In the 18 months to July 2019, more than 250,000 British Airways customers experienced using their face instead of a passport or boarding pass to board a flight from the USA.
These passengers travelling from Orlando, Los Angeles and New York JFK were getting a glimpse of how air travel will look in the very near future, as airports and airlines gear up for a doubling of passenger numbers over the next two decades.
Key to the efficiencies required to cope with the growth in air travel is “One ID”. This is the system championed by IATA, the International Air Transport Association, to maximise the potential of biometric passenger identity.
One ID is a new data platform that enables passengers to transit through all airport touchpoints – baggage drop, pre-security, lounge, immigration, boarding – without the need to present any document.
The process is almost instantaneous and allows multiple checks in parallel, reducing queues and increasing throughput and security.
Implementation of One ID at international airports such as Miami and Orlando has confirmed the efficiency of biometric identification during the boarding process.
In a partnership between airports, airlines, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and IT providers, passenger identity is established simply by a photo. The verification process is extremely quick and efficient with a 99% matching rate.
This has already resulted in substantial reduced waiting times at security, boarding and immigration.
“It’s just a very pleasant experience for the passengers on departure,” John Newsome, CIO for Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, told Gunnebo’s IT partner SITA.
“It also provides for a nice orderly boarding process, and it speeds up the boarding so that it clears up the hold room spaces around the gate so that we can have other passengers waiting for other flights to use those facilities.”
To explain more of the benefits of One ID to airports, airlines, passengers and governments, Gunnebo has produced a brief and clear brochure, which is free to download below.
Gunnebo’s Entrance Control solutions contribute to improving airport efficiency through fast and secure passage. Our solutions are implemented in airports all over the world.