Technology: biometrics takes shape in the world of travel

Arriving at the airport, making your way to the boarding gate, then taking off without being slowed down by a succession of checks, without even having to pull out your boarding pass or passport: this is the dream of every business traveller. A dream that could soon become reality, as transport specialists work to develop new methods for identify travellers instantly and infallibly. A panacea for any immigration service...

In practice, it's a matter of combining technology with people, in the technical sense of the term. Facial recognition, iris scanner, voice identification The airport lexicon is becoming increasingly futuristic, worthy of Douglas Adams' The Galactic Traveller's Guide. These identification methods are known as biometricsdefined by CNIL (Commission nationale informatique et libertés) as "all the computer techniques used to automatically recognise an individual on the basis of their physical, biological or even behavioural characteristics".

The use of biometrics is far from new. Without going back as far as Qin Shi Huangdi - the Chinese emperor who first authenticated certain documents with a digital signature, two centuries before our era - identification has had time to prove its worth in the world of travel. For several years now, the US immigration authorities have been using this type of system at international airports. And the installation of the Parafe (Rapid Automated Border Crossing) by the group Paris airports dates back to 2009. Since then, every passport issued in France has included a component storing two of its owner's fingerprints.

What is more recent is the acceleration of test phases, the diversification of tools and their use at new stages in the traveller's journey. For some time now, not a week has gone by without an airport or airline carrying out a biometric experiment. In 2015, Alaska Airlines was a pioneer. At the time, the airline launched a test based on fingerprints to gain access to airport business lounges and then board without having to show a passport or boarding card. "Our dream is that at every stage of air travel where you are asked to prove your identity, you can simply use your fingerprint."said Jerry Tolzman, Director of Customer Research and Development at Alaska Airlines.

Since then, other carriers have shared this dream and are looking to make it a reality. The airport of Schipol and the Dutch company KLM launched a test phase in February, with the ambition of being crowned "Leading Digital Airport" in 2018. Pre-checked-in passengers have access to a dedicated kiosk that uses the facial recognition for "biometric boarding", eliminating the need for a plane ticket and passport.

From his side, Delta has been experimenting since May at the airport of Washington the system CLEAR. The first phase is limited to the business lounges, pending check-in and boarding. "We are fast approaching the day when your fingerprints, iris or face will become the only form of identification you need."promises Gil West, Delta's Chief Operating Officer.

Closer to home, Air France should soon be embarking on its own biometric adventure. At the exhibition Viva Technology held last June, French airline executives discussed the selfie ID" projectwhich could well become a reality as early as 2018. The idea would be to be able to use the traveller's photo stored on their smartphone as identification, authenticated thanks to an association with the NFC chip of its passport. Also in France, in Terminal 2F at Roissy-CDG, Aéroports de Paris is experimenting with the Portuguese company Vision-Box the solution PARAFE IIThe new system, based on facial recognition, is also being tested at Marseille Provence airport.

Australia is also setting its sights high with its "Seamless Traveller. By replacing passport control with various types of biometric identification - fingerprints, facial recognition and iris scans - the local authorities intend to automate immigration controls for 90 % passengers by 2020. The airline industry is clearly in the front line, but the other players in the business travel sector are also getting busy.

Since the beginning of the year, passengers Eurostar can opt for Facial recognition airlock at Paris-Nord station. The system was already available at London St PancrasBrussels-Midi station should soon be equipped with this system, also designed by the Portuguese company Vision-Box. In Sweden, the experiment goes much further. Perhaps even too far for some people's taste... Since this summer, the railway company SJ has been offering its passengers the chance to enjoy the benefits of the system. replace their ticket with an RFID chip implanted under the skinscanned by ticket inspectors. The mobile ticket on a smartphone is almost vintage...

Improving fluidity

In the hotel industry, biometrics is still in the future, but the outlook is promising. 74 % of hoteliers surveyed by Oracle expect facial recognition to be adopted by 2025. Its use would then range from opening a room to identifying a loyal customer as soon as they enter the hotel, in order to offer them an ultra-personalised service. Travellers seem to share this vision, with 62 % of them believing that the use of biometrics would improve their stay, and in 41 % of cases increase their loyalty.

