Is facial recognition technology and biometric screening the new standard for airports of the future? New trials in Brisbane will soon tell.
The world’s leading air transport IT and communications specialist SITA, in partnership with Air New Zealand, is trialling an Australian-first technology at Brisbane Airport in a trial that is set to change the way we fly.
With SITA Smart Path, once travel documents are linked to the biometric at check-in, the passenger can complete the boarding process without the need to present a boarding pass, a passport or travel documents.
While it may sound a little James Bond-ish today, the new trial is being closely monitored world-wide by airports, border forces and airlines. The new technology can not only save on operational costs, but has a real advantage in aviation security by using each person’s unique biometric make-up.
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Sumesh Patel, SITA President, Asia Pacific, said: “Australia has long been recognised as a leader in secure border management and passenger processing. Now Brisbane Airport is leading the way with SITA Smart Path. This is a single, secure, self-service process which simplifies passenger processing for everyone – airlines, airports and border authorities. It is early days at Brisbane Airport but already the response from passengers has been positive.”
Brisbane Airport is the first Australian airport to trial this secure walkthrough experience at check-in and the boarding gate using SITA’s biometric technology, which integrates with the airport’s existing common-use solutions.
With SITA Smart Path, once travel documents are linked to the biometric at check-in, the passenger can complete the boarding process without the need to present a boarding pass, a passport or travel documents.
Air New Zealand passengers are the first to trial Smart Path at Brisbane Airport, with plans to expand the service to more international airlines in the coming months.
Roel Hellemons, General Manager Strategic Planning and Development, Brisbane Airport Corporation, said: “This is a great opportunity for passengers to help shape the future of travel. We’re always striving to improve the airport experience at Brisbane Airport and this trial will allow us to test and refine new technology that we hope will make standard check-in and boarding processes more efficient and secure in the very near future.
“A key benefit of working with SITA is its technology integrates with our existing common-use infrastructure – check-in kiosks and boarding gates – and can be used by any airline that operates on a common-use kiosk. As we progress we hope to integrate with various government systems for immigration and border checks,” Mr Hellemons said.
Smart Path can be extended throughout the airport to include any processes and checkpoints that require document checks. Over the coming months, Brisbane Airport and SITA will work together to use the technology in a variety of scenarios.