New biometric bag drop deployments by Spirit Airlines and Amadeus, partnership for SITA

United States-based Spirit Airlines has brought its self-bag drop with biometric photo-matching technology to Orlando International Airport (MCO).

The devices with face biometric authentication enable guests to check bags directly without agent assistance.

Further, guests can verify their identity by scanning their government-issued ID, eliminating the need to hand it to an agent during a baggage check.

The deployment of 19 newly installed self-bag drop units also marks 30 years of service in Orlando.

“We’ve grown to become the largest ultra-low-fare carrier at MCO, and adding this convenient, self-service option is a significant investment that gives our Guests more control over their journey while spending less time in the lobby,” says Mike Byrom, vice president of airports and crew services for Spirit Airlines.

Amadeus and JFKIAT deploy biometric bag drop units

Elsewhere in the U.S., Amadeus and JFKIAT (the operator of Terminal 4 at JFK Airport in New York City) have partnered up on a new face biometrics project.

The collaboration will see JFKIAT deploy 86 Amadeus kiosks and 42 Series 7 Auto Bag Drop units. Devices in both categories support facial recognition, which is used to identify travelers and speed up the self-service experience.

Passengers will also be able to enroll for biometrics from home by capturing a selfie using their mobile phone, further simplifying their traveling experience.

“Passengers increasingly demand a frictionless experience, with robust self-service options,” comments Betros Wakim, SVP airport and airline operations for Americas at Amadeus.

The move is part of Terminal 4’s $1.5 billion transformation project, a major component of the redevelopment program for JFK International Airport.

“With this transformation, JFKIAT is demonstrating its commitment to become one of the world’s most technologically advanced airports,” Wakim adds.

SITA and UrbanV to establish vertiport in Rome

In adjacent news, air transport specialist SITA has announced signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Italian vertiport operator UrbanV to develop a digital-first passenger experience for upcoming vertiports in Rome.

The partnership aims to develop new operating standards and a passenger processing ecosystem by leveraging SITA’s expertise in air transport and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).

“UrbanV and SITA share an aviation background and an innovation mindset,” says UrbanV CEO Carlo Tursi. “This will enable us to develop an agnostic, modular, and repeatable approach to designing, building, and operating vertiports globally.”

The initial focus will be on the vertiport at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport (due to start operations in 2024), where the firms will design, test and refine the system.

The collaboration will also see SITA evaluating UrbanV’s blueprint for vertiport operations and exploring potential global synergies in the AAM segment.

“We strongly believe in the development of the AAM market, getting it right from the start via vertiports that are hubs of integrated mobility,” comments Sergio Colella, SITA President for Europe. “This agreement aims to shape the future travel experience at vertiports globally.”

SITA unveils new security initiative

SITA has also recently renewed its security efforts by unveiling a new customer pre-screening offering.

The intelligence and targeting program is designed to assist governments in managing risks at their borders, particularly at a time of international travel nearing pre-pandemic levels.

“One of the most valuable lessons we learned from the Covid-19 pandemic was the importance of border agencies having the right tools to reconfigure policy rules to address ever-changing threats quickly,” says Jeremy Springall, SVP of SITA at Borders.

Called SITA Intelligence and Targeting, the offering utilizes advanced risk assessment methods and artificial intelligence to extract strategic risk analysis and situational awareness from multiple data sources.

By adopting a four-phase intelligence methodology, SITA aims to enable actionable intelligence and empowers frontline operations to report outcomes and enhance data quality.

“Government agencies need far greater flexibility and control,” Springall adds.

“This is exactly what we have delivered with the vastly enhanced SITA Intelligence and Targeting, creating a pre-screening capability to support our government customers’ direct targeting operations and drive down risk as early and as far from the border as possible.”

The offering comes weeks after SITA hired Patrik Svensson Gillstedt as its new senior vice president of strategy and growth enablement.

Article Topics

airports  |  Amadeus  |  biometric matching  |  biometrics  |  face biometrics  |  passenger processing  |  SITA