China Southern Airlines has become the country’s first carrier to use facial recognition software in the boarding process, launching the system at an airport in Henan province.
China Southern Airlines has become the country’s first carrier to use facial recognition software in the boarding process, launching the system at an airport in Henan province.
Photo:Lifeofguangzhou
Passengers did not have to get a boarding pass at check-in, as cameras verified their faces with their passport photos.
Also at the boarding gates, the system again confirmed their identity.
Before the smart boarding system was launched, China Southern Airlines had notified passengers to download the airlines’ app and upload a head shot before going to the airport to check-in.
The system verifies images on the app with passengers’ ID photos and their real-time images at the airport. Its takes just one second.
The airline said its initial use of the technology at Nanyang will pave the way for similar roll-outs at Beijing’s new airport and elsewhere. It reportedly plans a large-scale use of the system, including implementing it at the newly built Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport Terminal 2 in 2018, the People’s Daily reported.
The airline developed its new facial recognition software with tech giant Baidu and GRG Banking, a Guangzhou-based ATM supplier. It relies on biometric technology that identifies people based on their facial features.
Huang Wenqiang, general manager of the airline’s e-commerce division, said the smart-boarding system involved multiple encryption measures, which would prevent personal information theft.
Photo:Lifeofguangzhou
One of the first visitors to use the system, a man surnamed Wang, told the state-owned People’s Daily: “It feels very novel. I was carrying lots of luggage, stood in front of the gate, and the boarding doors immediately opened. I didn’t need to pull out my boarding pass. [It was} so much more convenient!”
Hou Kan, a member of the International Air Transport Association, said in the company’s announcement that the flight boarding process has become more efficient in recent years. Following mobile ticketing, self check-in, and express airport security, facial recognition was the latest step in streamlining boarding to improve the passenger experience, he said.
