Air France tests smartboarding

17 March 2009

 

Air France’s Flying Blue passengers are set to try the airline’s new automated boarding process on departures from Paris to Amsterdam during a trial scheduled to run until the end of the year.

During the trial, each passenger travelling on the scheme – known as smartboarding – will be issued an RFID-based card which will store their fingerprints. The card also uses thermal printing technology, enabling it to be reused up to 500 times.

Travellers can enrol for the smartbording service at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Terminal 2F. During registration all the customer’s personal information, such as surname, first name and Flying Blue membership number, as well as their encrypted fingerprints is stored on the card.

When they wish to use the card to travel to Amsterdam, travellers check in (via self service kiosks, online or via check-in counters). They then insert their card into the smartbarding kiosk, and this is returned with their boarding pass printed on the back.

During the boarding procedure, smartboarding passengers can board the plane through a dedicated portal. This equipment checks the passenger is alone and then reads the information on the smartboarding card and compares it with the passenger’s fingerprints. If these tests are positive, the gate opens to allow the passenger to board the aircraft.

“For the last few years, Air France has embarked on a process of trial and innovation to contribute to designing the air transport of the future. Everything that can make air travel simpler and easier for our customers has become the focus. With this world first, Air France is taking a further step towards building the airport of tomorrow," says Patrick Roux, Vice President Marketing Air France KLM.

In another recent announcement, the French airline has also launched a mobile boarding pass that can be accessed via SMS, MMS or email in Europe. This eBoarding pass has a unique bar code containing all the information usually stored in a conventional boarding pass and can be scanned at the boarding gate. It can be shown at baggage drop off points, security, lounges and at the tax free shops at Amsterdam-Schiphol airport.