Picture this: You enter the airport with your smartphone and smoothly board the plane without having to take off your shoes or deal with passports. Everything you need is available on your phone, making your entire trip hassle-free.
This is not a futuristic dream; It’s happening now. These technologies are currently being tested and implemented at airports across North America and the world. With 32.4 million flights expected to be operated worldwide this year, time and money are at a premium.
Travelers want a contactless, seamless and hassle-free modern travel experience similar to what they experience in other areas of their lives, such as entertainment and retail. But much of the current airport experience is a relic of bygone times.
With travel demand reaching record levels, investment in technology and passenger experience is vital. Before the pandemic, people were more skeptical about volunteering personal information and connecting personal devices to airport, airline and government applications. However, now it is airports, airlines and government institutions that must meet passengers’ expectations. People are more comfortable giving up data for convenience and efficiency.
However, it is vital to address data privacy and management concerns; Cybersecurity is critical in a security-sensitive world like aviation. But data privacy and progress can and often do work hand in hand.
Accelerating the use of transformative technologies like biometrics, digital identification, and artificial intelligence requires a bold, forward-thinking approach from federal departments and agencies willing to break away from legacy systems and embrace the future. When it comes to private sector airports like Toronto Pearson, where I work, strategic investments in technology, talent and digital infrastructure are also needed to improve the travel experience for passengers carrying smartphones and everyone else.
Uninterrupted data sharing is mandatory in the industry. Airports, airlines and government agencies must collaborate with secure real-time information to optimize resource allocation and improve the travel experience. Any bottleneck in the chain can cause unnecessary delays and disruptions to routinely make headlines.
The economic consequences of falling behind in this technology race are significant and costly. An inefficient aviation system hinders tourism, business travel and foreign investment. Making hubs like Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport as efficient as possible is vital to the entire system; because international and domestic connections depend on smooth operations and minimal delays.
Biometrics and data sharing are essential to remain competitive and improve the safety and efficiency of all travelers. The potential benefits are huge, from reducing wait times to improving resource allocation. We’ve seen it firsthand from travelers; Here at Toronto Pearson, millions of southbound Canadian travelers routinely entrust their biometric data to the U.S. CBP, reaping the rewards of facial biometric matching and near-instant processing.
The statistics are staggering: As of last year, 200 million passengers had been processed, more than 1,600 fraudsters had been blocked, and an accuracy rate of a staggering 98 percent had been achieved. These figures clearly demonstrate the global potential of this transformative system.
In this digital age, the equation has changed. Privacy and progress don’t have to be opposites. Together they can create a more efficient and safe travel experience. If we embrace this change together and invest in the right technologies, airports will have the opportunity to lead in determining the future of air travel.
It’s time to embrace innovation in the efficient, convenient and safe way we need and travelers expect. The first step is to embrace the fact that people are willing to sacrifice significant amounts of data and privacy for better travel.