Lisbon Airport Initiates Biometric Screening Pilot

Lisbon Airport has rolled out a new biometric screening system for those attending this year’s Web Summit 2021 event. Web Summit will run from November 1-4, and is expecting more than 40,000 people to show up in person after last year’s virtual event.

The new biometric system will enable a contactless passenger experience. To that end, passengers will be asked to submit their biometrics when they register for their flight. They will then be able to board the plane with only a facial recognition scan. The system will link each passenger’s face to their travel documents and boarding pass, so people will no longer need to present those physical documents when they make it to the gate.

The utility will be offered to those traveling within the Schengen border area, and to those arriving from elsewhere in the world. In that regard, the system is designed to be interoperable with the services offered in other airports internationally.

The new system is comparable to the one that was installed at the Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport in late 2020. VINCI Airports runs both Lyon-Saint Exupéry and the Lisbon airport. The Lyon deployment was carried out with IDEMIA and RESA, while the Lisbon deployment is a collaboration with the Lisbon Airport Authority (ANA) and the Border Service of Portugal (SEF).

The Lisbon program is technically in a pilot phase, which is to say that VINCI and ANA are still taking steps to improve the system over time. To that end, they have introduced a U-monitor platform that allows passengers to provide feedback about different aspects of their passenger journey. The organizations have also launched an update service that provides passengers with flight and airport information through WhatsApp and Facebook.  Finally, VINCI and ANA will track carbon emissions to search for ways to reduce the airport’s overall carbon footprint.

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency has trialed biometric screening systems at Lisbon airport in the past. The adoption of a biometric system reflects the broader shift toward contactless screening options as travel industry stakeholders look to rebound after COVID-19.

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November 4, 2021 – by Eric Weiss