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Incheon Int'l Airport to begin face scans at departure gates
Face scan devices are installed at departure gates in Incheon International Airport, as the airport operator is set to begin the “smart pass” service at the end of this month. Courtesy of Incheon International Airport Corp.
By Jun Ji-hye
By Jun Ji-hye
Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC) will release a mobile app, Monday, enabling travelers to register their faces in order to hasten departure procedures.
The system will eliminate the need for people using the app to present passports or boarding passes.
The operator of the country's largest airport will officially begin the facial recognition service at the end of this month.
Those who want to use the service can download the ICN Smartpass app from Apple's App Store or the Google Play store, and register the necessary information.
The IIAC said many airports around the world have already introduced non-face-to-face services following the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Singapore Changi Airport and Tokyo's Narita International Airport use facial recognition as an identification method.
A survey announced last year by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) showed that 88 percent of respondents were satisfied with procedures using their biometric information at airports, and 75 percent preferred the use of the biometric information to passports or boarding passes.
According to the IATA, the time required for check-in and boarding is expected to be reduced by 10 percent and 40 percent, respectively, if passengers' biometric data is used in the departure procedures.
“The smartpass service is expected to help improve passengers' convenience and enhance airport security,” IIAC President Lee Hag-jae said. “We will make thorough preparations so the service can begin without a hitch in time for the summer peak season.”
Both Koreans and foreign nationals can use the app, which is offered in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese.