Taipei’s Songshan Airport has deployed a facial recognition “One ID” system covering the full international passenger journey, from check-in through baggage drop, immigration, and boarding. It is the first airport in Taiwan to implement biometric-based passenger processing at this scale.
The system uses 48 smart devices distributed across the terminal: 18 self-check-in kiosks, 12 self-bag-drop machines, six immigration e-gates, and 12 boarding gates, with two units at each of the airport’s six international departure gates. Passengers enroll their facial biometric at check-in and can then proceed through each subsequent touchpoint using face matching alone.
Airport Director Cheng Chien-chung said the system “will allow passengers to pass seamlessly from arrival at the airport to boarding.” Officials report a 95 percent success rate for the facial recognition matching, with an expected 30 percent reduction in passenger wait times and a 20 percent cut in manpower requirements. Peak check-in wait times currently average around 10 minutes.
Privacy measures require that passenger and flight data are automatically deleted from the One ID system within 24 hours of departure, and the system adheres to government cybersecurity standards. Standard immigration and passport inspection procedures remain mandatory alongside the biometric processing, meaning the One ID system augments rather than replaces existing security protocols.
Songshan Airport handles approximately 2.8 million international passengers annually, with airlines including Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Korean Air operating international routes from the airport. The deployment adds Taiwan to the growing list of Asia-Pacific markets adopting end-to-end biometric airport processing.
IATA has been promoting its Contactless Travel Directory to accelerate the adoption of such systems globally, and airports across the region have been moving quickly. Da Nang Airport in Vietnam opened a dedicated biometric lane for VNeID passengers, while airlines worldwide have been adopting facial recognition for boarding at an accelerating pace.
Because Songshan is the first Taiwanese airport to adopt the system, officials plan to evaluate its performance and passenger adoption rates before deciding whether to expand the One ID technology to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and other international gateways across the country.
Sources: Focus Taiwan, Taiwan News, Taipei Times
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
