HID offers expert insight into how biometrics help airports and airlines keep pace with rising passenger expectations for speed, safety and simplicity – all while boosting efficiency at scale.
Passengers want a fast, secure and straightforward journey, but travelling through an airport can often feel like a juggling act. From searching for passports and boarding passes to repetitively answering questions at checkpoints, all while keeping track of personal belongings in crowded terminals, the experience can be overwhelming.
Airlines and airports must adapt to meet the expectations of modern passengers.
Implementing biometric technology, such as facial recognition, can revolutionise the airport experience by enabling secure and frictionless journeys that don’t just cater to the needs of passengers, but also to airport and airline operators.
By transforming the passenger journey into a connected, streamlined process powered by secure biometric verification, airport and airline operators can enhance real-time decision-making. This leads to a faster, smoother and less stressful experience for travellers, with data managed responsibly and used solely to support their travel.
Operational Gains that Count
Facial recognition streamlines the airport journey by replacing manual document checks with quick, automated verification at key touchpoints, enabling a smoother, more orderly flow. Automation reduces staffing needs, allowing redeployment to customer service or security – lowering operational costs and improving overall efficiency.
Facial biometrics address common pain points such as long queues, delays and human error. The technology has been proven to accelerate passenger verification by up to five times compared to manual methods, while adding an additional layer of security.
Accuracy You Can Count On
Where human checks can be inconsistent, facial recognition systems stay sharp – confirming identities in seconds with reliable precision.
Unlike humans, facial recognition systems do not get tired, stressed or distracted. They maintain accuracy even during the busiest travel periods, ensuring that only authorised passengers move forward. This reliability not only boosts security and operational efficiency, but also the safety and satisfaction of passengers.
Partnering for Seamless Travel
With all of these benefits, it’s no surprise that the market for facial recognition technology is predicted to grow by more than 16% over the next five years, according to Mordor Intelligence.
This brings us to a key consideration: the right partner. Air travel is a uniquely complex and demanding environment – defined by high passenger volumes, strict regulatory requirements and the need for seamless integration across diverse systems and stakeholders. In this setting, a trusted partner can ensure biometric solutions are effective, scalable, secure and tailored to the operational realities of today’s airports and airlines.
HID brings over 30 years of biometric experience, offering cutting-edge technology that easily integrates into existing infrastructure. This allows airlines and airports to enhance security, efficiency and user experience without disrupting operations.
Rather than a one-size-fits-all product, HID delivers scalable, tailored biometric solutions built on an open, modular platform. This makes it highly adaptable to specific operational needs and capable of phased deployment.
Ready to Take Off with Facial Recognition?
Facial recognition is no longer a future concept. It’s here, it’s proven and ready to elevate your operations and the passenger experience today.
Whether you’re just exploring options or ready to deploy, our experts are here to help you navigate the path to a more convenient travel experience for your customers and a more efficient environment for your business.
This article first appeared in the Airport-News Magazine 2025. Download the full PDF version here.
