Gallery: Airports elevate contactless journey with enhanced biometrics

Switzerland’s Geneva Airport now offers SITA digital passenger processing technology that include self-service touchpoints at check-in, bag drop and security. The new touchpoints are helping to reduce wait times and provide more flexibility to passengers increasingly seeking digital travel solutions. 

SITA has already, in recent weeks, delivered its self-bag drop stations to Lufthansa Group airlines and its pre-security e-gates. By summer 2023, SITA will deliver 15 Smart Path Scan and Fly Mini self-bag drop units as well as 30 Smart Path TS6 kiosks, which include payment functionality. This self-service experience is able to handle skis, a first for UK LCC easyJet passengers flying from Geneva. 

Passengers flying long-haul are able to use SITA’s Smart Path boarding gates installed in the recently opened East Wing, where they simply scan their mobile to board the aircraft, making the boarding pass check completely touchless and automated. This is an extension of the self-service available at check-in and is part of a new experience where passengers can board long-haul flights directly from the gate without agent interaction.
 

Emirates Airline launched an integrated biometric path at Dubai International airport (DXB). The contactless airport experience is open to Emirates passengers traveling from and through Dubai.

The integrated biometric path will give passengers a seamless travel journey from specific check-in to boarding gates, improving customer flow through the airport with less document checks and less queuing. Utilizing the latest biometric technology – a mix of facial and iris recognition, Emirates passengers can now check in for their flight, complete immigration formalities, enter the Emirates Lounge, and board their flights, simply by strolling through the airport. The various touchpoints in the Biometric path allow for a hygienic contactless travel journey, reducing human interaction and putting emphasis on health and safety.
 

FlyArystan has launched a new digital assistant, called iJan, at Almaty Airport, which enables passengers to check in contactless. iJan was launched at all 13 airports from October 20, 2022, and over the next 4 months. Passengers can choose either to check in using either the FlyArystan app or iJan. After the free bonus period from January 2023, check-in at the airport, including the use of iJan, will be chargeable, while online check-in in the FlyArystan app and flyarystan.com will always be free. Check-in with iJan opens 6 hours before departure for domestic flights within Kazakhstan and closes 40 minutes before departure.
 

AirAsia has further enhanced its facial recognition system, FACES, by integrating it with Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad’s (Malaysia Airports) EZPaz technology at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA2), offering an end-to-end contactless journey for guests. FACES is now available across key customer touchpoints including mobile enrolment, check-in counter,  pre-security check and boarding, for select domestic travel in the start-up phase. Guests who have enrolled for FACES via the AirAsia Super App can now travel seamlessly from arrival at the airport, departure gate to the flight, without having to present their boarding pass after self check-in. 
 

International passengers traveling on selected Singapore Airlines flights from Perth Airport have begun trialing new biometric technology delivered by Amadeus, which will simplify the airport journey and effectively make a passenger’s face their boarding pass.
 

Samarkand International Airport has launched the first E-gate border control system in the Republic of Uzbekistan. The E-gate software and hardware system, developed by an Uzbekistan company under contract with the border troops of the State Security Service of Uzbekistan, allows safe and uninterrupted processing of arriving passengers. The automated border control system is based on biometric technologies and provides for automatic identification of the person and allows for a quick and safe border crossing with minimal involvement of border control officers.

Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) launched a virtual queuing program called BER Runway, which will enable travelers to reserve a security control time slot. To use the free BER Runway lane, passengers must visit the website and enter their flight details and size of their party, and find a reservation time. Once the reservation time has been selected, passengers can finish booking by entering an email address and confirming their details. Following this, they will receive a confirmation email and QR code. Upon arrival in Terminal 1, travelers should look for signs pointing to the BER Runway lane. At this point, they can scan their QR code and queue in the fast lane to security. Reservations can be made online up to 72 hours in advance of a flight’s scheduled departure. The dedicated BER Runway security lane is open between 4:30am and 8:30pm.

SITA launched eVisa and SITA Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to meet the rapidly growing demand from governments for digital visa systems to stimulate national economies after COVID-19, strengthen security and improve the travel experience. The mobile capability of SITA’s new eVisa and ETA capability allows travelers to make applications and provide their biometric information using their personal devices before they travel. For travelers, this is simpler, more convenient, and less time-consuming than applying for more complex traditional or on-arrival visas. For governments, they can biometrically verify the applicant’s identity. The mobile app also creates ICAO-compliant Digital Travel Credentials (DTCs) – a development in digital identity for travel that may replace physical passports in the future. SITA’s eVisa and ETA solutions provide visas containing ICAO’s Visible Digital Seal (VDS), an encrypted bar code that enables visas and ETAs, paper or electronic, to be digitally verified for authenticity, offering enhanced security and fraud prevention.

