The recent COVID-19 standard has accelerated the use of biometrics at international airports. However, the adoption of biometrics is not without its challenges. There are issues with this technology and concerns about its ROI. In addition, irregular operations at international airports have negatively impacted biometrics. In this article, we look at some of the challenges of biometrics in international airports and what can be done to overcome them.
COVID-19 has accelerated biometric adoption
Airports are turning to biometric technology to speed up check-in times. The technology uses facial recognition, a technique that reduces the need for touching and interaction. It can also be used to verify travel documents such as passports and IDs. In the future, airports will use this technology to authenticate passengers and delete the data after the flight.
This global trend has spurred biometric adoption. According to the COVID-19 survey, 62% of respondents have increased their biometric deployment. In addition, 64 percent have prioritized technologies that support mobile onboarding. And just over half of all respondents already use biometrics, with the majority using them for authentication, identity verification, and fraud detection.
Besides accelerating biometric adoption, COVID-19 has also spurred the adoption of new technologies in airports. In fact, touchless technologies and automation have played a major role in accelerating the process. For example, the Korea Airports Corporation, which manages 14 airports in Korea, has introduced a smart airport master plan. It has also introduced palm vein identification to identify passengers.
Issues with biometrics in international airports
Some airports have implemented biometric systems that use photos of passengers to identify them. These systems have raised privacy concerns among some travellers. A recent survey by the SITA found that 33 percent of respondents felt that their personal information could be used by unauthorized parties. However, the process of biometric recognition in airports is safe, and the images of travellers are not stored for more than 30 days.
Biometric systems can also be used at airports to reduce the risk of disease transmission and enhance the flow of passengers through checkpoints. For example, Dublin Airport has implemented facial recognition boarding gates. However, there are still a number of issues to consider when implementing biometrics in airports.
In order to overcome these challenges, airports must work with airlines and other stakeholders to adopt biometric systems. According to a 2018 study by SITA, more than one-third of airlines have adopted biometrics. Various challenges have arisen, including the lack of standards, privacy concerns, and technical issues.
Return on investment (ROI) of biometrics in international airports
Biometrics are becoming an increasingly common feature in airports. They can streamline the travel process, improve security over paper documentation, and limit contact with human beings. In the coming years, biometrics are likely to play an even greater role in airport security, enabling greater airport efficiency and user satisfaction.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there were 72.3 million air travelers last month. The high number of passengers has led to increased prices and crowds. Additionally, air travel is no longer as comfortable as it was a few years ago. However, renewed investment in biometrics promises to speed up travel by streamlining check-in, boarding, and clearing immigration.
Many airlines are evaluating biometric technologies for airport security. Continental Airlines, for example, is interested in iris-scanning technology, which records employee retinal data. The technology would require an iris scan to enter sensitive areas. A test of an iris-scanning technology was recently concluded in North Carolina’s Charlotte Airport. However, the airlines involved in the test have not committed to adopt the technology on a large scale. In the meantime, vendors are developing new biometric technologies to meet the demands of airlines. Some vendors are even testing fingerprint ID technologies for airlines.
Impact of irregular operations on biometrics in international airports
A recent study showed that irregular operations at airports impacted biometric matching of passengers. This is due to frequent system interruptions, which slowed down the data exchange process. Besides affecting accuracy, irregular operations at airports also cause unnecessary delays. Therefore, the development of an enforcement mechanism against airlines that do not cooperate with CBP is essential for consistency.
The use of biometrics in international airports has several advantages. It can reduce the risk of disease transmission and increase passenger flow. The recent global health crisis has prompted major airline companies to improve their biometric offerings. Emirates, for instance, rolled out a fully biometric experience at its Dubai airport. It is continuously updating its biometric offering and is partnering with cloud organizations to expand its use.
Biometrics are used for several purposes at airports, including check-in, the customs process, and on-boarding activities. These technologies have also been used to identify the transport of illegal goods. The term biometric is derived from the Greek word bios, meaning life.