When Charlotte Country Florida Airport in Punta Gorda (or PGD) was flattened by two hurricanes, a new airport had to be designed to bring back commercial airlines and handle its 300+ planes. This is where RFID was employed to good effect.
The airport faced three key challenges:
1. Satisfy access control and security requirements set by DHS, TSA, FAA and FDOT. When chain link fences or other barriers are placed between the airside operations and hangars, someone has to come out to identify the aircraft and remove the barriers. This is a labor intensive, time consuming process.
2. Prevent theft and vandalism of aircraft, fuel trucks, tow motors and other equipment by tracking their movements and ensuring that barriers provide access only to operators with the right corresponding asset.
3. Monitor and track aircraft as they land and/or takeoff. Traditionally,videotapes record this information, 24/7, and a person reviews the 168 hour video and transcribes each aircraft's NC Number. However, IDs on night flights often are difficult to read and IDs on aircraft traveling too quickly are blurry, leading to an inability to identify some aircraft.
FINDING THE RIGHT SOLUTION
After doing a lot of initial research, PGD concluded that VUANCE's suite of Active RFID, Electronic Access Control and Wi-Fi solutions could help cost-effectively meet all three goals.
To automate access through the barriers, an Active RFID tag is placed in each aircraft; the pilot also is given an RFID tag ID number. Both are linked for flights.
Readers (that processes information at distances of 2,000+ feet) are installed at the permanent barrier which compiles and matches up the ID numbers.
Once the linked set of aircraft and pilot IDs are read and cleared, the barrier opens. This saves PGD money by reducing labor, and the aircraft lowers its fuel consumption.
To reduce theft and vandalism, RFID tags are placed in the aircraft and other airport assets, and barriers open only when an operator's RFID tag is presented with its corresponding piece of equipment. Networked control panels track all tags, and monitor the status of all readers and touch keypads at the entrances, to make sure the right person is with the right equipment.
Finally, to provide complete accuracy when logging aircraft as they land and depart, increase productivity, PGD Airfield readers can now read the RFID information issued to each aircraft and pilot, even when they are traveling at 200+ miles per hour on a night of poor visibility.
ABOUT VUANCE LTD.
VUANCE Ltd. provides innovative incident management, active RFID, access control and credentialing solutions to public safety, commercial,institutional and government sectors. The Company offers complete,cost-effective Active RFID and electronic access control solutions for the continuous tracking of assets and individuals. VUANCE's Incident Response Management System (IRMS) is the industry's most comprehensive mobile credentialing and access control system, designed to meet the needs of Homeland Security and other public initiatives. For more information, visit the Company's website at www.vuance.com.
VUANCE Ltd. is headquartered in Rockville, MD. VUANCE common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market and on the Euronext Exchange under the symbol "VUNC". For more information, visit www.vuance.com.
INVESTOR/MEDIA CONTACT:
Jerry Cahn, Ph.D., J.D.,Target 3 Communications, 646-827-0009,
Jerry@target3.com
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