Entebbe International Airport has one of the longest and most strenuous security checks. Although Airports are meant to facilitate travel and enable travellers to shop more, Entebbe Airport is the exception. Security checks make up the bulk of the airport operations. Here’s a visualized process flow at Entebbe Airport.
Thus, a traveller going through Entebbe Airport takes over one hour to work through the various security and document checks. This is problematic because it affects the financials of the duty-free shops and other facilities in the airport. Essentially, you want to fast-track the passenger through the initial security checks to enable them spend more time inside the airport. Why is this important? The more time people spend in the airport, the more time they must shop, and enjoy the amenities inside the airport.
Currently, most people, by the time they enter the airport, they are left with just 30 minutes or less to deal with. Most travellers end up not spending anything before they board the plane. This makes the shops inside the airport less financially viable, but it also kills the traveller experience.
What does Entebbe Airport need to do? This is a verified case for process innovation. Entebbe Airport needs to strive a balance between its numerous security checks, long queues and the ability to offer a smooth traveller experience.
For the document checks for example, there should be a clear checklist depending on the country one is visiting. For travellers going to Kenya and other visa-free countries, there should be no need for stringent document checks. The knowledge and skill levels for the verification teams should also be upgraded. Lots of conflict derive from this point as some of the questions posed by these verification teams, border on insult and disrespect for travellers. Entebbe Airport could also invest in digital technologies to enable travellers self-verify. This could be a platform at the airport where a traveller selects their destination country and confirms that they have the required documents before proceeding to the airline check-in points.
Concerning process innovation, Entebbe Airport also still needs to invest in visual management. Most stations are not labelled. Thus, there’s possibility for one to end up on the wrong queue. Entebbe Airport needs to adopt some queue management philosophies and engineer around the constraints in its processes. It’s the small tweaks around airport processes that drive memorable user experiences.
Photo Credit: Photo by Rocker Sta on Unsplash