JOIN USPush for face recognition tech at airports globally
Driven by the demands of Covid-19, facial biometric identification could be the new normal in airports worldwide soon. Pushing its contactless process further, the Kempegowda International Airport, too, is gearing up to make that big switch in a phased manner.
A global survey on 'Effects of Covid-19 pandemic on the aviation sector' has now revealed that 63% of the respondents are keen to implement facial recognition at airports. The survey, by Lisbon-based leading biometrics travel and e-identity management solutions firm Vision-Box, covered the world’s top airports, airlines, and government agencies.
In September 2018, the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) had inked a deal with Vision-Box to launch paperless biometric self-boarding technology at KIA. This was aimed at bolstering the Centre’s ambitious DigiYatra project to develop a digital ecosystem for airports nationwide. The deal helped KIA to be one of the first in India to get an end-to-end solution for paperless air travel.
Introduced as a trial on July 22, 2019, passengers on the Vistara flight UK864 from Bengaluru to Mumbai were the first to experience the one-ID biometric platform technology.
The global survey had posed a critical question to the respondents: What would increase passenger trust for return to normal travel activities?
“Thirty-seven per cent responded that a viable vaccine would be the most critical factor, and 35% saw touchless/contactless identification and clearance technology as a solution.”
Of the top airports surveyed, 24% had already introduced facial identification, while another 12% adopted fingerprints to enable safe and contactless travel for passengers. “Currently, 23% use QR codes, and 15% use RFID. But 9% do not use any of the technology,” the survey revealed.
Despite revenue concerns, 94% of the respondents deemed contactless/touchless technologies crucial immediate investments. Investment in mobile for enrollment boarding slightly trailed at 81%. Disinfection (91%) and face masks (77%) were high on the list, not robotics, immunity certificates, or iris biometric identification.
In its June 2020 survey ‘Passenger insights in the times of a pandemic,’ the International Air Transport Association (IATA) had found that 42% of the respondents were concerned about queuing at airports (check-in/security/border control/boarding). Twenty-four per cent felt touchless processing would enable them to feel safe.