Dublin Airport is taking part in a trial that uses biometrics to help passengers seamlessly travel between Ireland and Bristol Airport.

The trial is thought to be the first biometric trial that enables passengers to use the same biometric system at their departure and arrival airports and with their airline.

The public trial, which passengers can opt for voluntarily, will start in Dublin in April 2019, and uses technology developed by the U.S. company Collins Aerospace, whereby a single sign up identification process streamlines the passenger’s outbound and return journey. 

A passenger who opts into the SelfPass process will have the biometric data from their passport securely stored which will help speed up the passenger journey. The biometric information is used at self-service check-in and is linked to their boarding card and their self-drop bag tag. Using facial recognition technology, their image is checked at the boarding gate and is automatically cross referenced with the boarding card information, which means they don’t have to present any documents at the gate.

Frances O’Brien, Vice President of PMO for daa, said: “We are really pleased to be an early adopter of this new technology designed to further enhance the experience for both our passengers and our airline customers at Dublin Airport. We are delighted with the early progress of the trial in testing so far and we look forward to extending the technology to a wider audience, including passengers travelling to the U.S. in the coming months.”

Christopher Forrest, Vice President of Global Airport Systems for Collins Aerospace, commented: “Dublin and Bristol airports are changing the way passengers travel and making the process easier and more efficient. For example, it takes less than one second to capture and process a passenger’s facial image and eliminates the need to repeatedly present travel documents. We see this as another major leap forward for our biometric technology to play a key role in making the connected aviation ecosystem a reality.”

In 2019, Dublin Airport welcomed 31.5 million passengers, which was a six per cent increase on the previous 12 months. Passenger numbers are up nine per cent in the first two months of 2019, as more than four million passengers have used the airport in January and February alone.

Dublin Airport has flights to almost 200 destinations in 43 countries, operated by 56 airlines and is the 11th busiest airport in the European Union. It is one of Ireland’s key economic assets, as it generates or facilitates 117,300 jobs and €8.3 billion worth of economic activity.

source :https://www.internationalairportreview.com/news/83724/dublin-biometrics-trail/

SITA Smart Path has been deployed for a trial of using facial recognition instead of a boarding pass for security processing at Athens International Airport, the company announced. The airport, Greece’s largest, is the first in Europe to use biometric identity at security, according to the announcement.

“Passengers really appreciate the ease of using SITA’s Smart Path trial,” says Alexandros Ziomas, acting director of Athens International Airport’s IT&T Business Unit. “It has reduced the time taken to check in and verify passenger identity at security to only a few seconds. It will solve a key challenge for us by ensuring a steady flow of passengers to the security area. This is a service we would like to extend to other steps in the journey over time.”

The biometric service is being offered to Aegean Airlines passengers, and because Smart Path can be tailored to specific airport or airline requirements, could also be extended to other airlines operating out of Athens in the future.

“As most airports around the world already have self-service infrastructure in place, installing Smart Path is cost-effective and easy to implement,” comments SITA President for Europe Sergio Colella. “Yet, the improvement to security and the passenger experience is tremendously positive. It explains the growing interest in this solution from both airlines and airports in Europe and around the world.”

Palm vein biometrics deployed to 14 Korean airports

The Korea Airports Corporation has deployed Fujitsu’s biometric palm vein authentication system to all 14 domestic airports under its jurisdiction. The system began operation on December 28, 2018, and has been used more than a million times by 160,000 individuals with registered palm vein patterns.

Passenger identity is confirmed with biometrics instead of the citizen ID card which was previously required. The automated process both improves the accuracy of identification and significantly shortens the time taken for the process, according to the announcement.

Facial recognition-powered customer service kiosks reach Chinese airports

Chinese technology expert Matthew Brennan has filmed a kiosk as it identified him with facial biometrics, provided flight plan information, and offered him directions to his gate, Fast Company reports.

Fast Company suggests that the system represents a warning about the potential of facial recognition and collection of personal data for abuse, and says the Chinese government can clearly identify citizens anywhere with the technology.

Panasonic recently demonstrated similar technology as part of its One ID biometric airport solution.

JFK facial recognition trial to expand

The facial recognition technology deployed to a boarding gate at JFK’s terminal 5 for JetBlue passengers in partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is reducing the amount of time necessary for passengers to move through the airport while increasing security, according to Collins Aerospace VP of Global Airport Systems Christopher Forrest.

The trial was launched in November, and may soon be expanded to include either self-service baggage drop or an end-to-end system powered by facial biometrics, based on previous comments by Forrest.

Collins Aerospace says in the trial announcement that its SelfPass system is uniquely scalable and hardware-independent, enabling airports and airlines to add biometric capabilities to various touchpoints.

