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The use of biometrics in the aeronautical sector

The future is already here and thanks to the technological advances we are living today, we can use biometrics as a control and access system. Analyzing our facial features or body measurements that make each person a unique human being with specific characteristics.

But what does this process consist of? 

To identify a subject, all that is needed is to compare an incoming image with an image in the database. However, in the aeronautical field, this is a process that must be carried out in real-time and supported by software and a database that provides sufficient security to airport facilities.

 

For this reason, airports that have already implemented technologies like this support it with government databases that support their security personnel while streamlining their passenger check-in processes.

 

Using a passenger access control system with biometrics brings many advantages to the aviation industry, such as speeding up the entry process, making it faster and more efficient, and reducing the probability of identity fraud, since the system will identify the passenger’s features by comparing them with certified databases. 

 

Software without human manipulation, this type of technology and devices used to provide access cannot be manipulated, so the information handled here is secure and reliable. And last but not least hygiene, as the type of devices used for biometric identification or facial recognition, does not require any kind of contact, so it is ideal in these times of pandemic.

 

According to Annet Steenbergen, chair of the passenger facilitation working group at IATA, “The use of the human body as an authentication system will be the salvation to speed up the movement of people in air terminals”. Especially when it is expected that by 2037, more than 8 million passengers will be using airplanes for their transfers, more than twice as many as today.

 

Identification solutions using biometrics or facial recognition not only eliminate manual processes, offer a more satisfactory service for passengers, and reduce their waiting times at the airport but also help airlines and air terminals to comply with government and border agency regulations.

 

So far, the main use of facial recognition technology has been in the check-in areas of airports. However, within the same air terminals, it can also be used to provide privileged access to VIP lounges for frequent travelers, access to restricted areas for airport workers, or to offer specific premium services for those passengers who wish to pay for a more pleasant trip. 

 

At the moment, the implementation of facial recognition in the aviation industry is in its early stages, but we are sure that it will revolutionize the sector and replace many processes that are not so friendly so far.

 

Technology in the airport sector

A new year begins, and expectations for all sectors worldwide are preparing to face a new moment. New goals are on the horizon and, technology will be a fundamental part of the development of new projects.

Such is the case of the airport sector, which has used technological advances to safely manage administrative processes. Also take care of the health of each passenger, providing new protocols to avoid large-scale contagion.

For a few months, airports have started technological development, and today, we tell you what some of them are.

Biometric technology

Thanks to facial recognition, the airport administration will be able to reduce waiting times and long queues at check-in, security controls, baggage claim, and those waiting processes that can be tedious.

To date, a survey conducted by IATA shows that at least 73% of passengers are willing to share their data to optimize waiting processes at the airport.

Artificial Intelligence

 The use of artificial intelligence to manage the flow of passengers is also one of the options that have been implemented at different airports for some time.

The London’s Gatwick airport, which will implement this technology to improve the safety of its operations, and provide a better travel experience to its passengers.

Artificial intelligence is linked to ‘Big Data’, where the flow of information will be key to managing data and passenger behavior and optimizing their strategies.

Smartphone integration

 Today, most people around the world have a smartphone. The use of mobile applications will be the first step to manage connectivity with organizations and automate airport services.

These are just a few examples of new technologies that are already being used at airports. Therefore, the use of new technologies is and will be a fundamental part of the growth of the airport sector, where innovation will serve to create new experiences.

Advances in Artificial Intelligence in aeronautics

The growth of the aeronautical industry in the coming years is an irrefutable fact, but this also leads to a significant increase in the number of planes in the air, and consequently, the complexity in managing this traffic will be even greater.

This is why the inclusion of new technologies based on Artificial Intelligence is increasingly used in airports since they provide security and efficiency in the results obtained that no other tool would offer.

At the moment, we can already find airports that use Artificial Intelligence for facial recognition, voice assistants, or bots, but in the not too distant future we will be able to see how these tools will increasingly carry out the actions that humans develop today, including It could be said that they will replace the pilots or at least the AI ​​could execute the more complex actions, thus avoiding any kind of human error.

It is also proposed that AI-based systems to manage air traffic will begin to be incorporated into airports very soon since these systems could handle large volumes of data and minimize decision-making time.

There is no doubt that artificial intelligence can improve many areas of the sector, it is even said that by reducing personnel in the cabin and control towers, ticket prices will decrease, thus benefiting the millions of passengers who move daily through the air terminals.