Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands has partnered with Dutch airline KLM to trial biometric boarding gates over a three-month period.
The state-of-the-art eGates will enable passengers to use a facial scan to board the aircraft, eliminating the need to show a boarding pass and passport and therefore helping to expedite the security process.
Over the coming months, KLM and Schiphol will test the speed, reliability and user-friendliness of the system, as well as evaluate the boarding process and passenger experience.
To use the biometric gates during the trial, passengers must first register their details at a kiosk in the waiting area at the selected gate. This includes scanning their passports and boarding passes, as well as their faces. To ensure privacy is protected, the personal data will only be used for the trial and will be automatically deleted after boarding.
Alongside the new biometric gates, Schiphol is also trialling a hand baggage scanner that enables passengers to leave laptops and liquids in their bags. The new technology will be rolled out as part of Schiphol’s Leading Digital Airport initiative if trials prove successful.
Written by Dan Symonds
