b'90 INDUSTRY INSIDERThe Time has Come for Biometrics in Aviation But Getting the Set-Up Right Isnt StraightforwardResults from a recent survey ofCBP reported in January that around more than 1,250 IT leaders in the240 airports use biometrics for borderStephan Hirmer travel industry reveal interestingentry into the U.S., and around 50leads End-to-End data about where eight different sub- airports are now onboard with biometricPassenger Servicing and Product sectors of the industry are investing inexit from the U.S. At Amadeus, weManagement at new technology. The research, executedsupport a number of these deploymentsAmadeus, overseeing a by Amadeus, found that airports planwith advanced image capture devices anddiverse portfolio of airport IT solutions for to increase investment in technology byintegration into airlines Departure Controlpassenger servicing used by hundreds 17% year-over-year on average, which isSystems (DCSs), so we can see take-upof customers worldwide. He manages a more than any other area of the industryrates by passengers. When visualized onteam of more than 30 product managers and three percentage points above thea chart, biometric identification growthacross Europe and Australia, driving industrywide average of 14%. One themerates are beginning to look like a hockeyinnovation in passenger experience stood out from the surveys with bothstick, but there are a number of importanttechnologies.airport and airline leaders: biometrics.considerations before getting started. According to the study, 66% of airportwhile another in the vicinity doesnt, capture and 65% of airline technology leadersConsider Curb-to-Gate mistakes are avoided. When groups of intend to implement biometrics at keyCoverage travelers like families are present, multiple passenger service points like check-in,Of course, biometric applications havepeople are tracked and assessed so only bag drop, lounge access and boardingpotential far beyond entry and exit checks.the closest persons image is captured.over the coming three years. Many haveThey can be embedded within each stepSome airports have been forced to already started or begun to run pilotof a travelers airport experiencefromspend millions of dollars refitting windows projects.check-in to bag drop, lounge access andwith UV screens to compensate for boardingto deliver a friction-free self- cameras unable to handle fluctuations An Avalanche About to Rollservice experience. in lighting conditionsor even turn off This level of interest and intention toWere seeing airports across the worldbiometric processes at certain times of deploy reminds me of the early days ofchoose this end-to-end approach thatday. Its prudent to focus on quality in this self-service check-in kiosks. It may take aprovides travelers with a simple andarea of the deployment to avoid surprises new technology time to come-of-age, butrepeatable way to identify themselvesdown the road. when it does, the aviation sector is quickwhile substantially limiting the need for to embrace it. Thats where were at withpaper document checks. In my view, itsFinal Thoughts biometrics todaymomentum is building.typically best to have a complete curb- While continued discussions about the use Indeed, the U.S. has assumed ato-gate experience in mind, even if youreof biometrics are to be expected in policy leadership position when it comes toonly piloting biometrics at one servicecircles, the engineering and passenger biometrics, thanks in part to the Customspoint initially.experience debates have largely been and Border Protection (CBP)s Biometricsettled. When well conceived, biometric Exit program. The approach in the U.S.Avoid Short-Cuts passenger flows are faster, better and sees biometric data captured at theWith Image Capture cheaper than whats gone before. Typically, terminal and securely transferred to CBP,A critical factor for successful facialthose are the key measures for a new where matching against a biometricbiometrics is high-quality image capture.technology moving from the early adopter gallery occurs. This removes a key step inUsing defined 3D capture zones ensuresphase to widespread take-up. the verification process for airlines, whichthe faces of any passenger outside theIf the interest and intent captured inhas been a key factor in rapid take-up atzone are not evaluated. When combinedour research is fully representative, the U.S. airports.with real-time tracking, cameras ensure thatage of biometrics may have already even if the target passenger looks awayarrived.September 2024AirportImprovement.com'