NEC Corporation has announced that Lufthansa Airlines and Swiss International Airlines (SWISS), Lufthansa Group airline members of Star Alliance, launched the ‘Star Alliance Biometrics’ identity verification platform, utilising NEC’s facial recognition technologies, at Frankfurt Airport and Munich Airport.
NEC and Star Alliance have been co-operating since July 2019 in the development of an identity verification platform utilising biometric certification, and this launch at Frankfurt Airport and Munich Airport is the first commercial service to emerge from the partnership.
Passengers using this service can pass through security access and boarding gates without contact by registering face images and passport information with mobile apps from each company in advance. This platform features NEC’s facial recognition engine, which has been evaluated as the world’s most accurate, in order to ensure high-precision certification, even when individuals are wearing masks.
With the worldwide spread of COVID-19, NEC aims to contribute to safer and more secure air travel by helping to control the spread of illness by enabling non-contact, mask-worn check-in airport boarding procedures.
This service is available to Lufthansa and SWISS Miles & More frequent flyer programme members who agree to and register for the use of biometric information. Facial images and personal information of passengers are encoded and safely stored on the platform, which is designed in accordance with the laws and regulations of information protection in each country that it operates, and customer names are not saved. Moreover, Star Alliance will not use personal information without the consent of passengers.
Over 1,700 Miles & More members have already registered for the new service, with processing efficiency measurements now underway.
NEC’s facial recognition is part of the NEC I:Delight platform of contactless biometric solutions that make touchpoints touchless. Going forward, NEC aims to strengthen biometric collaboration with Star Alliance, while expanding personalised services both inside and outside the airport to make the travel experience more enjoyable.