The use of biometric technologies varies, but the objective remains the same: to increase fluidity and security. Rail stations and airports are more sensitive areas than ever. The attacks on Brussels and Istanbul airports were a reminder, if one were needed, that security measures are essential in such environments. The number of travellers is increasing exponentially.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts that the number of international passengers will have doubled by 2035, reaching 7.2 billion. So we need to check in better and faster, at the risk of seeing the famous passenger journey turn into an interminable obstacle course. So what's the point of trying to improve an aircraft's performance if the wait on the ground becomes interminable?

Very personal data

Business travellers, accustomed to airports all over the world and familiar with checks, obviously share this observation. But are they ready to give up their bodies to biometrics, to hand over highly personal data to the authorities, carriers, airports and even other intermediaries? In any case, most seem to be expecting promising developments in this area. According to the business travellers surveyed by Boxever in 2015, biometrics came well ahead (61 %) of the most promising technologies and services in the world of travel, far ahead of robots (29 %) and the collaborative economy (20 %). Specialist in airport technologies, SITA assures us that the general public is ready to enter the biometric era. Based on a study published this summer - the 12th edition of "The Passenger IT Trends Survey -SITA estimates that a comfortable majority of passengers (57 %) would not hesitate to replace their passport or boarding card with biometrics if they had the opportunity to do so.

Admittedly, it is in the interests of this high-tech player to send out such a message. The fact remains that the use of biometrics is gaining ground with the general public. For several years now, theiPhone identifies the fingerprint. The new iPhone X unveiled on 12 September, goes even further with the Face ID facial recognition technology. The competition's Galaxy S8 relies on an iris scanner. However - and Samsung has learned the hard way (see box below) - not all systems offer the same guarantees. The widespread use of biometrics will require technical and ethical standards to be put in place, otherwise the public will be exposed to serious problems.

Back in 2014, US Senator Al Franken explained:"I have serious concerns about facial recognition technology and how it could redefine privacy in the future. Unlike other biometric identifiers such as iris scanners and fingerprints, facial recognition is designed to operate remotely, without the identified person's knowledge or consent. Individuals cannot prevent identification by cameras that could be installed anywhere, on a lamppost, on a drone or in a person's glasses..."

Enhanced security

Security considerations will undoubtedly play a key role in the development of biometrics. However, other "lighter" uses are also being considered. Dean Senner, CEO of the Tascent company, envisages more playful uses, for example: "In the near future, the technology will enable a person travelling from New York to California with a stopover in Denver to watch the start of a film during the first leg of the journey and then, once on board the second plane, to pick up the film exactly where it left off after a quick biometric identification."

It's only a short step from seeing these technologies as an additional source of revenue, and one that market players are tempted to take. The white paper published in 2015 by Tascent on the theme of "the new golden age of air transport". notes that "simplify purchases by introducing biometric payment either via a system integrated into the seat or via a mobile device used by a member of the crew, making the transaction more fluid."

Payment: this is the other territory to be conquered by biometrics specialists. The race is already on. Over the last few months, Mastercard has unveiled two promising new products. At the end of 2016, the Identity Check Mobile made its debut in a dozen countries. This mobile payment application is based on the cardholder's fingerprint and facial recognition, with the aim of "making it easier for the cardholder to make payments".make the online payment experience more fluid, without compromising on security and safety"says Ajay Bhalla, President of Risk & Security at Mastercard. The payment specialist is very confident that these new technologies will be well received.

According to a study carried out with Oxford University, 93% of consumers would prefer mobile biometrics to traditional passwords. And Mastercard did it again in April with its biometric cardtested in South Africa. In practical terms, the cardholder's fingerprint is registered with his or her bank and then stored on the card. When the time comes to pay for purchases, the cardholder inserts his or her card as usual into any EMV ("Europay Mastercard Visa") terminal, and then places his or her fingers on the sensor built into the card. The fingerprint is then compared with the registered template, and the transaction validated if the data matches. So the future is already here, as confirmed by a study published in May by Juniper Research, which estimates that the number of mobile transactions based on biometric authentication will reach two billion by the end of 2017, compared with 600 million a year earlier. Security, payment, entertainment: biometric technology promises to profoundly change the daily lives of travellers.