Biometric touchpoints will be installed across Frankfurt Airport in spring 2023, in collaboration with SITA and NEC, enabling travellers to seamlessly pass through each stage of the airport journey – from check-in to boarding. The solution will be available to all interested airlines at the airport.
From enrolment at a kiosk or counter, to pre-security automated gates and self-boarding gates, passengers will be able to use biometric technology to seamlessly pass through each stage of the journey by simply scanning their face.
“Emerging from the pandemic, passengers are embracing technology to boost efficiency and place them in control of their travel,” said Dr. Pierre Dominique Prümm, Member of the Executive Board and Executive Director Aviation & Infrastructure, Fraport AG. “We are extremely excited to be able to transform the experience for all our passengers across all terminals and carriers with one simple, intuitive solution. We also value that SITA and NEC’s innovative technology allows our infrastructure to be truly future-proof, with the capacity to grow with us as industry demands and travel patterns shift.”
The project breaks new ground in the development of digital travel by providing a true common-use biometric platform at all Fraport terminals, open to all airlines operating at the airport. It combines day of travel enrolment, Star Alliance Biometrics, and additional biometric hubs under the umbrella of the SITA Smart Path platform.
For Lufthansa passengers specifically, thanks to the integration of SITA Smart Path with Star Alliance Biometrics, the technology makes use of the biometric identities of Lufthansa passengers enrolled on Star Alliance’s platform, enabling seamless identification of passengers without additional process steps across multiple participating airports and airlines.
“We are delighted to be working with key industry players to bring the benefits of biometric technology to passengers everywhere,” said Sergio Colella, SITA President for Europe. “With this implementation, Fraport is leading the industry in responding to shifting passenger demands for greater autonomy and convenience, while helping to maximise operational efficiencies.”
This implementation plays a key part in paving the way for the rollout of biometrics across Star Alliance’s global network, as it endeavours to have more of its 26 member carriers using biometric technology progressively. Key learnings from the Fraport project will be considered for further implementations across the network.
The NEC I:Delight digital identity management platform, which is fully integrated with SITA Smart Path, ranked No.1 several times as the world’s most accurate face recognition technology in vendor tests conducted by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It allows passengers who have opted to use the service to be identified quickly and accurately, even on the move. Passengers who do not wish to use the solution can check-in using a traditional check-in counter.
NEC is Diamond Sponsor at FTE Global 2023, taking place in Los Angeles on 19-21 September, and will be central to a key conference session on digital identity and biometrics.
“We have a wealth of experience combining our technical know-how with SITA’s understanding of the air transport industry,” said Jason Van Sice, Vice President for NEC Advanced Recognition Systems. “We are proud to be upgrading Lufthansa and Fraport customers’ experience with next-generation biometric technology, and we applaud Star Alliance’s initiative to bring these benefits to its broader network.”
