Identity, Security, Payments, Biometrics, Smart Cards and Authentication News

Biometrics may ease airport headaches

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Within the next few years, waiting in long lines at airports may not be a problem. Biometrics and other high-tech identification may expedite passenger travel across the globe, according to ZDNet Asia.

Matthew Finn, director of government and security for airline industry IT body Sita, says trusted travelers will use automated gates that will enable them quick passage. Sita is involved in a number of these programs including miSense, a biometric security trial at Heathrow Airport.


The security systems will rely on e-passports, or other ID documents that contain fingerprints or iris scans as well as demographic information.

“The U.K. government is absolutely committed to simplifying passenger travel,” Finn says in the article. “Today you will stand in lines several times at a place like Heathrow; it really is repetitive checks and all of that can be integrated. By 2015 the majority of people arriving in and departing from the United Kingdom will hold an international standardized travel document that contains biometrics.”

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AOptix Technologies announced that SITA, a specialist in air transport communications and information technology, has joined the AOptix Value Added Reseller program.

Under the partnership, SITA, who has customers in more than 200 countries which includes 300 airport locations, would be able to offer its customers AOptix solutions. These offerings include the InSight iris and face recognition product as an automated solution for airports to quickly and securely identify passengers at security checkpoints with documents such as biometric-enabled passports.

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Department of Homeland Security Sec. Janet Napolitano and Transportation Security Administration Administrator John S. Pistole announced the expansion of TSA PreCheck, a passenger pre-screening initiative, to additional airports across the country following the program’s success at seven pilot locations.

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A new report released by CAP Strategic Research gives insight into the airport of the future–and predicts that air travel may become less of a chore and more fun by 2025.

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In an effort to streamline passenger security, Jakarta, Indonesia’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport has opened the country’s first biometric immigration gate.

Fingerprint biometric identification provider BIO-key International, Inc. and Oakwell Engineering Limited partnered to create the new gate, designed for use by passengers with electronic passports. Passengers submit their e-passports and authenticate with a fingerprint.

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The OneCard from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, can now be used at three off-campus restaurants with more merchants set to join.

“It’s a project we’ve been working on for some time now and its finally coming to fruition,” said OneCard Coordinator Chris Bird.

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ImageWare Systems announced that the Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), an agency that oversees Los Angeles International (LAX) airport, LA/Ontario International airport and Van Nuys airport, has placed an order for a number of biometric identity management and credentialing solutions.

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