Munich Airport is the latest to adopt Auracast in a bid to make announcements easier for passengers to hear.
Sittig Technologies has installed its PAXGuide system in six gates across Terminal 1 and 2 of the airport, which welcomes around 43 million passengers every year for nearly 340,000 take-offs and landings.
The airport serves 232 destinations across 72 countries, including Germany, with 96 different airlines using its services.
It is no stranger to innovation: last year, it introduced new CT scanners at security checkpoints, which it says have reduced queues to less than 10 minutes. Additional screening lanes were equipped with the technology just a few weeks ago, as part of a €45 million investment from The Free State of Bavaria.
Auracast in airports
Sittig Technologies launched its Auracast system at Frankfurt Airport earlier this year. A trial was set up in two gates – A16 and A17 – which we attended. You can read our report here.
There have also been installations in other airports. Website Market Intelo reports “Chicago O’Hare, Singapore Changi, and Amsterdam Schiphol have completed or are executing Auracast deployment projects valued at $2-5 million each”.
Now, Munich is stepping up to the plate.
Where is Auracast in Munich Airport?
Six gates have been chosen for the trial, which started on Thursday, 14 July. They are Gates A42/A43 and A44/A45 (Pier A) in Terminal 1, and Gates G31 and G32 in Terminal 2.
At each gate, QR codes will be displayed. Passengers can scan them via the camera on their smartphone to connect directly or use an Auracast Assistant app. As with all Auracast, the receiver unit must be Auracast-enabled to receive Auracast. That could be Cochlear, headphones, earbuds or hearing aids.
Sittig Technologies says “a key advantage is that passengers do not have to stop what they are already listening to. On compatible Android devices, Auracast announcements can fade in over music, podcasts, or other audio, and then fade out again once the announcement is finished.”
And Auracast isn’t just for people with hearing loss. Airports are large, noisy spaces and can be confusing even for those with full hearing or those who don’t speak the country’s native language. By connecting to the Auracast, all passengers can be confident they will hear announcements such as gate openings and closings, delayed flights, and security announcements.
Florian Halsner, from Sittig Technologies, is delighted that Munich Airport is the latest to install Auracast.
“Munich Airport is the ideal partner to take Auracast to the next level in German aviation,” he said.
“This pilot builds on our experience at Frankfurt Airport and marks an important milestone in making Bluetooth broadcast audio a new standard for passenger communication.”
For more on Sittig Technologies, log on to: www.sittig-tech.de
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