Speaking of busy international airports, most would think of cosmopolitan cities such as New York, Paris or London as being the busiest but in fact, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was by far the busiest in the world, seeing over 104 million passengers in 2023. Dubai was next in line with almost 87 million passengers but saw a whopping 31.7% growth in traffic from 2022. It makes sense that airport facilities and airlines are investing heavily in keeping people traffic moving smoothly through some of the most congested installations on the planet. The biggest obstacles to improving flow are security and documentation. Airline check-ins, background clearances, immigration documentation and physical security checks are necessary but hamper efficient movement of traffic to gates. Innovations in biometric and processing technology are working towards removing those obstacles while providing security and efficiency at the same time. In fact, one airport plans to go completely document free in 2025 and will showcase the latest in passenger management infrastructure.
Abu Dhabi the First to Go Paperless
Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi is fast becoming a busy connecting hub and destination in the Middle East as the facility welcomed almost 14 million passengers in the first half of 2024, an increase of 33% over last year. Increasing traffic flow demands better ways to manage people and congestion and in 2025, Zayed will be the first international airport to be completely document free. Abu Dhabi Airports will be rolling out its Smart Travel project which uses biometric technology and artificial intelligence to eliminate traditional passenger processing methods. Facial recognition stations at security checkpoints and airline check-in desks will allow passengers to simply use their face to pass through the airport. The UAE’s national airline, Etihad Airways, already utilizes biometric check-in functions at gates and check-in desks and will complement AUH’s paper free initiatives. Smart Travel aims to reduce processing time to 7 seconds, down from the current 25 at traditional kiosks and manned stations. The time savings could translate to noticeable cost controls as well as an increase in facility capacity for airlines.
TSA Tests Biometrics at Key Airports
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) handles passenger clearance checks at US airports and some international airports. In response to increasing domestic traffic volume, TSA has been evaluating biometric technology for some time now. TSA’s PreCheck Touchless Identity Solution allows PreCheck travelers to pass through TSA checkpoints with just facial recognition. United Airlines and Delta Airlines saw successful evaluations in Los Angeles and Chicago and the TSA has rolled out the platform to many more airports across the country. The technology streamlines the entire check-in and clearance process, from bag drop to arrival at the gate. Facial recognition and digital ID systems are aimed at reducing wait times at busy domestic airports while still providing security and safety that is expected in this era of air travel.
Technology at the Core of the System
Facial recognition is part of the biometric technology category and is being adopted as a key tool in modern security clearance and airline check-in infrastructure. At the heart of the system is the camera which captures the passenger’s face and measures unique features such as:
- Eye distance
- Socket depth
- Distance between forehead and chin
- Cheekbone shape
- Eye, ear and lip contours
Information collected is simplified into readable data and compared with eiher, internal databases where passengers pre-register, or governmental databases, such as motor vehicle departments and police agencies. AI based technology would provide the processing and decision making power to quickly record inputs and cross check against those databases. Facial recognition offers the quickest and most efficient method to provide necessary checks, positioning it as the most suitable technology for fast moving airports.
Document Free Travel Becomes a Reality
Airport and airline passenger volume is slowly creeping past 2019 levels and the outlook for business travel remains positive over the next few years. Facilities and transport providers are prioritizing investment in technology that helps alleviate the human congestion and keeps foot traffic moving smoothly from the main entrance to the jetway. Innovations in biometric technology have made document free travel a possibility as a major airport in the Middle East plans for a paper free passenger experience by 2025. Continued focus on security and process will bring this type of travel to the mainstream as travel businesses will always look to drive efficiency and control costs. The question that remains is, how secure and accurate can biometric technology be and what are redundancies, if any, should system failures occur? Important facets to consider in the face of increasing demand for cost and resource controls and passenger expectations.