Heathrow passengers are set for a biometric revolution as the airport announces plans for a full-scale roll out of new biometric services from the summer of 2019, according to a press release by the London airport.
LHR stated: “The new technology will be a first for the UK’s only hub airport and will streamline the passenger journey through Heathrow from check-in to take-off – which could reduce the average passenger’s journey time by up to a third.”
Explaining the ambitious project, the release details that “The new technology uses facial recognition at check-in, bag drops, security lanes and boarding gates to create a seamless experience for passengers travelling through the airport.
The £50 million project is part of a wider programme of investment to streamline passenger journeys and once complete will mean that Heathrow will have the world’s largest deployment of biometric products.
The long-term aim of the technology will be for passengers to be able to walk through the airport without breaking their stride.
Passengers have already been trialling the new services in the live operation throughout 2018 and feedback has been tremendously positive.”
Heathrow Customer Relations and Service Director Jonathan Coen said: “As our passenger numbers continue to grow, we must look for innovative ways to make it easier and quicker for them to travel through Heathrow with choice, whilst keeping our airport secure.
Biometrics are key to helping us do that and we are really excited about the biggest roll out of this equipment at any UK airport.
“With this technology we’ll be able to offer passengers choice on how they travel through our airport, with colleagues on hand to guide passengers that require it.
Biometric technology has been well received by our passengers so far and we’re looking forward to working with our colleagues and the airline community as part of our ongoing transformation at Heathrow, with a focus on enhancing passenger experience.”
