Hamad International Airport (HIA), which was recently ranked as the best airport in the world by passengers, has embraced yet another advanced technology to make the experience of travelers even more convenient.

Under the second phase of its Smart Airport program, HIA will implement facial biometric recognition across all key passenger touch points.

Currently in its trial phase, this highly innovative system is a central piece of HIA’s digital strategy and combines passengers’ flight, passport, and facial biometric information in a single electronic record at the self-check-in kiosk or mobile app.

_{Photo Credit: Twitter/ @hiaqatar}

With such technology embedded within HIA, only the passenger’s face is required for verification at the self-service bag-drop, automated security gate, and the automated boarding gate allowing for a seamless airport experience.

Knowledge of exactly where the passengers are in their journey at the airport will also aim to help further improve the renowned on-time at HIA, according to a statement.

The successful completion of the first major phase of HIA’s Smart Airport program has proven to be extremely popular, with up to 40 percent of the home carrier Qatar Airways’ passengers opting for self-check-in and a further 20 percent selecting to self-bag-drop.

Hamad International Airport (HIA) launches the second phase of its innovative Smart Airport program which sets to initiate an exciting major digital transformation of the passenger journey through facial biometric recognition across all key passenger touch points #QNA

— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) May 26, 2019

The quick process greatly enhances customer experience to allow greater number of passengers to be managed without physical expansion of the check-in facilities.

Chief Operating Officer at HIA, Engineer Badr Mohamed Al Meer, said, “Our approach to identity management is unique and holistic, in that we foresee wide-scale deployment of biometric capability across both mandated and voluntary passenger touch points while addressing customer data privacy concerns in line with relevant local and international regulations.”

HIA’s continued efforts and investment in cutting-edge technology through its Smart Airport program are recognized through its awards and accolades.

The airport ranked the World’s 4th Best Airport by SKYTRAX 2019. HIA also ranked the second best airport in the world for On-Time Performance in OAG’s Punctuality League report.

The awards reflect HIA’s commitment to the highest environmental standards and to responsible business practices as well as innovative facilities, five-star customer service, and state-of-the-art terminal.

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