Star Alliance to introduce biometric data recognition
STAR A l lia nce, t he world’s la rgest airline a lliance, and NEC Corporation, a globa l leader in IT, net work a nd biomet r ic tech nolog ies, have entered into a pa r t nership ag reement to develop a biometric databased identif ication platform t hat will significantly improve the travel ex per ience for f requent f lyer programme customers of Star Alliance member airlines.
The new platform aims to deliver a seamless customer journey and is expected to be introduced early next year.
Once implemented, Star Alliance customers who opt-in to biometrics will have a seamless and hands-free passenger experience, allowing them to pass through curb-to-gate touchpoints within airports, such as checkin kiosks, bag-drop, lounges and boarding gates, which traditionally require both a passport and boarding pass, by using a secure identity management solution featuring facial recognition technology.
Moreover, the platform will help airports and the Star Alliance member airlines to increase operationa l ef f iciency.
The service will be available to customers who are enrolled in one of the Star Alliance frequent flyer programmes and who have authorised the use of their biometric data.
Customers will have the option to enrol in t he new platform v ia t heir sma r t phones. They on ly need to enrol once and can then use their biomet r ics data mult iple t i mes at biometrics touchpoints of any part icipat i ng a i r por t whenever t hey travel with a Star Alliance member airline.
Personal data, such as photo and other identification details, are encrypted and safely stored within the platform. From the outset, the system has been designed in compliance with applicable data protection laws making use of the latest facial recognition technology.
Personal data will only be processed with the consent of the passenger. Passengers may be required to show their passport during security and immigration procedures.
“In NEC, we have found a strong partner who shares our vision of a seamless travel experience for air travellers. At Star Alliance we are committed to making the customer journey better, and this strategic partnership with NEC will help us make the way from curb to gate to aircraft a much simpler, yet innovative experience for our customers,” said Star Alliance CEO Jeffrey Goh.
NEC Cor porat ion president a nd CEO Ta kashi Niino sa id: “NEC is pleased to join forces wit h Star Allia nce to br i ng a n i mproved cross ter mi na l c u stomer ex per ienc e. Facia l recog nit ion is t r uly revolut ionisi ng t he a i rl i ne i ndust r y a nd making f ly ing more enjoyable, just as it was a lways intended.
“In support of this partnership, similar to our implementations in United States, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan, NEC will mobilise its global resources and provide local assistance to each of the member airlines to leverage this secure, interoperable platform and rapidly bring our common vision to reality.”
Star Alliance and NEC aim to introduce the first biometric solution at a Star Alliance airport hub by the first quarter of next year.