Lelystad Airport is almost ready for its opening in 2020, but we are still waiting for the final political decisions. Lelystad Airport will serve as a spillover airport, taking over flights from Schiphol. With the extension of the runway, the raising of the current control tower, and the construction of a new terminal under the LEED Gold Certificate, Lelystad Airport will be able to handle holiday flights to European or Mediterranean destinations. The final preparations are being made to ensure a safe and accessible airport.
Remco Slijkhuis, Security Manager, enthusiastically tells us that Lelystad Airport will be the largest and most enjoyable Dutch airport after Schiphol, at least in terms of flight movements. In that respect, Lelystad Airport is even larger than Eindhoven and Rotterdam combined. Lelystad Airport is a fully-owned subsidiary of Royal Schiphol Group. Until now, the airport has been used exclusively for General Aviation, which is the international term for private and business flights with aircraft for up to 20 passengers. “Due to the new function that Lelystad Airport will have, expansion was necessary,” says Remco Slijkhuis. “You don’t just build a new airport overnight. We’ve been working on the preparations for several years, such as designing and constructing a new terminal, extending the runway, raising the control tower, and setting up security systems. In this regard, we asked consultants from Mactwin Security to help develop the security plan and measures for access control.”
Safe & secure, hospitable, and efficient
The access control at Lelystad Airport must comply with the applicable laws and regulations (see box) and Schiphol’s access policy. Remco Slijkhuis explains, “But at the same time, we want to remain open and hospitable. That’s why we have defined three principles for access control: Safe & Secure, Hospitable, and Efficient. You can see this reflected in the measures (both technical and structural), but also in the design of the new terminal. It is transparent and logically arranged. Just as important is the security awareness of the airport staff. The people who will work with us will receive intensive training on security awareness. We consider it very important that employees can detect unusual behavior and know how to act in suspicious situations.”
Security Octagon as a masterplan
Mactwin has developed a Security Octagon for Lelystad Airport. It shows how the airport grounds and the buildings within it are divided into risk areas and security zones. At an airport, there is a distinction between ‘airside’ and ‘landside’ areas. Airside is where all flight operations occur, and stricter regulations apply than on landside. Both areas are divided into security zones. Think of zones accessible to the public, zones where one can only enter with a valid ticket, or zones accessible only to a select group of employees and contractors.
Part of the Security Octagon is a description of the security measures for transitions between zones. Remco Slijkhuis explains, “A key transition is from landside to airside. Only screened passengers and employees are allowed airside. If there is a breach between these two areas, the consequences are severe. Unscreened persons on airside could potentially cause very dangerous (international) situations.
Thanks to the Security Octagon, all transitions and measures between landside and airside are clearly outlined, ensuring consistency, coherence, and balance between the measures. This balanced set of measures enables the detection of breaches as quickly as possible, allowing the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee to see immediately when a breach occurred and to track the intruder’s movements to intercept them quickly. This prevents the need to recheck all of airside, including everyone present there. An example of measures described by the Security Octagon is the two-factor authentication for access to areas restricted to government services (Royal Netherlands Marechaussee and Customs). For these ‘high secure’ transitions, one must first present an access card, followed by a biometric check with an iris scan to confirm that the cardholder is indeed the rightful owner of the card.”
A practical tool for all stakeholders
“The Security Octagon is of great value to us,” says Remco Slijkhuis. “It is a very practical tool for the entire project team. It provided a lot of support in discussions with suppliers and served, among other things, as a program of requirements for the construction of the new terminal. Many external parties, including the architectural advisor, contractor, and security installer, use the Security Octagon. Octagon gives us clear daily guidelines and helps prevent mistakes. We can quickly gain insight if changes need to be made.”
Final phase before opening
Lelystad Airport is almost ready to open. Parking spaces, signage, an extended runway, and a raised control tower – it’s all in place. The finishing touches are being applied to the brand-new terminal’s interior. Now we are waiting for the final political decisions. “Once the final decision is made, we will enter the last phase: setting up the service organization,” says Remco Slijkhuis. “This part has been outsourced to Viggo, a renowned and experienced aviation service provider. We hope they can start recruiting and training staff after the summer. For the security aspect, Viggo works closely with G4S.”