SECURITY and safety are of paramount importance at airports, which handle thousands of travellers every day. Hence door and security technology in these prominent locations that provide travellers with the first impression of the country they are visiting must not only be technically and functionally efficient but also aesthetic and convenient, says Dorma, a trusted global partner for premium access solutions and services.

“Almost no other class of building is as sensitive as an airport: safety and security are right at the top of the list of priorities,” says Nassim Abu Yousef, regional sales director of Dorma. “From normal operations to safe evacuation, all the possible scenarios have to be taken into careful consideration. This complex task requires the assistance of an experienced partner that is used to tackling complicated safety and security issues.”

Dorma is a world market leader in door controls and glass fittings by turnover and a leading producer in the automatics, security, access and emergency exit controls systems segments. It develops integrated technical systems, which can communicate and interact with absolute reliability and smooth functionality while simultaneously satisfying the different, sometimes conflicting, demands of safety and security. From access control to door enablement in the event of an emergency, Dorma’s networked door management systems ensure maximum dependability on both counts.

“As air traffic volumes increase, so do the challenges facing the safety and security management. Dorma responds with a constant flow of innovations to tackle the latest demands in fire protection and emergency escape systems,” Abu Yousef adds.

Apart from security and safety concerns, aesthetics also feature high in the list of priorities, given the prominence of airports as windows to a country and as hubs for international travellers. Hence, the requirements placed on the architecture of these projects are high. “Indeed, it has to meet exact aesthetic demand while also serving the needs of technical and functional efficiency. The emphasis is always on achieving optimum convenience, particularly in relation to passenger and baggage transfer and processing. This applies particularly to the door and security technology,” he says.
Clear structures and absolute transparency are imperatives for the smooth operation of any airport. Consequently, airport builders around the world have to cope with a plethora of special regulations, standards and specifications requiring adherence to the last detail.

Backed by ISO-certified production centres around the world, Dorma continues to carry out numerous projects worldwide, including some of the major airports in the region, working closely with the clients and authorities at the local level to develop individually tailored safety and security concepts.

Another important aspect of airports is that operate round the clock. In order to get millions of people to their destination day or night, a refined logistical network keeps the relevant processes on the move. This places exceptional demands on everyone involved in servicing airport equipment and ensuring effective support is crucial.

“Whether in automatic doors, operable partitions or security systems, Dorma will ensure the full functionality of door-related equipment around the clock. Any malfunctions are quickly remedied with the short-term deployment of a service crew at any time. But in order to ensure that things do not get that serious in the first place, our professional service keeps the risk of accidents to a minimum and the asset value of the associated systems to a maximum,” says Abu Yousef.

Dorma prides itself on its sharp customer focus. Partnership-based cooperation, regional presence and a logistical system aligned to customer demands all add up to a special kind of service culture. And this is a decisive factor when it comes to solving complex problems to the customer’s fullest satisfaction, he states.

In the Middle East region, Dorma boasts of having executed the region’s reputed airports including Dubai International Airport, Doha International Airport, King Khaled International Airport (Riyadh), King Abdulaziz International Airport (Jeddah), King Fahad International Airport (Dammam) and more.

At Dubai International Airport – where it has previously been involved in the design and installation at terminals One, Two and Three – Dorma has been awarded the contract for the new Terminal Four, the world’s first Airbus a 380-dedicated terminal.

“Dorma, with its dominant presence in the region backed by in-depth knowledge and expertise of its full-fledged maintenance and installation crew, has been able to serve customers with its choice of premium products ranging from automatics to door hardware,” says Abu Yousef.

For the New Doha International Airport, Dorma has supplied and installed automatic doors of the ESA series, followed by numerous Saudi domestic airports namely Al Jouf airport, Jizan Airport, Tabuk Airport, Madinah airport, Qassim and more, which have revolving, swing and sliding doors installed. Most of the airport references were secured thanks to Dorma’s product performance capability earned over years for tailor-made products for airports with built-in features of heavy-duty doors, round-the-clock service, less maintenance hassles, and easy accessibility of spare parts.

Meanwhile, Dorma enjoys a list of global airport references worldwide, right from Germany to Australia. Its solutions continue to assist in the smooth functioning of Munich International Airport in Germany, where it has resolved conflicting requirements for safety and security.

“Emergency exit control means reconciling the often opposing requirements of safety and security,” he explains. “Under normal operating conditions, security-relevant doors should only be released for use by authorised personnel, while in the event of an emergency they need to be generally enabled so that they can be opened and closed without hindrance.

“In order to solve this conflict, Munich Airport previously employed complicated control architectures at each individual door for integration and control of the door terminal – the electro-magnetic door locking device and the door operator. But the system lacked a comprehensive, easy-to-coordinate solution covering the whole building.

“With the networked Dorma TMS door management system, more than 500 doors are now centrally monitored, controlled and where necessary reprogrammed. Whether for everyday access control applications or door release in the event of an emergency, all the information is relayed to one and the same central hub so that maximum safety, security and access convenience are guaranteed at all times.”

Dorma also offered an application-specific solution for Sydney International Airport in Australia, which handles over 29 million passengers every year, of which around 10 million head for international destinations.

Elaborating on the solution provided by Dorma, he says: “Almost 77,000 people flow through its entrance concourse every day – where the doors are frequently also exposed to strong winds.

“Instead of offering five revolving doors, Dorma installed a unique airlock control system. The basis is provided by the Dorma EL 301 sliding door, with a biparting version being used for the external barrier and two individual sliding doors installed on the inside, allowing entry to either the left or right.

“Consequently, the effects of the climate on the interior are substantially reduced, even under conditions of continuous pedestrian inflow. Moreover, passengers with luggage, in particular, benefit from the wider access passageways.”

One of the highlights of Sydney Airport is the Qantas Lounge with its unique ambience and comfort. In order to facilitate the flexible configuration of conference rooms and offices in this area, a Dorma Modern-fold Acousti-Seal partitioning system has been installed.

“Thanks to its innovative, lightweight construction, easy and fast operability and optimum sound insulation values, it enables the space to be utilised with greater efficiency than was previously the case,” says Abu Yousef.

The Dorma Modern-fold Acousti-Seal partitioning system divides rooms in accordance with prevailing requirements, creating smaller offices or opening up to reveal large conference auditoria. An airlock control system based on the EL 301 sliding door provides the solution to the strong winds to which Sydney Airport is exposed. All in all, it combines functional technology with exception design credentials, while offering a system that ensures less maintenance and provides more convenience, he concludes.