IFE C AMERAS
they react by being more protective of their personal
details. With all this, 45% of flyers still said they would
choose biometric ID as a replacement for passports.
“Airlines and airports have three keys to effective
biometrics: security, speed and simplicity,” Leader says. “If
you make it easier for passengers, there is a willingness to
trade privacy, so long as they don’t give up anything else.”
Biometric technology can ensure speed and simplicity,
and it can enhance security, but the highest priority for
airlines, airports, governments and passengers has to be
ensuring the security of the information they gather.
A recent data breach involving US Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) data brought the question of
data security to the fore again. One DHS contractor had
kept a database of unencrypted biometric information
gathered at a single road port of entry. A cyber breach of
the contractor’s database exposed that data. According to
the DHS, the breach involved facial images of fewer than
100,000 people as well as vehicle licence plates, but no
identity documents were included. While this breach did
not affect airline passengers, APEX followed-up with
DHS to ensure that biometric data gathered by or on
behalf of the industry is not similarly exposed.
“It’s situations like that which cause a lot of concern,”
Leader says. “It was a land-based border, so once we
ai r c raf t inter iorsinternat ional . com 043
SEPTEMBER 2019
The eyes
have it
In 2017, Panasonic announced its intent
to partner with Tascent, a biometrics and
identity innovation company that could bring
biometric passenger identification to every
stage of the passenger journey – on the
ground and in the air.
The plan is to combine Tascent’s biometric
identity devices, software and services
with Panasonic’s IFEC systems to provide
streamlined identity recognition before
departure, during flight, and upon arrival.
For the onboard experience, this could
include seatback immigration, streamlined
personalisation and biometric payments.
One technology developed by Tascent
is iris recognition technology embedded in
the IFE display, which could enable a new
level of personalised experience. Once a
passenger is recognised by the system
via a biometric recognition method such
as iris scanning, passengers’ favourite TV
programmes could be listed on the IFE
display when they take their seats; movies
could remember where you left off when
you change aircraft; lighting, ventilation,
seat adjustment, and food and beverage
preferences could follow you when you
shift seats; games that you can continue
playing across multiple trips; all without
any action on your part. Connecting flight
and destination information, frequent flyer
account status, and private messages
could all flow to the seatback display, with
biometric technologies making sure only the
intended recipient reads them.
Tascent also proposes simplifying
inflight purchases by introducing biometric
payment, either with a seatback system or a
mobile device operated by crew, which would
reduce purchasing friction and is likely to
improve uptake of these services and create
new revenue sources. Want to upgrade your
ticket? No problem: click a button, look at the
camera to authorise payment, and move to
your new seat.
“ If you make
it easier for
passengers,
there is a
willingness to
trade privacy”
TASCENT’S ONBOARD
RECOGNITION SYSTEMS
COULD ENABLE FUNCTIONS
SUCH AS PERSONALISED
CONTENT ABOVE,
IMMIGRATION PROCESSES
RIGHT AND SELFENROLMENT
ABOVE RIGHT