with only a facial recognition scan. SITA’s cloud technology will also help the airport keep tabs on all of its baggage, passenger, and aircraft data.

Together, the Siemens and SITA systems will minimize operational costs and automate many aspects of the building and the passenger experience. The setup is designed to be future-proof, and will allow the airport to integrate new technologies as they become available.

“The pandemic has taught us the importance of implementing scalable and flexible systems that can accommodate unexpected changes in real time,” said SITA Americas President Diana Einterz. “SITA is providing the airport operations backbone that will give MCI the agility it needs to operate in this new environment.”

“Siemens and SITA are providing the virtual and physical infrastructure that will ensure Kansas City International Airport’s New Terminal is equipped to deliver an exceptional journey for our passengers; one built on innovation, industry expertise and a true understanding of what travelers want today and into the future,” added Kansas City Aviation Director Pat Klein.

Several airports have already installed SITA Flex kiosks in an effort to streamline their airport operations. Bahrain International Airport announced that it was trialing the technology in February, while Istanbul Airport followed suit in April.   

–

August 13, 2021 – by Eric Weiss