Austrian Airlines and Vienna International Airport are set to be the latest adopters of the Star Alliance Biometrics contactless boarding system. The Star Alliance program uses facial recognition to allow passengers to board their flights without the need for a physical boarding pass, while also enabling an entirely contactless security experience.
To take advantage of the new biometric boarding system, travellers will need to register — which must be done a minimum of 24 hours prior to departure — via the Miles & More app. In the registration process they will be asked to provide a selfie which is then authenticated against the photo on their passport using facial recognition. Biometric data collected by the app is encrypted and not shared outside of the platform.
Once registered, travellers can then take advantage of the contactless biometric boarding system without having to take off their masks, as the NEC-developed facial recognition being utilized doesn’t require it.
“The optimization of travel processes is a top priority for us,” said Austrian Airlines CCO Michael Trestl. “With biometric technology, we can offer our frequent flyers more travel comfort and a contactless passenger journey. Once registered, the free service can now be used for Austrian, Lufthansa and Swiss flights at our Vienna hub in addition to Munich and Frankfurt airports.”
With travel being among the hardest hit industries by the COVID-19 pandemic, many airlines, airports, and government agencies around the world have been scrambling to assure potential travelers that safety measures have been implemented to adapt to the changing circumstances. As a result, biometric technology has surged in popularity in the sector over the past year and a half. Star Alliance — which already boasts German airline Lufthansa as one of its first adopters — made its debut in November of 2020 at Germany’s Frankfurt and Munich airports.
