Sydney Airport, Qantas Begin Biometric Boarding Trial

Sydney Airport and Qantas’s trial of facial recognition technology for passengers is now underway.

First announced this past February, the program is meant to allow travelers to board their flights without presenting physical documentation: Instead, their faces would be scanned and matched the flight manifest, with automated terminals allowing them entry to the boarding area. This technology can also be used to facilitate automated check-in, luggage checks, and access to the airport lounge.

That’s exactly what’s being tested now in the trial, which involves passengers on “select international flights”, according to a CNBC report. Participation in the trial appears to be strictly voluntary, with the airport insisting that it is actively attaining the consent of all participants and adhering to strict privacy standards and legislation.

The program reflects the global rise of biometric airport screening, with multiple airports around the world now actively using such technology – primarily facial recognition – to streamline passenger processing, while border control agencies take advantage of biometric security screening. For its part, Qantas says it may extend the technology’s use to include border processing in a future phase of the trial.

Sources: CNBC, Gizmodo

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July 6, 2018 – by Alex Perala