Shanghai airport first to launch automated clearance system using facial recognition technology

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China has made strides in facial recognition technology because of its large population and centralised identity databases. The technology is now used extensively in everyday life in areas such as public security, financial services, transport and retail across the country. Photo: The Washington Post

Published: 8:50pm, 15 Oct 2018Updated: 8:56pm, 15 Oct 2018

Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, one of the city’s two major airports, introduced on Monday China’s first automated clearance system for airline passengers using facial recognition technology.

The automated clearance procedure was deployed at Shanghai Hongqiao’s Terminal One and includes unassisted passenger check-in, luggage check-in, security check and boarding, according to a statement posted on the Shanghai government’s official website.

It said the project, which took three years to complete, installed eight self security checking machines at the terminal. These machines scan passengers’ ID cards and make use of facial recognition technology to complete the security check process in about 12 seconds.

Although the terminal’s throughput per hour will remain at 10 million passengers, the quality of the clearance procedure will be improved, said Dai Xiaojian, the vice-president of operator Shanghai Airport (Group) Co, in the government statement. During rush hour at the airport, the terminal will be able to handle clearance of 2,000 passengers per hour, he said.

The system in Shanghai moved ahead of a planned deployment of facial recognition technology in Beijing’s new US$12 billion airport, which is designed to handle up to 100 million passengers a year at full capacity.