Manchester airport trials facial recognition

[September 1st 2008]

Manchester airport is trialling a new facial recognition system as the UK Border Agency aims to improve security and shorten queues at immigration at UK airports.

The facial recognition system will allow passengers with electronic passports arriving at Terminal 1 at Manchester airport to fast-track through immigration. They will be guided through 'smart gates', helping to reduce queues at immigration and improving the airport experience for passengers arriving at the terminal.

Fujitsu Services and Vision-Box S A have developed the automated border clearance system. The system combines the operation of reading and checking electronic passports with an innovative feature for assessing the biometric data needed to open the smart gates.

“Trials of this nature are a hugely exciting prospect for UK ports of entry. Border control is an issue close to everyone’s heart and the ability to combine speed and throughput of passengers with the highest integrity of border control will change the travel experience as we know it. This really is a ground-breaking trial,” comments Fujitsu Services MD of government businesses, Eithne Wallis.

The e-Borders electronic border system set up by the government aims to count every passenger in and out of Britain and check them against immigration and security watch lists by 2014. The Home Office has also set a target of tracking more than 99% of foreign nationals from higher risk countries in and out of Britain by 2010.

So far the e-Borders system has screened more than 50 million people travelling to Britain, and more than 2,000 arrests have been made.

The UK Border Agency's new centre for e-Borders will be based in Manchester, making it highly likely that Manchester airport will continue to be heavily involved in trialling new systems and technology as they are introduced.

Written by: Nick Purdom