Star Alliance partners with NEC for biometric technology
The aviation industry is changing at a fast pace, with new advancements and developments cropping up every other day. The primary mission for aviation stakeholders is to create a safer, seamless and more customer-friendly passenger experience, by incorporating technology. These developments are slowly but steadily being rolled out across not only international airports but in Indian airports too. Enhanced security technology, baggage handling, reimagined boarding gates etc. are just a few areas where airport experience is being reinterpreted and improved.
A case in point is the recent collaboration announcement between NEC Corporation, the global leader in Information Technology (IT), network and biometric technologies, and Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline alliance. Together, the two players will conceptualise and develop a biometric data-based identification platform, specifically directed at Star Alliance airlines’ frequent flyers. The mission of this collaboration is to give passengers a seamless airport experience, while at the same time improving the loyalty value proposition. Passengers are likely to see the first results of this collaboration at a Star Alliance hub airport by early 2020.
How will it pan out, you ask? Once this partnership comes into play, Star Alliance passengers who choose the biometric option will enjoy a smooth and handsfree experience. This technology will help them go through different airport stages with the help of facial recognition technology. At the core of this process is an identity management system that is entirely secured. What does this mean for a passenger? Basically, if you are a frequent flyer of one of the Star Alliance member airlines, you will need to choose to register on this new platform to enable and authorise the use of biometric data. Once this is done, every time you arrive at or depart from an airport where NEC Corporation has integrated this technology, you can use your biometric data to effortlessly go through different stages like check-in desks or kiosks, luggage drop, lounges, and even at the boarding gate. However, passengers will be required to show their passports at certain crucial phases like immigration and security. The platform is designed in such a way that the passenger’s confidential personal data is encrypted and retained securely, in keeping with privacy laws and data protection regulations.
For the airline and airport, this could also mean improved operational efficiency.
Takashi Niino, president and chief executive officer of NEC Corporation says, “NEC is pleased to join forces with Star Alliance to bring an improved cross terminal customer experience. Facial recognition is truly revolutionising the airline industry and making flying more enjoyable, just as it was always intended. In support of this partnership, similar to our implementations in the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan, NEC will mobilise its global resources and provide local assistance to each of the member airlines to leverage this secure, interoperable platform and rapidly bring our common vision to reality.”
Increased Safety and Security
While the recent collaboration between NEC and Star Alliance may be making news in the aviation circles, the former has been at the cutting edge of airport and aviation technology for the past 50 years. Today, NEC offers solutions ranging from communications, navigation, surveillance, air traffic control and airport operations, which are being incorporated around the world in different forms. NEC works closely with airport authorities and civil aviation ministries to implement these changes and technologies. There are different solutions for different operations. For instance, for air traffic control, NEC has developed the Transportable Radar Control System (TRCS) and the Automated Radar Terminal System (ARTS). Then there is the Flight Information Display System (FIDS), which are the screens seen at different terminals, displaying flight-related information, ticket counter information as well as safety signboards. This is in addition to screens displaying vital information at airports such as on-ground transport options, washrooms, emergency and fire information as well as news and weather displays.
Another important development from the NEC is the stand management system, which is a comprehensive system to assign stands for each arriving and departing aircraft, in keeping with the airport operation schedule. This is an extremely important phase to ensure the smooth operation of any airport. The stand management system operates in real-time and ensures that bays are assigned to aircraft in a seamless manner. nec.com/en
Image credit: NEC Corporation
