With the busy vacation travel season upon us, keeping airport operations running smoothly is more important than ever. And interestingly, it’s not just summer travel that’s contributing to the record-breaking numbers in the airline industry.
The forecast volume is expected to top 3.96 billion passenger departures in 2017, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA)[i]. This forecast means more passengers, more international flights, and more cargo throughout the year.
And for airport security teams, managing that increased volume of baggage through the screening area means your explosives detection systems (EDS) equipment needs to run in tip-top condition—for longer periods and at a faster pace.
The good news: choosing the right service partner for your EDS equipment can help you drive more value from your airport screening operations and keep your equipment running reliably for years to come—whatever the volume.
Here are four things you should expect when choosing the right service partner for your screening operations.
- An unparalleled commitment to quality and excellence
Your EDS service partner should have in place a quality management system designed to continually assess, audit, analyse, and review equipment to correct and prevent issues with your EDS and any other machines they service.
Additionally, they should offer a built-in upgrade path to help you keep your equipment updated for the long haul, while protecting against new and emerging security threats.
To save time and achieve maximum value from your service contracts, look for a partner with a proven track record of proactive equipment maintenance that includes experienced field service engineers (FSEs) and technicians (FSTs). That, plus training options that give teams hands-on experience with the EDS equipment and ongoing education to ensure they’re making the best use of the system and all its features, will help you achieve better value from your machines and your workers.
- A focus on preventive maintenance
Of course, the best way to drive superior value through the life of your equipment is through a strong proactive maintenance program.
Your EDS service partner should not only provide an easy and clear field issue escalation path, they should also work with you to build a routine scheduled maintenance calendar to keep all systems maintained, properly serviced, and in peak operating condition. They should also be highly communicative with proactive outreach to ensure scheduled maintenance is completed.
Beyond these important routine preventive maintenance processes, your service partner should also offer preventive, forward-thinking capabilities, such as the ability to use remote diagnostics and advanced data analytics that continually scan system performance data to provide constant insight into the health of each of your EDS equipment throughout your airport.
- The ability to control labour and parts costs up front
When it comes to controlling costs, look to your EDS equipment and service partner to provide performance-based contracts on capital equipment, which can help you drive equipment reliability and future-proof your operations.
With performance-based contracts, your partner should commit to providing specific service levels within your contract while providing predictable maintenance costs over the life of your equipment.
- Flexible, scalable options tailored to your needs
Since each airport is unique and has differing service needs, you need a partner with a scalable service platform that can adapt to your airport’s changing requirements.
Simply put, it should be easy to add, replace, or change equipment over time and to upgrade equipment as necessary to meet changing needs and threats. And you should have options to change your service offerings as your airport expands. Find a partner with a flexible approach to providing service, and you’ll be ready to adapt as passenger volumes fluctuate and grow and security threats evolve.
For additional insights on building predictive, preventive maintenance strategies, 
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[i] International Air Transport Association. "Economic Performance of the Industry 2016 End-year Report." IATA.org. https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/Documents/economics/IATA-Economic-Performance-of-the-Industry-end-year-2016-report.pdf (accessed June 16, 2017).
