Vision-Box platform enables biometric boarding at Schiphol Airport

A trial of Vision-Box facial recognition-based boarding technology is underway at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol for passengers traveling with Cathay Pacific. This trial is part of the first phase of Seamless Flow, a program that intends to make paperless travel possible in the long term.

After check-in, passengers interested in participating in the trial are escorted to one of the special registration kiosks where their passport and the boarding pass are scanned and a high-quality face image is captured to generate the traveler’s single token that allow passengers to self-process through a boarding gate without having to show any documents.

At the departure eGate the camera that scans their face and the live photo is automatically compared with the scan that was made at the registration process. When the face is identified the gate opens and the passenger is boarded on the airline system. Biometric verification takes just a few seconds.

“It’s all about the passenger,” explains Miguel Leitmann, Vision-Box CEO. “The whole idea of Seamless Flow is to modernize the airport landscape to improve the convenience, simplify the processes, propose modern interactions and deliver effective value to passengers. We’re very excited to continue working with our partners in this landmark program, offering Cathay Pacific customers with a pioneering seamless travel platform that will absolutely reshape how we travel.”

“For passengers, the journey from arrival at the airport to boarding becomes easier and more efficient,” added Wilma van Dijk, Schiphol’s Safety and Security Director. “In the future you can pass these control points more smoothly because you are recognized by your face. You can leave your passport and boarding pass in the bag.”

The next phase of the trial will see passport control added.

By making self-boarding available, Schiphol is closer to achieving a completely Seamless Flow. The Seamless Flow initiative is the result of a partnership between the Dutch Government, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Cathay Pacific, KLM and Vision-Box, which is is responsible for the seamless flow technology platform.

According to a survey conducted by Wakefield Research 84 percent of American travelers said that biometrics will improve traveler experiences, and 59 percent said biometrics will improve safety by improving identification accuracy. Airport biometrics are expected to generate $1.3 billion in revenue in the next five years, largely in eGates and kiosks, according to a recent report from Acuity Market Research.

Article Topics

airports  |  biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  passenger processing  |  travel and tourism  |  Vision-Box