3 hours Ago By Dillon Shah
Turkish Airlines has revealed that it has begun using facial recognition to help speed up the aircraft boarding process. This, the carrier says, will speed up the boarding process by 50% and will ultimately be introduced elsewhere in its network. Starting with Boston and Miami Turkish Airlines says that the technology has so far only been leveraged at two of its destinations, both in the United States.
On social media Turkish Airlines’ Deputy General Manager Kerem Kızıltunç said: “Turkish Airlines, which continues to climb the ladder of leadership in digitalization, is starting a biometric journey. Our project, which started in Miami and Boston, provides the opportunity to speed up boarding times by up to 50%.” Get all the latest aviation news right here on Simple Flying The next step is to introduce the sped-up boarding process at other destinations, including at its hub in Istanbul.
“We plan to implement contactless boarding processes in Seoul, Izmir, and Istanbul soon, followed by new stations and new capabilities." The carrier operates more than 500 monthly flights to the United States across 14 destinations, according to Cirium data. This includes its services to Boston which are operated by a mix of Airbus A330-300 and A350-900 equipment, as well as the route to Miami which is offered on both the Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 787-9.
How does it work? As shown in the video above, passengers simply have to stand in front of the facial recognition machine and give it a couple of seconds to scan. It matches the live image of the passenger at the boarding gate, to the passports that are on file on the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data servers. In other words, where previously you might have to take out your passport for the gate agent to manually double-check you match the information and face on their screens, the technology will be able to do it on its own.
SITA technology Global air transport IT provider SITA is the developer of the technology that allows for the expedited boarding process. It was first introduced at Miami International Airport (MIA) in February 2019, with a Lufthansa flight to Munich (MUC) inaugurating it. According to the US CBP, the facial recognition verification process “takes less than two seconds with a 99-percent matching rate.
” Diana Einterz, SITA President for the Americas, said: “We have worked closely with the US CBP, airlines and airports to design a seamless biometric exit solution that meets the needs of all parties. SITA Smart PathTM is based on industry-standard common-use gates so it can be used by any other airline at MIA.” America’s first-ever all-biometric entry facility was introduced at MIA as well, beginning in February 2018 (a year prior to the launch of the boarding technology), screening international arrivals through facial recognition technology.
SITA says: “The facility, which has decreased processing times by as much as 80 percent for participating airlines, was chosen from among 80 nominations worldwide as the 2018 International Airport Review Award winner in the Passenger Experience and Seamless Travel category.” The technology is not limited to boarding, of course. In fact, SITA also offers its technology to aid the check-in process for example.
Taipei Taoyuan International Airport is a good example, having signed for the technology earlier this week. The airport has signed for a refresh of its “Local Departure Control System (LDCS), Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) and Common Use Self-Service (CUSS)” as well as its 80 check-in kiosks for international flights at Terminals 1 and 2. SITA says this will have a considerable impact on the airport’s operations.
“With the new check-in and baggage handling processes, Taipei Taoyuan International Airport will reduce wait times and improve overall airport efficiency.”.
