IATA Calls for Biometric Passenger Boarding

Alexandre de Juniac is encouraging the airline industry to leverage modern technology to improve the passenger experience. The Director General and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) placed a strong emphasis on biometric identification and baggage tracking, and One ID and RFID systems in particular.  

Speaking at the Global Airport and Passenger Symposium in Warsaw, de Juniac noted that many passengers expressed an interest in baggage tracking and a smoother airport journey on the 2019 IATA Global Passenger Survey. To that end, IATA’s One ID initiative would allow passengers to move through airport checkpoints with a biometric token like a face or fingerprint scan.

“Biometric technology has the power to transform the passenger experience,” said de Juniac. “The priority now is ensuring there is regulation in place to support the vision of a paperless travel experience that will also ensure that their data is well protected.”

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), meanwhile, is a baggage tagging system that allows passengers to track their luggage in real time. The technology has already been deployed in airports in Europe and China, and will allow airlines to reduce the costs associated with lost luggage while giving passengers more peace of mind.

De Juniac’s request echoes that of WTTC CEO Gloria Guevara, who issued a similar call at IATA’s Annual General Meeting in July. The two organizations previously joined forces in an effort to promote biometric passenger processing.

De Juniac went on to discuss the need to improve airport infrastructure and reduce emissions to make air travel more sustainable.

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October 17, 2019 – by Eric Weiss