SITA, Amadeus, Idemia soar as airports and passengers embrace digital travel

Air travel is still rebounding from the pandemic. As it does, the aviation industry is undergoing a transformation, driven by the adoption of digital technologies like biometrics and a focus on sustainability. According to International Airport Review, 2023 marked a pivotal year for the industry, with passenger numbers surging and airports embracing new systems to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

At the forefront of this shift is a wave of technologies aimed at enhancing both operational capabilities and passenger experiences. From biometric immigration screening at Singapore’s Changi Airport to Avinor’s digital transformation of Norway’s airports in partnership with Amadeus, airports around the globe are investing in technology to streamline processes and enhance security.

SITA’s 2024 Passenger IT Insights report highlights the importance of adopting biometrics and emphasizes the benefits it offers to the industry, particularly in tackling past issues like delays and cancellations.

SITA‘s technologies play a role in 95 percent of all passenger journeys, supporting collaboration across the aviation and transportation industries. In a recent interview,  Andy Smith, director of industry bodies and innovation at SITA emphasizes the importance of digital identities in modern travel, stating that they streamline the pre-clearance process for travelers, helping governments identify and address potential security concerns before passengers even board a flight.

For these systems to be effective, ensuring accurate identity verification is essential. As highlighted by Regula Forensics, advances in travel document verification play a key role in detecting fraud and preventing identity theft, further securing the travel ecosystem as it becomes increasingly digitized. Other trends identified by Regula are biometrics at border crossings, changes in the Schengen zone, the adoption of digital identity documents and the fragmentation between digital and legacy paper-based systems.

Digital transformation in action

One example of digital transformation is taking place at Frankfurt Airport, where Fraport has launched its AI@FRA initiative. Highlighted by Future Travel Experience, this initiative leverages artificial intelligence and real-time data to optimize operations and reduce bottlenecks. The initiative is now

The system integrates flight schedules, weather data, and passenger flow information to make predictive adjustments, ensuring smoother airport management and better experiences for travelers. Biometrics technology supplied by SITA and NEC are intended to make the passenger experience seamless.

Similarly, Norway’s airports are undergoing a digital overhaul through a partnership between Avinor and Amadeus. This collaboration is focused on implementing cloud-based systems to manage everything from passenger check-ins to baggage handling, providing more flexibility and reducing the airports’ carbon footprint by cutting down on paper and manual processes. As part of this initiative, Norway’s 43 airports will expand their use of Amadeus’ Cloud Use Service (ACUS) across more than 800 service points and will also power the group’s 250 self-service check-in kiosks with Amadeus software. The kiosks will capture passport and biometric data and issue bag tags or boarding passes.

In the United States, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is rolling out its second-generation Credential Authentication Technology (CAT-2) technology from Idemia Public Security at Spokane International Airport (GEG). The TSA wants to deploy the scanners to 400 airports by 2030, but is facing a funding crunch.

At Singapore’s Changi airport, biometric immigration screening has become a reality for Singaporean nationals and long-term residents, reports Nikkei Asia. They can now enter or exit the country using facial scans at automated gates supplied by Idemia, eliminating the need to present their passports. The gates went live for foreigners entering the country in February.

This trend extends beyond Asia and Europe, with New Zealand’s customs department expanding access to eGates for travelers from 15 more European Union countries. The gates, which can also be used by children from 10 years old, lowered in March from 12, can now be used by electronic passport holders from 37 countries, including all 27 EU Member States, according to Inside Government.

Article Topics

ABC gates  |  Amadeus  |  biometrics  |  contactless biometrics  |  Credential Authentication Technology (CAT)  |  digital identity  |  digital travel  |  face biometrics  |  IDEMIA  |  Idemia Public Security  |  NEC  |  Regula  |  SITA  |  travel documents