Passengers at London’s Heathrow Airport are among the first in the world to use biometric technology as part of a “self-boarding” pilot. According to Director for Heathrow Terminal 1, the airport is working in partnerships with different airlines to trial this technology, and has received positive feedback from airlines and passengers since its introduction. The terminal is conducting a two-month self-boarding trial in partnership with South African Airways, and has received positive feedback with more than 300 passengers opting for the new solution.
Passengers at London's Heathrow Airport are among the first in the world to use biometric technology as part of a “self-boarding” pilot. According to Director for Heathrow Terminal 1, the airport is working in partnerships with different airlines to trial this technology, and has received positive feedback from airlines and passengers since its introduction. The terminal is conducting a two-month self-boarding trial in partnership with South African Airways, and has received positive feedback with more than 300 passengers opting for the new solution.
With the technology, passenger identity is only checked once by airline staff, making the departure process much more efficient. It also allows airline staff to spend more time with passengers that require greater assistance. When passengers reach the self-boarding gate, they pass through an automatic electronic barrier, which takes an IR scan of their face. This information is checked against the biometric data taken during check-in. When the two sets of data are successfully matched, the barrier opens and the passenger can pass through and board their flight. The personal data is stored securely and will be destroyed at the end of the trial.
The preliminary results indicate a similar outcome to a recent survey by International Air Transport Association, showing passengers are quick to adopt new technology to help streamline their journey through the airport. The survey showed that of those who responded, 77 percent were comfortable using biometrics if available, and 71 percent preferred to use self-boarding gates.