NEC to supply biometrics to four Indian airports for Digi Yatra as Dubai launches passport control trial

NEC Technologies India has won a contract from the Airports Authority of India to implement the company’s biometric boarding platform at four different airports in the country in support of the Digi Yatra initiative, ETTelecom reports.

The NEC Corporation subsidiary is expected to launch its technology in a series of phases at Lal Bahadur Shastri airport in Varanasi, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose airport in Kolkata, Pune airport and Vijayawada airport, all of which are expected to be operational by the end of 2020. The deployment of gates with NEC’s facial recognition to Lohegaon airport in Pune for Digi Yatra was announced in October.

The company says the opt-in service running on its facial recognition platform will help ease airport operations and enhance passenger experiences with shorter wait times at various checkpoints, including airport arrival, security clearance, and flight boarding, reducing the number of times they need to present physical documents like passports and boarding passes.

Under the contract, NEC will provide the facial recognition system, kiosks, and biometric e-gates, as well as oversee maintenance and operations for the next seven years, according to the report.

Digi Yatra has reported successes early in its roll-out, but also drawn criticism in Indian media.

Biometric smart path passport control trials launched for Emirates passengers

The ‘Smart Tunnel’ or ‘Smart Path’ project at the Dubai International Airport’s Emirates Terminal 3 by the General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA) has reached the trial period for passport control, MENAFN reports.

Utilizing both facial and iris recognition technology, passengers are processed as they walk through the smart tunnel, without direct contact with an official or requiring a physical passport stamp. The passport control trial launched in October, and once it is completed, trials for check-in, lounge access, and boarding gates will follow, then trials for transit counters and gates, and the airport’s chauffeur services.

Eventually, a live passenger tracking capability is expected to enable personalized services and allow aviation personnel to locate and assist passengers who might otherwise miss their flights.

Article Topics

airports  |  biometrics  |  Digi Yatra  |  facial recognition  |  India  |  NEC  |  NEC Technologies India  |  passenger processing  |  travel and tourism