Taipei Songshan Airport is the first in Taiwan to pilot touchless boarding as the country seeks to make its airports smarter, according to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications March 23.
In a statement, the MOTC said biometric boarding is being promoted by state-of-the-art airports around the world. The ministry added that the service utilizes the One ID concept, which deploys facial recognition technology to identify travelers and eliminate the use of boarding passes and passports.
The new system reduces staffing while enhancing airport security, MOTC Minister Lin Chia-lung said. As airport employees will no longer need to handle passengers’ documents, the risk of disease transmission through physical contact is minimized, further strengthening existing epidemic prevention efforts, he added.
According to the MOTC, the trial combines the existing e-Gate system that streamlines immigration clearance with e-Check entry points controlling access to restricted areas and an e-Board system replacing boarding gates.
The touchless checkpoints also incorporate thermal imaging scans to record passengers’ temperatures, with information forwarded to airline companies along with their IDs, the ministry said, adding that all personal data is automatically deleted within an hour of boarding.
The trial at Taipei Songshan Airport will last six months and be used to screen departing passengers only, according to the MOTC. Introduction of the service to other airports in Taiwan will be determined by the success of the trial, the ministry added. (DL-E)
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