“The innovative use of biometrics for customer processing is driving the aviation industry forward and aligns with IATA’s One ID concept,” said Ian Deason, senior vice president of customer experience for JetBlue. “By working together with Collins Aerospace, we’re bringing JetBlue customers a personal, helpful and simple experience each time they fly.”

SelfPass trials at Bristol and Dublin airports

Collins Aerospace also announced today that its SelfPass airport biometric solution is now being trialed at Bristol Airport and Dublin Airport, enabling passengers to use a single biometric enrollment in multiple countries.

Bristol Airport offers passengers multiple biometric checkpoints, making the process easy from check-in to boarding. When SelfPass rolls out in Dublin next month, passengers will be the first to be able to take advantage of the multi-country solution.

“Dublin and Bristol Airports are changing the way passengers travel and making the process easier and more efficient,” explains Forrest. “For example, it takes less than one second to capture and process a passenger’s facial image and eliminates the need to repeatedly present travel documents. We see this as another leap forward for our biometric technology to play a key role in making the connected aviation ecosystem a reality.”

At Bristol, the new trial will biometrically enable multiple touchpoints, including: check-in, self-bag drop, security and boarding gates and the initial trial will be extended to include website and mobile enrollment, and lounge access.

“The passenger growth at Bristol Airport is increasing, and we are looking at using technology like the Collins Aerospace biometric solution set to help make our airport a high-quality experience for our customers,” said Graeme Gamble, chief operating officer for Bristol Airport. “The cooperation of Collins and the Bristol Airport team is making Bristol a leader in Airport innovation and customer service.”

“We are really pleased to be an early adopter of this new technology designed to further enhance the experience for both our passengers and our airline customers at Dublin Airport,” added Frances O’Brien, vice president of PMO for daa. “We are delighted with the progress of the trial so far and look forward to extending the offering to a wider audience, including those travelling to the U.S. in the coming months.”

Early results of LAX trial

The facial recognition system from Gemalto deployed for a trial of American Airlines passengers’ CBP checks at Los Angeles Airport has been largely successful through its first 90 days, airport-technology.com reports.

Gemalto VP of Mobile Financial Solutions Amol Deshmukh says the exceptions to the trial’s success involve specific cases such as toddlers, who may not match even relatively recent passport images.

In a recent Department of Homeland Services biometric testing rally, Gemalto’s system successfully acquired images in less than five seconds for 99 percent of subjects, compared to an average of 65 percent, according to the report.

source : https://www.biometricupdate.com/201903/airport-biometrics-trials-expand-on-three-continents

Hamad International Airport Ranked Fourth Best Airport in the World by Skytrax World Airport Awards 2019 Advancing From Last Year’s Ranking.

DOHA, Qatar, March 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Hamad International Airport has been ranked as the fourth best airport in the world at the SKYTRAX World Airport Awards 2019, which took place during the Passenger Terminal Expo 2019 in London, United Kingdom. HIA has also once again been ranked as a five-star Airport and was honoured with the title of ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for the fifth year in a row and ‘Best Staff Service in the Middle East’ for the fourth year in a row.

The awards recognize HIA’s innovative facilities, five-star customer service and state-of-the-art terminal which accommodates more than 30 million passengers annually. The 2019 World Airport Awards by Skytrax are based on nominations from millions of passengers across more than 500 participating airports worldwide, making them one of largest passenger interaction survey awards in the world.

Commenting on the results of the Skytrax World Airport Awards, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at Hamad International Airport, stated: “We are delighted with our progress and ranking at this year’s Skytrax Awards as we successfully moved up in our ranking to ‘Fourth Best Airport in the World’ while maintaining our five-star status and our titles as ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for the fifth consecutive year and ‘Best Staff Service in the Middle East’ for the fourth consecutive year. We are committed to raising the bar when it comes to the airport experience and will continue to invest in our facilities, services and technologies that distinguish us as the airport of choice for millions of passengers around the world.”

“Skytrax holds a very special place for all us at HIA, because it’s a platform for our passengers and travellers to share their view on their experiences with us. We are truly honoured and humbled by the support and loyalty of our customers and are motivated more than ever to continue to deliver excellence and meet the needs of our passengers and community at large,” Al Meer added.

The Skytrax survey evaluates customer satisfaction across 39 key performance indicators for airport service and product – from check-in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security and immigration, through to departure at the gate.

HIA, the gateway to Qatar and to the World.

