Quick and easy boarding using facial recognition at Schiphol

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Posted: 7 February 2017 | Roy Manuell (International Airport Review) |

Together with KLM, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has started a trial with voluntary ‘biometric boarding’, involving boarding without having to show your boarding pass and passport…

Passengers can board quickly and easily via a separate gate that identifies passengers using facial recognition.

Schiphol and KLM are assessing facial recognition technology with this trial, testing the speed, reliability and user-friendliness of the system. The boarding process and passenger experience will also be evaluated. The ultimate goal is to make the boarding process as easy and quick as possible for passengers. The trial period will last at least three months.

The trial will take place at a selected gate at the airport. To use facial recognition for boarding, passengers must register first. There is a special registration kiosk in the waiting area at the gate. KLM staff will assist with the procedure.

The airport has the ambition of becoming ‘Leading Digital Airport’ in 2018…

To register, passengers must scan 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. The data will automatically be deleted after boarding.

Schiphol and its partners are continually implementing innovations and smart ways to improve travel convenience, airport processes and the time these take. The airport has the ambition of becoming ‘Leading Digital Airport’ in 2018 and this trial is part of this. The introduction of the very first security scan for passengers, crew and staff and the new security lane in 2015 were some of the results of the collaboration with KLM and the government over the past few years. A trial is also currently taking place with a hand baggage scanner that allows passengers to leave laptops and liquids in their bags. Innovative technologies will be tested regularly in the coming period and subsequently rolled out if trials prove successful.