Hong Kong Airport Extends Biometrics Curb-to-Gate

Hong Kong International Airport has launched a new service that lets passengers check their baggage in less than a minute using facial recognition technology and their mobile phones. The service is available to travelers aged 11 or older who possess electronic travel documents, including e-passports and various permits for Hong Kong and Macau residents—though passports issued on or before May 14, 2019, are excluded.

To use the express bag drop service, passengers must register via their airline’s mobile app and use their smartphone’s NFC function to scan their passports. Upon arrival at the airport, they proceed to express bag drop counters equipped with facial recognition machines. Passengers attach luggage tags printed at the counter, scan a QR code with their phones, tap their passport again, and scan the luggage tags with the app.

Chris Au Young Hing-wang, the Airport Authority’s general manager of innovation and data insights, said that HKIA is the first in the world to allow passengers to complete all check-in, baggage drop-off, security screening, and boarding procedures using facial recognition and mobile phones.

Cathay Pacific, which began piloting this service in June, and its budget airline HK Express, which launched the service last year, currently offer the express bag drop to their passengers.

The service is expected to cover 80 percent of all passengers within two years, with Hong Kong Airlines planning to launch it by the end of the year. Expansion efforts are underway to include foreign airlines, particularly from Singapore and Taiwan. Future plans include integrating the service into the airport’s My HKG app, enabling travelers on various airlines to complete check-in through a single application.

These efforts along with other recent advancements highlight Hong Kong’s growing enthusiasm for leveraging facial recognition and other advanced technologies. For example, the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) recently partnered with the Immigration Department to enhance public services and support the development of Hong Kong as a “Smart City.” This collaboration focuses on using technologies like multi-camera matrix sensing, facial recognition, and AI to improve immigration clearance efficiency and service quality​​.

Additionally, Hong Kong and Macau have introduced a system that uses QR codes and biometrics to expedite border crossings for permanent residents. That system leverages fingerprint and facial recognition technologies to streamline immigration and clearance processes, significantly enhancing traveler convenience between the two regions.

Source: The Standard

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July 31, 2024 – by Cass Kennedy