Istanbul Airport has recently concluded a six-month biometric trial, which showed 30% reduction in boarding times.
The biometric-enabled Proof of Concept (PoC) was conducted by SITA with the aim to design a low-touch passenger experience and optimise passenger processing at the airport.
The biometric solution enabled airline agents to enrol passengers on the existing SITA Flex common-use check-in counters. Once enrolled, passengers were able to scan their face at every step of the journey, for security check, lounge access and boarding, without having to touch any surfaces.
The PoC, which took place in partnership with Turkish Airlines, involved the use of sophisticated biometric technology across multiple touchpoints. These included a common use terminal (CUTE) for Smart Path enrolment, a PaxCheck boarding pass verification point where passengers gain access to the gates, iGA lounge access verification, and boarding gate verification.
Ersin Inankul, Chief Digital & Commercial Officer, iGA, commented: “Despite the challenging economic environment we are confident that smart technology implementations are crucial to boost passenger confidence and increase the airport’s efficiency. Istanbul Airport is a technology-driven airport and we’re proud to be leading the way in terms of low touch smart systems that can help keep passengers safe while reducing operational burdens on the airport.”
Hani El-Assaad, President, Middle East, India & Africa (MEIA), SITA, added: “SITA is considered as the technology partner of iGA in terms of airport systems and operations with solutions implemented throughout the airport. This latest PoC harnesses existing SITA technology infrastructure including SITA Smart Path and SITA Flex to further optimise passenger processing at a time when safety and efficiency are in sharp focus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
