Perth and Auckland airports speed up transition to biometric passenger processing

Perth Airport in Australia and Auckland Airport in New Zealand have revealed ambitious plans to improve airport travel by automating the departure process with face biometrics and check-in kiosks.

Perth Airport is looking to create the first fully automated biometric departure process in Australia using technology from Amadeus. The air travel hub will add almost 100 new biometric check-in kiosks and replace nearly 40 traditional check-in counters with biometric bag drop units made by the travel technology provider.

Amadeus has been working with the airport since 2015. The duo started experimenting with biometrics through a series of trials in 2022.

“Using platform technology and security measures like tokenization, airports can create digital representations of a passenger’s data,” says Sarah Samuel, the company’s senior vice president for AirOps in the APAC region. “Once that’s achieved, all it takes is a couple of seconds to perform a facial scan to validate the passenger at bag drop or boarding.”

Amadeus recently announced deals with airports in Malaysia, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia. The company reported new customers across all business lines in the first half of this year, and major research and development investments. Its subsidiary Vision-Box is also contributing with an agreement announced during H1 2025 to provide biometrics for Miami’s massive new cruise terminal.   

Auckland Airport upgrade features biometric tech

New Zealand’s Auckland Airport (AKL) is also undergoing a major update that will see it future-proofed for biometric processing, including facial recognition and digital travel credentials.

The facility plans to replace 60 traditional check-in desks with self-service kiosks and automated bag drops over the next four years. The technology has already been rolled out in one check-in zone, replacing 30 desks with 36 kiosks and 22 bag drops, according to its announcement.

“Building on ePassports, this technology allows for a more streamlined, faster authorization at processing points such as check-in, border transitions and aircraft boarding,” says Auckland Airport Chief Executive Carrie Hurihanganui.

Meeting the demand for digital travel

As initiatives like those being undertaken at Auckland and Perth demonstrate, the demand for digital travel isn’t just an ambition – it’s already happening. The infrastructure is emerging and the industry is building toward scale.

Face biometrics are replacing airline check-ins and boarding passes globally. Biometric systems are operational in more than 70 airports, streamlining passenger flows and enhancing security. 

According to IATA’s 2024 Global Passenger Survey nearly half of passengers have already used biometric ID at the airport, of those, 84 percent were satisfied with the experience and 73 percent say they’d prefer biometrics over traditional passports and boarding passes in future.

Article Topics

airport biometrics  |  Amadeus  |  Australia  |  biometrics  |  digital travel  |  digital travel credentials  |  face biometrics  |  New Zealand  |  passenger processing