In the age of digital transformation, there are very few industries that are not affected by automation, and airports are no exception. Over the past few years, new automated technology has appeared, making the airport experience a more seamless one. From facial recognition to AI-powered baggage handling, smart technology is redefining air travel.
Intelligent Automation Everywhere
The automation revolution has touched nearly every industry. For example, in the entertainment sector automation is changing the consumer experience, with automated content recommendations created personalized user experiences or even by allowing the creation of immersive viewing options. The iGaming sector has been enhanced too by automation, with online slots casinos like Paddy Power now featuring a smart search bar to offer players predictive suggestions on searches. This can range from themes like animal slots to features like free spins or game type. Using these automated search options, gamers can easily find the games that suit their tastes. Search bars like these are now becoming the norm across sectors like e-commerce and banking. Away from entertainment, manufacturing sites use automation to boost production speed and reduce human error, while in the insurance sector it can be used to speed up the claims process.
Smarter Check-Ins and Security: From Kiosks to Biometrics
When it comes to airports, where time is of the essence for travelers, advances in technology are going to be a game changer. With new plans unveiled in April, the way we travel is set to change forever, and travelers can say goodbye to their boarding passes and maybe even their passports after changes released by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Introducing a “digital travel credential,” travelers will be able to store and verify their passport details on their devices. Check-in and boarding passes will disappear too, replaced by “journey passes.” But how will the airline know you’re in the airport? Facial recognition scanners will be placed at different points and will alert airlines that passengers are in the airport. Very futuristic, but also convenient.
Stepping in the Future
Due to industry-wide standards that must be the same continent to continent, the airline industry has been relatively slow to keep up with developments in technology; however, with these alterations, that will change. Major airlines like British Airways and Air France are exploring the technology, with airports expected to be modernized to allow for the changes to come into effect.
In fact, facial recognition and biometric screens are already available in Changi, Singapore, and Hartsfield-Jackson, Atlanta, using the technology for boarding and customs checks. The overall goal of advances like these is to first and foremost improve security. However, it will also increase the speed and improve the accuracy with which airlines and airports can process passengers, whether it be at check-in, immigration, or security.
A few years ago, changes like these to airports would have felt like a distant, futuristic dream. However, by taking cues from other sectors, the aviation industry is dragging itself into the future and will provide a more comfortable, secure, and intelligent travel journey for passengers in the coming years.