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RUD) has expanded its dining options by opening a high-tech virtual food hall. Guests at RDU can now order meals and coffee for pickup at a first-of-its-kind virtual food hall, also known as a ghost kitchen, in Terminal 2. The getREEF Virtual Food Hall features nine popular brands, including fast-growing international favorites such as Krispy Rice, 800 Degrees Pizza, Pei Wei, Xochimex Cantina Grill, Zinburger, and Rebel Wings as well as local concepts Beyú Caffé, Hubb Kitchen and American Meltdown. Customers can place and pay for their orders on their mobile devices or directly at kiosks located in Terminal 2 near Gate C9. Customers receive real-time text updates on the status of their orders, which are picked up in specially marked lockers near the kiosks, using unique codes sent directly to their mobile device. Travelers will be able to mix and match food from any of the restaurants in the same transaction for greater variety and convenience when dining on the fly.

MarketPlace Development, in conjunction with The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and Servy, the enterprise self-service platform for hospitality, launched Order Now at Reagan National Airport (DCA) and Dulles International Airport (IAD). The programs will allow travelers to order and pay for food and beverages via their phones from outlets airport-wide at both IAD and DCA. Later this summer, passengers will be able to order delivery straight to their gate via AtYourGate.

Alaska Airlines will become the first US airline to launch an electronic bag tag program later in 2022. Electronic bag tags will allow guests to skip the step of printing traditional bag tags at the airport. Travelers will be able to activate the devices from anywhere—their home, office or even car—up to 24 hours before their flight through Alaska’s mobile app. The activation is done by touching the phone used for check-in to the electronic bag tag, which has an antenna that powers and reads the information transmitted from the phone. The e-paper bag tag’s screen will then display the guest’s flight information. The electronic bag tag program is expected to reduce the time spent dropping off checked luggage by nearly 40%. Rollout of the electronic bag tag program will happen in several phases. The first phase will initially include 2,500 Alaska Airlines’ frequent fliers who will begin using the electronic bag tags in late 2022. Mileage Plan members will have the option to purchase the devices early in 2023.

Vision-Box, a specialist in biometric recognition, digital identity, and seamless travel management, has unveiled the Seamless Assistant, a new security gateway device to make the passengers’ processing flow more efficient. This flexible and fully standalone mobile device is built with a small form factor on wheels and can be used in different scenarios. With a reduced footprint, the Seamless Assistant allows biometric identification with liveness detection and fast deployment in various locations, through its battery powered capability and mobile Wi-Fi wireless connection.

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is testing LG’s multi-purpose customer service robot CLOi GuideBot in Terminal D. The robots are guiding passengers to things of interest near Gates 1 through 4. Using a microphone and speech recognition software, the robots can communicate with travelers, displaying flight details and offering suggestions on where to get nearby food and drinks. They navigate the terminal’s busy aisles autonomously using 3D camera and 18 sensors, including lidar, time of flight (ToF), an inertial measurement unit and other hardware. The LG CLOi GuideBot stands just over 1.5m tall and greets customers with a 9.2in LG LCD ‘face’ display.

Italy’s national carrier ITA Airways has launched the face boarding testing phase at Catania–Fontanarossa Airport. The trial is in cooperation with SAC Spa, the Catania’s Airport management company. From July, after checking in on the web or at the airport, all passengers on ITA Airways’ Catania-Milan flights will be able to go to the land side of the departures area to use the Reco Welcome-Kiosk facial recognition machine. The machine will be used to associate their face with their electronic ID and boarding pass, enabling passengers to quickly pass through security checks and gate procedures without having to show IDs or boarding passes.

Spirit Airlines is streamlining the check-in experience at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) with automated self-bag drop with biometric photo-matching system. The self-bag drop system uses software capable of analyzing key physical features on more than 50,000 forms of ID from nearly 200 countries that a Guest could potentially use when travelling in the United States. Combined with the units’ scanning hardware, the software confirms the authenticity of an ID and rejects fraudulent documents as Guests check their baggage.

Qantas has begun rolling out new self-service kiosks in Terminal 3 at Sydney Airport, which will make the airport experience faster and easier for customers travelling on domestic flights. After fine tuning the new technology with customers, the airli

CLEAR and JFKIAT, the operator of Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, announced the launch of a free virtual queuing program at Terminal 4. JFK T4 Reservepowered by CLEAR allows travelers at JFK's T4 to plan ahead and reserve a dedicated security lane time slot for their party—giving them a more predictable and stress-free travel experience. Reservations can be made online up to 72 hours in advance of a flight’s scheduled departure. Reservation times are available based on the passenger’s selected flight; slots are available starting at least 60 minutes before domestic flights and at least 75 minutes before international flights. The dedicated JFK Reserve security entry point is open between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m., the security checkpoint's busiest time.

