Heathrow is latest airport to use 'futuristic' biometric services for passenger journey ease

Heathrow Airport has announced its plans for a full-scale roll out of new biometric services from summer 2019.

The new technology will be a first for the UK’s only hub airport and is aiming to streamline the passenger journey through Heathrow from check-in to take-off - which could reduce the average passenger’s journey time by up to a third.

The new technology uses facial recognition at check-in, bag drops, security lanes and boarding gates to create a seamless experience for passengers travelling through the airport.

The £50m project is part of a wider programme of investment to streamline passenger journeys. Passengers have been trialling the new services in the live operation throughout 2018.

Heathrow’s customer relations and service director, Jonathan Coen, said: “As our passenger numbers continue to grow, we must look for innovative ways to make it easier and quicker for them to travel through Heathrow with choice, whilst keeping our airport secure.

“Biometrics are key to helping us do that and we are really excited about the biggest roll out of this equipment at any UK airport. 

“With this technology we’ll be able to offer passengers choice on how they travel through our airport, with colleagues on hand to guide passengers that require it.”

Research by IATA has shown that 64 per cent of passengers would choose to share their biometric data in exchange for a better experience when travelling.

Facial biometrics are more accurate than manual checks and offer increased security, demonstrating how technology helps us without impacting on passenger experience.  

Heathrow has already begun using facial recognition in some stages of the passenger journey, both on entry to the UK at the Border with the biometric e-gates.

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