End-to-end biometrics trial at Gatwick being run in partnership with easyJet

May 22, 2018 | Stephen Mayhew

Categories Biometrics News | Border and Port Security

Gatwick Airport announced that its trial of end-to-end biometrics is being run in partnership with easyJet, the airport’s biggest airline. The trial will see personal data collected at the airport’s self-service bag drops recognized by new automated self-boarding gates. In less than 20 seconds, the self-boarding technology will identify each passenger and verify that their passport, face and boarding card all match.

Passengers traveling without luggage who wish to take part in the trial will be able to have their data collected at the entrance to the boarding gate room.

The trial will run for at least three months and process around 10,000 passengers on the 43 Gatwick routes, allowing the airport to gather enough data to spot trends and adapt the technology to ensure the optimum passenger experience.

Gatwick will be examining interaction time, what this means for queue times, how it simplifies the passenger journey, how passengers interact with the technology, and how intuitive the process is. The faster and more efficient process also has the potential to improve aircraft departure times.

Once all the data is gathered, the technology will be adapted and adjusted before taking the idea forward for airport-wide implementation.

“We are trialing new facial recognition technology at Gatwick for the first time which, if rolled out, could revolutionize the boarding experience for our customers,” explained easyJet’s Director of Ground Operations, Karen Cox. “The technology streamlines the processes our customers go through, saving them time and enhancing their travel experiences.”

According to Gloria Guevara Manzo, president and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the implementation of biometrics technology to facilitate secure borders is the single biggest opportunity for the travel and tourism sector in 2018.

A recent survey from OAG showed the majority of travelers want to use biometrics to facilitate the travel experience.