Global airports approach replacement of passports with face biometrics

Face biometrics will replace airline check-ins and boarding passes globally, if a change proposed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is adopted.

Amadeus suggests travelers can download a “journey pass” to their mobile phone, along with a digital version of their passport, to enable each touchpoint to be handled with biometrics instead of physical ID documents and credentials, The Times reports. A face biometrics match on arrival at the airport would serve as the passenger’s check-in. The change could come within three years.

The “journey pass” would contain all of the traveler’s relevant flight and personal information. It could be updated automatically if flight details change, overhauling the way delays and missed connections are handled.

Amadeus Director of Product Management Valérie Viale told the Times that the changes could be the biggest in the aviation industry in half a century. Her company has a system for processing passenger biometrics at each touchpoint and deleting all personal data within 15 seconds.

The last major upgrade of the global aviation system, according to Viale, was the introduction of e-ticketing in the 2000s.

ICAO’s work on developing and piloting Digital Travel Credentials (DTCs) continues apace. DTC Type 2 specifies the use of an eMRTD (electronic machine-readable travel document) with a physical component that can act as an authenticator – in this case the mobile phone.  DTC Type 3 draws data directly from the issue’s database, rather than the eMRTD (typically a passport) itself, and does not require the physical credential to have been issued at all.

But many travel identity experts told Goode Intelligence that DTC Type 3 is at least 5 years away.

IATA recently called for the accelerated adoption of decentralized digital identity for travel, and was backed up by comments from Goode Intelligence, Dock and SITA.

And it has been acknowledged by stakeholders already that the rules are the holdup for seamless travel with biometrics, not the technology.

Reducing the wait before DTCs arrive

Airport technology providers continue to partner up and launch new technologies and features to make current airport processes more efficient and seamless.

SITA has signed a five-year service agreement with EU baggage handling tech and deliveries provider Airportr.

The baggage delivery service provided by Airportr allows passengers to check bags from home, which are then delivered to the airport to be flown to the passenger’s destination.

RTX subsidiary Collins Aerospace showed off the latest upgrades to its SelfServ platform for check-ins and bag drops at the Passenger Terminal Expo last week in Madrid, Spain.

SelfServ Common Use Self Service (CUSS) kiosks can be integrated with Collins’ biometric solution, SelfPass, to enable secure and seamless processing at each touchpoint in the passenger journey, according to a company announcement.

“What sets SelfServ apart from other solutions is its integration within a broader portfolio of self-service and biometric technology solutions, allowing passengers to navigate the airport with ease,” says Nicole White, vice president and general manager of Connected Aviation at Collins Aerospace.

More than 100 airlines have used SelfServ.

Frontier Airlines has selected Daon’s VeriFLY digital travel app for streamlined document verification. The app has been integrated with Frontier’s mobile platform, and can handle ID documents, visas and all other paperwork associated with flying.

The integration cuts down on manual document checks, and the waiting time, errors and resource use associated with them.

Daon says VeriFLY has cut airport queue times by 45 percent and operating costs by 30 percent for other airlines already.

“VeriFLY has been instrumental in helping Frontier’s international travelers and airport customer service teams by shifting documentation verification upstream—away from busy ticket counters and gates,” says Randy Ruggieri, VP of Airport Customer Service, Frontier Airlines.

Digital travel ID app close for EU but integration, governance questions remain

This post was updated at 10:20am Eastern on April 15 to clarify that the “Journey Pass” is an Amadeus product.

Article Topics

airports  |  biometrics  |  Collins Aerospace  |  Daon  |  digital ID  |  digital travel  |  digital travel credentials  |  face biometrics  |  ICAO  |  SITA  |  VeriFLY