AirAsia has become the first airline in Asia to implement new facial recognition technology in their check-in procedures. The cutting-edge Fast Airport Clearance Experience System (FACES), is Malaysia’s first airport facial recognition system with self-boarding gate. The system allows guests to board their flight without having to show any travel documents. Following successful implementation at Sanai Airport, the airline plans to expand the service in other locations nationwide this year.
This is how FACES works: Guests will be identified using a camera as they approach a dedicated enrolment kiosk, located at the check-in area of the airport. Guests then place their chip-enabled passport in the document reader and look at the camera to create their biometric token. Guests can then proceed to their flight without having to show a boarding pass or documents, as everything has been captured when they enrolled their face.
The enrolment is a one-time process available for guests aged 18 and above, after which they can use AirAsia’s biometric gates for all flights, providing their identity document remains valid. Upon expiry of the identity document, guests are required to update the enrolment record with a new valid document.
“This initiative is part of our digital transformation strategy,†confirmed Aireen Omar, who is AirAsia’s deputy group CEO. Speaking at the system’s launch at Senai Airport last year, she confirmed that the company aims to make travel more seamless for their guests by using biometric identification technology, the first of its kind in Malaysia. “It eliminates the need for travel documents at the gate and later at security checkpoints, which means this offers a very fast seamless and secure travel experience for our guests,†said Aireen.
Senai Airport has since become the first airport in Malaysia to pilot this ground-breaking technology. this initiative will enhance the passengers’ travelling experience and airport operations efficiency with faster security and screening processes, mainly to accommodate the increasing number of passengers travelling through this airport.
