Etihad Airways to explore facial biometrics for passenger check-in, boarding

Etihad Airways to explore facial biometrics for passenger check-in, boarding

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is trialling the use of facial biometrics for cabin crew, with plans to explore its use by passengers to speed up check-in and boarding.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline has partnered with information technology company SITA to trial facial biometrics in order to check in cabin crew at the airlines Crew Briefing Centre at Abu Dhabi International Airport.

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The trial will continue until February 2021 and will provide the airline with invaluable data to explore future exploration of biometric technology for use in guest operations, such as check-in and boarding, it said in a statement.

The trial will use facial recognition technology to identify and authenticate crew members, allowing them to complete check-in procedures and mandatory pre-flight safety and security questions digitally via their own mobile devices.

The new initiative will replace the current kiosk-based check-in process which requires crew to use their staff identity cards as a form of authentication.

Sulaiman Yaqoobi, vice president flight operations, Etihad Aviation Group said: “Etihad is constantly on the lookout for innovative solutions and new technologies that will drive improvements in the airline's operations and enhance