Passengers departing from Miami International Airport (MIA) will soon be able to board their international flights with just the quick, touchless click of a camera, thanks to a recently approved contract that will implement biometric boarding at all of MIA’s 130-plus gates. Installation is expected to be fully completed in 2023. When finished, the project will be the largest implementation of biometric technology at any US airport. Using SITA’s Smart Path solution, which leverages NEC’s biometric identity platform, passengers will step up to a camera at the boarding gate and their picture is used to confirm their identities and their authorization to travel within seconds.

Iberia Express has launched in-seat ordering, which allows passengers to select food items through their mobile devices with Club Express Onboard.

After a successful introductory phase, the Star Alliance biometric face field recognition system has launched at Hamburg Airport. With the new service, participating passengers from Austrian, SWISS and Lufthansa will be able to pass through security and boarding contactless and quick. In the future, a single glance will suffice—without a boarding pass or smartphone.

As the industry inches closer to contactless travel, Icelandair is offering passengers the option to pre-purchase meals up to 24 hours before departure. In addition to the increased choices, new, environmentally friendly food packaging is being introduced, together with new processes for sorting trash on board.

Phoenix Sky Harbor has partnered with Copenhagen Optimization and CLEAR to offer free reservations for TSA Security Checkpoint lines, helping travelers to manage their trips and eliminate uncertainty and stress over how long it will take to wait in line for security. The new pilot program, PHX RESERVE, gives passengers the ability to schedule a specific time to get in the TSA Security Checkpoint line. Reservations can be made up to three days before a passenger’s flight, and they will use a dedicated entry point to the security checkpoint. Using the program is free. The pilot program rolled out March 1, 2022, and is initially available in Terminal 3.

United Airlines has introduced “bag drop shortcut,” a new, way for customers to skip the line, check their bag via the United app, and get to their flight. The free service is live at all of United’s hubs in Chicago, New York/Newark, Washington DC, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco, with plans to expand to dozens more airports this year.

International Air Line Group LCC LEVEL, in partnership with digital services provider Immfly, has launched pre-ordering platform “Fly your way” for passengers to order products before boarding. From comfort items such as eye masks, to an ear phone, to complete menus or hot drinks, the options are varied. With this platform, passengers can choose from a wide range of up to 15 different dishes, as well as tailor all the services that take place at each moment of the flight, so that each person decides what they consume and when they consume it. The products are delivered by the crew directly to the seat and your reservation is made through my.flylevel.com, up to 12 hours before the flight departs. With this new portal, the airline optimizes the cargo on board, reducing not only the weight but also food waste. technology at the service of efficiency.

Brazilian airport operator Infraero and state-owned technology firm Serpro will deploy face biometrics at the airports of Congonhas in São Paulo and Santos Dumont in Rio de Janeiro. The deal, signed Feb.11, 2022, makes the two airports the first in the country to have 100% biometric boarding for both passengers and crew when the system reaches operation by July.

Corendon Dutch Airlines’ passengers can order food, beverages and duty-free products from the inflight Corendon Café on their mobile devices and have the items delivered directly to their seats. The in-seat ordering service will be available on the carrier’s fleet of three Boeing 737-800 aircraft by the end of February.

Schiphol Plaza opened the first self-service shop, called Gate 24/7, which contains 10 vending machines, each with a different range of products from eight retailers. The shop is open 24/7 and offers a broad range of products, from food and drink to beauty products, and from electronics to last-minute necessities. Customers can select their choice and pay contactless at the vending machines.

Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico have begun digital check-in services, powered by SkyTeam technology. Travelers can now check in digitally and get their boarding passes through either airline’s self-service channels, then go directly to security without needing to use a kiosk or see an agent, offering a faster, touchless airport experience. Aeromexico and Delta are the first members to implement the alliance-first technology powered by SkyTeam’s Digital Spine. The innovation connects the two airlines’ digital systems.

Identity company CLEAR acquired Whyline, Inc., a virtual queuing and appointment technology provider to expand virtual queuing in airports. CLEAR recently added virtual queuing to its offerings with the launch of "Reservation Lane powered by CLEAR" at Orlando International Airport (MCO). With more than 8 million members, CLEAR’s suite of experiences and products include expedited CLEAR Plus lanes at 40 airports.