Positioned at the edge of the Arabian Gulf, Hamad International Airport’s tranquil waterside setting provides a perfect backdrop for its stylish architectural elements, underpinned by advanced airport systems in line with its ‘Smart Airport’ vision. Operating 24/7, the airport features two runways, a state-of-the-art air traffic control tower and currently processes 30 million passengers per year and 360,000 aircraft per year. With over 40,000 square meters of combined retail, food and beverage facilities, unmatched spa facilities and a collection of unique art pieces from internationally acclaimed artists, HIA is a destination on its own, designed for the modern traveler. 

source : https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hamad-international-airport-ranked-fourth-best-airport-in-the-world-by-skytrax-world-airport-awards-2019-advancing-from-last-years-ranking-300819843.html

R8 Revenue Management unifies automation, predictive insight and charge flexibility to help airports accelerate time-to-revenue realisation, improve cash flow visibility and maximise growth opportunities.

(London, 27. March 2019) – Veovo, the leading supplier of airport management, guest predictability and revenue maximisation solutions, today unveiled the Veovo R8 Revenue Management System – its next-generation aero and non-aero billing platform – at PTE 2019.

With significant enhancements to processing speed, automation, charge management and user experience, R8 Revenue Management helps airports accelerate time to invoice, improve revenue forecasting, win new carriers and expand routes.

“As airports face a new era of capacity constraints, they urgently need to find ways to reduce revenue leakage and create new sources of revenue to fund future infrastructure development,” said Chris Warrington, VP Veovo. “R8 Revenue Management has been designed to tackle these challenges head-on and is the industry’s only platform that provides bill-ready aero transactions, real-time revenue recognition, and unparalleled charge flexibility.”

The largest airport source of income is aeronautical charges levied per flight, calculated on factors such as landing weight, time of day, passenger numbers, and resources like baggage belts, gates and buses. However, the complexity of airport operations and the disconnect between revenue and operational systems can delay billing data availability and slow revenue realisation.

R8 Revenue Management addresses this by:

Accelerating time-to-revenue generation through end-to-end automated processing: Bill-ready aero transactions and intelligent exception handling slashes time to invoice.

Smoothing cash flow with real-time revenue recognition:

In-line analytics gives financial managers a real-time view of the economic impact of operations, with insight into aero and non-aero accrued revenue.

Winning new carriers and improving throughput with any charge, discount and billing criteria:

Airports can create the differentiated tariff structures they need to expand routes, promote off-peak slot uptake or encourage faster aircraft turnarounds.  

R8 Revenue Management is a key module of Veovo’s Predictive Collaboration Platform which connects, automates and optimises processes against real-time events across the airport. By generating a role-specific and business-orientated answer to challenges, Veovo helps airports plan, predict and perfect operations, and improve financial and guest experience outcomes.

Over 70 airports worldwide benefit from Veovo’s Revenue Management software, including Dublin, Melbourne, Hong Kong International and the UK’s AGS Group. The new R8 version is currently being rolled out to several airports including Belfast International and a Tier 1 US airport.

Veovo is demonstrating the new R8 Revenue Management software and its other operations, guest predictability and concessionaire management systems, at booth 2075 at Passenger Terminal Expo 2019 in London, from 26 to 28 March.

source :http:// www.veovo.com.

Dublin Airport is taking part in a trial that will allow passengers to use the same biometric technology, processes and procedures to “seamlessly travel” between it and Bristol Airport in the UK.

The public trial, which passengers can opt for voluntarily, will start in Dublin next month and uses technology developed by the US company Collins Aerospace, whereby a single sign up identification process streamlines the passenger’s outbound and return journey.

The trial, which is being undertaken in collaboration with an airline partner, is thought to be the first biometric trial that enables passengers to use the same biometric system at their departure and arrival airports and with their airline.

A passenger who opts into the SelfPass process will have the biometric data from their passport securely stored which will help speed up the passenger journey. The biometric information is used at self-service check-in and is linked to their boarding card and their self-drop bag tag.

Using facial recognition technology their image is checked at the boarding gate and is cross referenced with the boarding card information automatically, which means they don’t have to present any documents at the gate.

“We are really pleased to be an early adopter of this new technology designed to further enhance the experience for both our passengers and our airline customers at Dublin Airport,” said Frances O’Brien, daa’s vice president of PMO.

“We’re delighted with the early progress of the trial in testing so far and we look forward to extending the technology to a wider audience, including passengers travelling to the US in the coming months.”

Christopher Forrest, vice president of global airport systems for Collins Aerospace, says: “Dublin and Bristol airports are changing the way passengers travel and making the process easier and more efficient. 

“For example, it takes less than one second to capture and process a passenger’s facial image and eliminates the need to repeatedly present travel documents. 

“We see this as another major leap forward for our biometric technology to play a key role in making the connected aviation ecosystem a reality.”

Collins Aerospace, which is based in Maryland and is part of the United Technologies Corporation, was created last year by bringing together UTC Aerospace Systems and Rockwell Collins.

source: http://www.airport-world.com/news/general-news/7087-new-biometric-trial-to-help-change-the-way-people-travel.html