admin Touch-less digital technologies including biometrics can help control coronavirus infections during international travel and accelerate a return to pre-pandemic traffic and business levels at airports around the world, a panel of air travel and technology experts has recently announced.
Repercussions of this Announcement
The aviation industry is poised for a slow but steady recovery after a challenging 2020, when revenue was only about 40 percent of the year before. Infection-control measures have allowed travelers to continue flying through the pandemic as airlines and airports adapted to the latest outbreaks, said members of the panel at NEC Visionary Week 2021. The event brings together thought leaders from around the world to share their insights on the future of society, discuss business issues that need to be tackled, as well as how to solve them.
New Tech Plan
Air hubs are deploying touch-less technology to make the flight experience safe and seamless. It comes as airports are desperate to recover their business: like many hubs, Tokyo’s Narita International Airport has been severely affected by the pandemic, with about 60% of its roughly 500 shops closed temporarily, 10% permanently and 30% under limited operations.
Ahead of the start of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in July, Narita launched Face Express. It’s a biometric solution aimed at reducing lineups and enhancing infection safety measures. Passengers first scan their passport and boarding pass at a self-check-in station. The machine takes a photo of a passenger’s face, which then acts as a passport and boarding pass, allowing passengers to drop off baggage and go through security and boarding gates without showing identification. It’s designed to improve airport security, increase passenger convenience and give staff more time to serve travelers.
“We found that self-service and biometric technologies are very effective for the touch-less process at the airport. It can prevent infections between passengers and staff as well,” said Hideharu Miyamoto, executive director of Narita International Airport Corporation. “I think this technology is going to be very important when we restart international travel.”
Privacy is Paramount
The face-recognition technology behind Face Express is part of a portfolio of advanced biometric authentication technologies that was developed by NEC with privacy and security in mind. The solutions provider was again ranked first in the world in August 2021 in a face recognition technology benchmarking test conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology.
“Over 1,000 systems using the NEC digital platform have been implemented in more than 70 countries and regions around the world. It’s used in wide-ranging fields such as immigration control, national identification and the check-in system for the entertainment industry,” said panelist Norihiko Ishiguro, NEC Corporation senior executive vice president. “We improved the technology in response to the COVID-19 situation to recognize a face even with a mask on.”
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