(TAN): Air New Zealand customers recently experienced biometric verification at the boarding gate after a successful trial at Los Angeles Airport, the airline said in a news release.
This is part of Air New Zealand’s plan to take the friction out of travel and to make the journey through the airport that much smoother. No sighting passports and no scanning boarding passes. Upon entering the US, customers are provided with the opportunity to register with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) using their biometric information.
Using the automated airport kiosks, this same data is then used to verify their identity at the time of boarding. Biometric information is secured by CBP and not directly accessible to Air New Zealand or any other airline using this service.
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Air New Zealand Chief Digital Officer Nikhil Ravishankar says this technology will speed up the boarding process, creating a seamless experience for customers and airport staff. “Using biometrics at the boarding gate is only the beginning and we’re in talks with industry players, globally and here in New Zealand, about how we can use biometric technology throughout the whole airport process.”
In a similar development, British Airways recently claimed to have become the first UK airline to trial the use of biometric technology for international flights, enabling customers taking part in the trial to travel through the airport without having to show their passport. Customers who sign up to take part in the airline’s trial from London Heathrow Terminal 5 will be invited to scan their face, passport and boarding pass on their smartphone or tablet ahead of travel, with this information being kept safe and secure. The trial will run for six months on British Airways flights to Malaga, Spain. If the trial is successful, it’s expected to be extended to more international flights.
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