Thales, Idemia biometrics deployed to new airports to ease traveler experience

Thales is partnering with Inetum to expand the deployment of its Automated Border Control (ABC) system to three more Spanish airports for biometric authentication of travelers. Idemia, on the other hand, has announced a partnership with Oakland International Airport to provide its biometric technology for the identification of passengers departing from Terminal 1.

Thales expands presence in Spanish airports

Thales said in a press release that the latest move will see its ABC system deployed in over 30 additional gates at the airports of Reus, Girona-Costa Brava and Tenerife Sur in Spain.

The system includes facial recognition and document verification, and is expected to greatly ease and speed up border control process, with travelers’ wait times significantly reduced because of quicker processing, thus making the traveler experience more pleasurable.

According to Thales, the system, designed with a biometric passport-reading technology, will allow for social distancing as few airport personnel or police officers would be needed around the control gates.

Thales’ deployment of automated gates at Spanish airports for biometric authentication began early this year, with the technology already deployed at many airports including those of Bilbao, Valencia and Fuerteventura.

“Thales’ eGates support the growing interest of airports in expanding their capacity when the options of building new terminals are limited. The system increases potential passenger numbers by requiring less space for installation. In Spain, more than 120 Thales ABC Gates will be deployed before the end of the year,” said Youzec Kurp, VP for Identity and Biometric Solutions at Thales.

Idemia partners with Oakland airport

Idemia has entered into a partnership with the Oakland International Airport to deploy its frictionless face biometrics technology for passengers departing from Terminal 1, as the airport moves to comply with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) rules.

Per the announcement, Idemia will deploy its MFACE technology, which can be installed as a standalone unit, desktop unit or as a ready-to-integrate OEM kit.

Lisa Sullivan, vice president, Travel and Transport, Idemia North America, said: “Our technology significantly speeds up passenger clearance, as we can recognize passenger faces within fractions of a seconds, with absolutely no compromise on security. It requires no touch and limited interaction with the system making the boarding process as streamlined and stress free as possible for the passengers.”

Bryant L. Francis, director of Aviation at the Port of Oakland said the airport authority chose Idemia because of its mobility and smooth hardware design. “The flexibility of the design allows for easy transitions from gate to gate, helping us serve more travelers faster and reduce wait times. In bringing Idemia and its solutions into the day-to-day operation at the airport, we are making great progress in facilitating a more seamless and more secure boarding experience for our travelers.”

Idemia is also deploying its biometric facial verification technology to airports in other countries, including recently in Brazil.

Article Topics

ABC gates  |  airport biometrics  |  biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  border management  |  facial recognition  |  IDEMIA  |  Idemia Public Security  |  passenger processing  |  Thales  |  Thales Digital Identity and Security