The problem of traveling with fake identities has resulted in enhancing airport security. The introduction of biometric technology at airports was a result of the same. Biometrics are unique to an individual, and it becomes highly impossible for anyone to spoof or tamper with them.
Moreover, as per a report, the average number of domestic air passengers in India was 4.17 lakhs in a day, averaging 15.2 crore yearly domestic passengers, surpassing the record high of 14.4 crore passengers reported in 2019.
Introducing biometric technology as part of the airports is revamping the customer experience and enhancing security in multiple ways, beginning with zero risk of identity theft to securing luggage.
5 Ways Biometrics Are Enhancing Airport Security
Identity Verification During Check-in
When travelers first book their tickets they can link their biometrics like face and fingerprint to their tickets and documents to ensure that only they can board the flight and enhance their check-in experience.
During the check-in process, passengers can find biometric terminals, which match their real faces with the stored biometric information in the system, resulting in smooth check-in without human intervention.
The involvement of biometrics at check ensures that the ticket holder and passenger are the same person. Passengers who undergo biometric verification also experience a better screening process.
Authentication at the Boarding Gate
During the boarding process, passengers can find face recognition terminals at the final junction. They include the biometric database stored mainly on a cloud platform for enhancing user security.
The purpose of such face recognition systems is to offer smooth boarding, ensure that the correct person is boarding the flight, and avoid misuse of digital identities. Moreover, the process also takes the exact passenger identities boarding the flight.
If the system doesn’t match the identity, it raises an alert and informs the administrator or security personnel to avoid onboarding people with fake identities. Today, biometric technology systems, coupled with liveness detection, have enabled to prevention of identity spoofing and tampering attempts at any organization.
Zero Risk of Identity Theft
As biometrics remain unique to the individual at the airports, the risk of identity theft becomes negligible. Moreover, it eliminates the risk of people trying to board the flight with fake identities and crossing borders.
The new-age market solutions such as IDenTrip also include Politically Exposed Person, Anti Money Laundering, Sanction, and other lists of people in the biometric system. The airport authority can also include other lists to flag individuals of interest.
Moreover, biometric technology also enhances the security of airport employees by asking for verification from the pilot and other crew members. The inclusion of such a system can reduce or eliminate the risk of flight hijacking.
Enhances Public Safety
Airport security is constantly on alert to prevent incidences that create havoc for the public. The inclusion of biometrics into IP or CCTV cameras will undoubtedly result in achieving this goal without failure.
Today, Biocube has developed a technology that allows to verification of individuals’ identities registered on the system using CCTV or IP cameras. The integration comes with liveness detection and can include a list of people included in the flight risk, terrorist, or similar category.
Biocube’s IP camera system can completely transform airport security by informing about unregistered passengers present at the airport and the total head count. Such a solution can result in enhancing public safety.
Reduces the Rick of Unclaimed/Lost Baggage
The incidents of bombings on flights have decreased over the years because of the strongest security measures undertaken by airport security. Unfortunately, the incidents of unclaimed or lost baggage remain at large.
The Association of European Airlines states that 85% of lost luggage is found and delivered to the passenger within the initial 36 hours. Unfortunately, this leaves room for the remaining 15% of the baggage, which remains unclaimed.
The Meenambakkam bomb blast case was one of the cases in which bombs were placed in two suitcases and could have resulted in destroying six airplanes. The passenger, Maheshwaran, booked the flight ticket and loaded the baggage but never boarded the plane. Fortunately, the luggage was misplaced on a flight to London and later discovered by the airport security.
Such incidents remind us about staying aware of the airport; however, airport security can significantly benefit from a solution like IDenTrip, which matches the person’s face biometrics with their documents and baggage details. Such a solution can dramatically reduce the risk of unclaimed or misplaced baggage and enhance public safety at airports.
Conclusion
Biometric technology is significantly enhancing security and convenience across airports and borders. It safeguards passengers’ digital identities by avoiding instances of identity theft and fraud.
Simultaneously they allow passengers to smoothly check-in and board flights without undergoing the stringent protocols as they verify their identity. Additionally, when integrated with security systems like CCTV or IP cameras, they can identify potential persons of interest and enhance public safety at the airport.
Face recognition technology can also inform the airport authorities about the passengers present at the airport and who haven’t boarded the flight. Lastly, the risk of lost or unclaimed baggage becomes negligible after linking a person’s biometrics.
Biocube’s IDenTrip can assist airport authorities in streamlining such processes along with verifying traveler credibility via background checks AML, PEP, sanction, and other checklist. The historical flight details can prove beneficial to learn more about the passenger’s preferences and even serve them better.