Thales Group Chairman and CEO Patrice Caine has given readers a glimpse of the future in a recent LinkedIn blog post, walking them through an average plane trip in 2030. In doing so, he highlights the growing significance of biometric boarding, which allows passengers to check in and board the plane with only a facial recognition scan.
To that end, Caine explains how each passenger will be able to scan their ID to check in with their smartphone. They can then take a selfie to confirm their identity and create a biometric token that will enable facial recognition scans at baggage drop, boarding gates, and other checkpoints, thereby reducing wait times and delivering a much smoother airport experience.
Facial recognition would also enhance CCTV surveillance and improve security at the airport. For those worried about privacy, Caine notes that all biometric information will be deleted at the end of the trip, in accordance with the latest EDPR regulations.
According to Caine, biometric boarding technology will ultimately be necessary as airport traffic skyrockets from 4.1 billion passengers in 2016 to 7 billion passengers by 2040. Biometric boarding programs have already been installed in Los Angeles, New York, and elsewhere as airports work to streamline their operations.
Thales is a supplier of biometric e-passports that would be an integral component of future boarding systems.
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October 17, 2019 – by Eric Weiss
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