The airline industry has presented new plans for the “check-in of the future” at airports worldwide.
On display at the Aviation Security World Conference, which is taking place this week in Amsterdam, is a new walk-in security system that promises to speed up the airline check-in process.
The new system, planned by The International Air Transport Association (IATA), would work by splitting passengers into three categories after passport check-in. The three security check-in options would be “normal”; “enhanced”; and “known traveller”. Access to the “known traveller” lane would be reserved for travellers that voluntarily provide background data to governments through known-traveller programs, programs such as those currently being tested in the US and Canada.
“Today’s security checkpoint was developed in the 1970s when hijackers carrying metal weapons were the threat. It is a 40 year-old-concept that needs to fundamentally change,” IATA’s Director General and CEO, Tony Tyler, told a 500-strong industry delegation at the conference in Amsterdam.
“A one-size-fits-all model is applied to every passenger. Their experience is often unpleasant, intrusive, inefficient and time consuming. For the billions of dollars that we spend, we could do a lot better … We want technology that will allow passengers to get from kerb to their aircraft seat in a seamless hassle-free process”
What category you fall into as a passenger would be based on data collected on passengers for customs and immigration processes, such as data stored in the Passenger Name Record, or Advanced Passenger Information, which is provided to governments via travel documents.
The moves to streamline and improve the passenger experience at airports worldwide, without neglecting security, will mean that passengers will be able to be screened with their bags without stopping, removing clothing, shoes or unpacking. The IATA believes that the new service could be available within seven years, but parts of the security measures could be implemented sooner.
“There is no need to wait for all the technology to be available to eliminate some of the hassle while improving security,” continued Tyler.
“As known traveller programs are developed, they can be progressively incorporated into the process. And re-purposing of some screening equipment can help with improving efficiencies.”
The IATA claim that there would be no profiling based on religious or ethnic grounds.
(Image: Håkan Dahlström)
