Airports are undergoing rapid technological transformations, including biometric improvements that verify the identity of passengers and expedite security checks quickly.

If it’s been a while since you traveled, especially to the United States, you might notice some changes. Biometrics are being used to automate check-in processes. Facial recognition technology and RFIDs are used to map luggage and individuals as they both pass through customs. Distinctive personal characteristics of the person are used to verify their identity, such as fingerprints. The process promises more security and speedier passage through the airport while eliminating the need for manual picture ID checks at each stage, which can be time-consuming and not free of errors.

Why facial recognition?

The aviation industry has been discussing contactless facial recognition technology for a while. COVID-19 exacerbated the efforts to find contactless check-ins at airports, which have been getting highly crowded since the mitigation of the disease.

Now, congestion at airports is fast becoming an issue for the airline industry with the rise in the number of passengers opting for international travel. The throng, obviously, prevents customers from having seamless and dependable entry and exit processes. IATA, or the International Air Transport Association, thus organized a work group to investigate and identify appropriate solutions to help ease the situation. Biometric technology, a new idea, uses a single ID, including facial recognition, to simplify boarding and immigration.

A generic overview of how it works

A facial recognition system works with four different touchpoints present at airports. These could be turnstiles or self-service kiosks helping passengers carry out their own boarding procedures. Travelers can register at any of these places to create their boarding pass and initiate an immigration process. The backend infrastructure uses an engine or multiple engines to conduct parallel processing to handle passenger volumes during a busy season. Authentication is thus obtained without delays. Touchpoints that come in various forms are:

Self-Check-in – Used alongside conventional check-in functions, passengers are registered with facial recognition at a kiosk. Boarding pass and passport data are used to map details into the system. Identity verification is obtained by inserting a screen that contains the facial recognition software.

Baggage check-in – Automatically accomplished after the traveler’s face is verified and authenticated. The airline does not have to manually check luggage since passengers can drop it off.

Security Check – An automatic gate verifies passenger details and confirms their boarding pass. The gate contains built-in facial recognition technology to perform identity checks and verifications of passengers passing through.

Boarding Gate – The last checkpoint beats conventional boarding formalities, requiring company staff to manually scan every boarding pass before embarking on the plane.

Integrating Facial Recognition with the airline’s legacy system

Airlines, the world over, and especially those that run international flights, run into a variety of airports as part of the system. These players need shared boarding systems that can help them verify passengers and provide similar handling services everywhere. That is why facial recognition is one of today's most wanted tools to deliver smooth traveler transition and care.