Beginning this year, passengers traveling through Frankfurt Airport (Fraport) in Germany, can breeze through the various steps in the journey from check-in to boarding – simply by scanning their faces at biometric touch points across the airport.
This solution, the airport authority said will be rolled out and available to all interested airlines at the airport.
The implementation which will see additional biometric touchpoints installed by spring 2023, will ensure that from enrollment at a kiosk or counter, to pre-security automated gates and self-boarding gates, passengers can use biometric technology to seamlessly pass through each stage of the journey by simply scanning their face.
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 enrollment, 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.
“This implementation plays a key part in paving the way for the rollout of biometrics across Star Alliance’s global network, as it endeavors 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.”
Commenting on the development, member of the Executive Board and Executive Director Aviation & Infrastructure, Fraport AG, Dr. Pierre Dominique Prümm,
said: “Emerging from the pandemic, passengers are embracing technology to boost efficiency and place them in control of their travel. 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.”
For SITA President for Europe, Sergio Colella: “We are delighted to be working with key industry players to bring the benefits of biometric technology to passengers everywhere. 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.”
