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Nobody likes waiting in line at the airport, especially when you’re eager to start your trip or just want to get home. But thanks to some clever tech, Birmingham Airport is making the whole experience smoother for travellers.
Joining the ranks of Bristol, Edinburgh, and Manchester airports, Birmingham has rolled out BlipTrack, a smart queue management system from BLIP Systems. This sensor-powered technology helps the airport track wait times, plan resources better, and keep passengers informed—so you know exactly what to expect.
With a record-breaking 11 million passengers in 2016, Birmingham Airport realized they needed a better way to manage queues and predict wait times. After checking out different options, they teamed up with Gentrack to bring in BlipTrack—a solution that provides real-time data without any hassle for travellers.
BlipTrack uses Bluetooth and WiFi sensors placed throughout the airport. These sensors detect signals from mobile devices (like smartphones and tablets) to track passenger flow, queue times, and congestion points.
Unlike some systems that only display past wait times, BlipTrack combines real-time crowd data with how fast queues are moving. This means passengers see accurate wait times on screens, reducing frustration and helping them plan their journey better.
One of the key areas using this tech is the north immigration hall, where it helps predict wait times at the UK Border. The data also helps Birmingham Airport coordinate with UK Border Force to improve staffing and speed up processing.
Birmingham isn’t alone in using BlipTrack. Over 25 airports worldwide- including Schiphol, JFK, and Geneva—have adopted the technology.
And Birmingham isn’t stopping here- plans are already in place to expand the system to cover security and immigration in other areas.
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