Fraport and SITA (a Platinum Sponsor of FTE APEX Asia Expo, 8-9 November 2023, Singapore) are enabling all airlines at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to jointly use face biometrics as identification from check-in to boarding. FRA is the first airport in Europe to offer biometric touchpoints to all airline passengers, enabling streamlined, frictionless passage throughout the airport.
“Together with Lufthansa and the Star Alliance airlines, we have been offering this innovative service since 2020, an experience – with the help of SITA and NEC – which will now be extended to all airlines,” said Dr. Pierre Dominique Prümm, Executive Director Aviation and Infrastructure, Fraport. “We are the first European airport to offer all passengers a contactless and convenient passenger journey using biometrics. Our goal for the coming months is to equip at least 50% of all check-in kiosks, pre-security and boarding gates with the new and pioneering technology.”
Using SITA’s Smart Path biometric solution, powered by NEC (a Gold Sponsor of FTE APEX Asia Expo, 8-9 November 2023, Singapore), your face becomes your boarding pass. Passengers can securely register in advance on their mobile device through the Star Alliance biometric app or directly at the check-in kiosk with their biometrics-enabled passports. The whole registration process only takes a few seconds.
Once registered, passengers pass through the facial recognition-equipped checkpoints without showing any physical documents.
David Lavorel, CEO of SITA, said: “We have seen that the more we can automate the passenger journey in the airport, the better the experience. Biometric touchpoints significantly speed up the mandatory steps in the airport, giving passengers more time to relax before the flight rather than waiting in line. We know from our research that where biometrics are introduced, more than 75% of passengers will gladly use them. Therefore, we are pleased to bring the benefits of a faster airport journey to Frankfurt Airport.”
Naoki Yoshida, Corporate Senior Vice President, NEC, commented: “As a pioneering biometrics technology partner of Star Alliance and SITA, we are proud to be able to support Fraport’s innovative and ground-breaking approach to streamlining passenger facilitation by creating a seamless travel experience throughout one of Europe’s most important gateways for travel.”
Hear more from SITA and NEC at FTE APEX Asia Expo, taking place in Singapore on 8-9 November 2023. Sumesh Patel, President, Asia Pacific, SITA, is speaking in the Premium Conference in the “Opening Keynote Panel – Leadership perspectives on the biggest opportunities and challenges for the aviation industry across Asia and beyond”. Meanwhile, Bill Carleton, Director, Advanced Recognition Systems, NEC Corporation of America, is speaking on the Expo Stage in a session focused on “Finding the right balance between automation and human service to enhance the passenger experience”.
