Digicon participates in the first 100% digital boarding test in the country
The Embarque + Seguro project brings more security and agility on the passenger boarding, the technology uses biometric face recognition for validation
On March 11, the Federal Government tested, for the first time in Brazil, 100% digital boarding, performed through facial recognition. This new technology allows passengers to board without the need to present any identification document and boarding pass, physical or virtual. The chosen location for the pilot project of the biometric identification was Santos Dumont Airport, located in Rio de Janeiro. The technology had already been used at airports in Florianópolis and Salvador, however, a boarding pass was required to access the aircraft. Named Embarque + Seguro, the project was tested (and approved) by passengers of the Azul airline, they were the first to experience this new technology. The initiative was conceived by Ministério da Infraestrutura and developed by SERPRO, a federal government information technology company. Digicon and IDEMIA are technological partners of this project, which aims to provide safer, more practical and agile air travel.
Understand how “selfie” boarding works.
Selfie boarding is done at check-in, the airline attendant performs biometric validation of the passenger, comparing the data and the image, which is taken on the spot, with the government database. From this validation, the passenger can enter the departure lounge, only with biometric reading of the face, which is performed by the cameras at the control points, without the need for any document, thus facilitating access to the aircraft.
Validation complies with Data privacy concerns
For the deployment of Embarque +Seguro, SERPRO has developed an app that allows airlines to register, at check-in, the passenger’s name and photo, linked to his federal registration. The data is registered with the passenger’s consent, who receives a message, in his/her cell phone, to accept or not the inclusion of his/her personal information. Biometric verification is done through a check with the government database, ensuring an accurate and secure verification of the passenger’s identity. The government database intends to expand its base and hopes to serve all citizens.
Faster and safer boarding
The technology used in facial recognition stations was developed by Digicon and IDEMIA, under the coordination of Infraero. It is worth mentioning that biometric identification for automatic boarding at electronic gates – dFlow BCBP, better known as e-gate – was already offered in the market. The novelty is due to the integration in a unified national system, which makes it possible to check and validate, quickly and safely, the passenger’s identity, by crossing it with different government databases. This technology is very useful in times of pandemic, as the Infraero Operations Management Superintendent comments, Paulo Eduardo Cavalcante: “ The Embarque + Seguro at Santos Dumont will allow Infraero to start entering a group of airports that uses technology to streamline shipping processes and ensure safety in the passenger control that air transport requires. In the present case, for example, the checking time per passenger with the new system is approximately two seconds. In addition, one of the great advantages is dismissing the use of papel and documents, a measure aligned with the best practices to combat Covid-19 in the area of air transport and that Infraero has already been adopting at its airports ”, he explains.
After the approval of the Embarque + Seguro pilot project, the government expects to carry out the effective roll out of this system in the main airports in the country during the coming months. Soon, it is expected that all airports in Brazil will have this technology.
