The use of biometric technology to streamline passenger processing in airports is increasingly attracting significant interest globally, with airlines and airports seeking out secure and efficient digital identity (ID) solutions.

The use of technology across all touchpoints will be necessary for the industry to deal with more passengers, more baggage, more aircraft, more security threats, more regulations and greater passenger expectations.

Air transport information technology (IT) and communications specialist Sita is currently working with airlines and airports globally to automate airport processes using biometrics through its Smart Path solution as a common-use, biometric, passenger self-service solution.

“The fact that [facial biometrics] can today be used as your passport is appealing to airports and airlines, as well as their passengers. Using facial recognition, Smart Path creates a secure digital travel ID for use at every touchpoint,” Sita government sector VP Emad Muhanna says.

Sita’s Smart Path, integrated within existing common-use infrastructure of check-in kiosks and boarding gates, captures a passenger’s biometric details through a facial scan to verify the traveller’s ID at the first touchpoint in a journey.

The creation of a digital ID removes the need to show a passport or boarding pass at check-in, self-bag drop, border control, security or aircraft boarding points and allows secure immigration and border checks, while minimising security risks.

Designed to be modular and easy to plug-and-play with existing systems, Smart Path helps airports achieve faster passenger throughput, improve security oversight, speed up passenger processing and reduce queues at security and passport checkpoints.

Sita has already deployed or is trialling its biometric solution in more than ten airports across Europe, the Middle East and the US, with increasing interest from US, European and Asia Pacific airports.

In 2018, the company won Air Transport World’s Aviation Technology Achievement award for its work with JetBlue and the US Customs and Border Protection to deliver a new secure, paperless and deviceless self-boarding process, using biometric technology.

The successful trial programme, which started in June 2017 on flights from Boston’s Logan International Airport, was popular with the majority of JetBlue’s customers and the biometric scanning technology boasted an accuracy close to a 100% match rate.

Further, in 2018, the group deployed the same technology at Orlando International Airport with British Airways, enabling biometric boarding at the gate for flights from Orlando to London Gatwick.

The trial resulted in the boarding of international flights for almost 240 passengers in about 15 minutes.

The Orlando airport chose Sita’s solution to be deployed at all its 30 international gates.

In the global air transport industry, investment in biometrics has emerged as a priority, says Muhanna.

Currently, 70% of airlines and 77% of airports around the world plan research and development expenditure in biometric management within the next three years.

According to Sita’s website, 92% of passengers will consider using biometrics instead of a passport or a boarding pass.

“Delivering a better passenger experience is the most important driver for passenger identity management for around eight out of ten airports and six out of ten airlines,” Sita’s ‘IT Trends Insights 2017’ shows.

With passenger numbers set to double by 2036, airports need to be able to move passengers through each touchpoint, from the boarding gate to their seats, as securely and quickly as possible.

A key focus for Sita is to leverage existing self-service in airports – either at check-in kiosks or at self-service boarding gates – to help keep costs down and ensure the solution is easy to implement.

Standardisation is also a priority focus area for the industry.

The International Air Transport Association’s One ID programme is currently working on developing standards that will govern how biometrics technology is used across the whole passenger journey.

Although South Africa has started adopting biometrics at the Department of Home Affairs for ID documents and passports, the technology is not yet available at South African airports, says Muhanna.

However, several first-stage pilot projects related to border control have already been implemented at airports in South Africa.

Greater collaboration between airports, airlines, governments and service providers, such as Sita, is critical for the industry to fully embrace technology to enable better efficiencies.

“The end goal is to provide passengers with a frictionless experience as they go through the airport, while increasing security.

“Creating this walk-through experience will require smart integration of biometrics with next-generation access control systems, as well as with the existing airline and airport systems,” he concludes.