British Airways is testing biometric technology at Heathrow that will allow customers to travel ‘smart’ through the airport… without showing their passport

British Airways is the first UK airline to pilot the use of biometric technology on international flights, allowing customers who take the test to ‘smart’ travel through the airport without showing their passport.

Customers checking in for the airline’s trial from Terminal 5 at London Heathrow will be asked to scan their face, passport and boarding pass on their smartphone or tablet before travelling, with this information “held securely”.

BA explained that “smart bio-pod cameras” will verify their identity in less than three seconds upon arrival at the airport, allowing them to keep their passports safely in their pockets until they reach their destination.

David Breeze, Operations Transformation Manager at British Airways said: “Not only is this the first time our customers have been able to register their biometrics at home, it’s also the first time they’ve been able to use it on British Airways international flights.

“This is a safe and efficient tool that will provide a smarter and smoother airport experience, reducing the time it takes us to board.

“The beauty of this technology is that it also empowers our staff to handle more complex customer inquiries and provide the best customer service possible.”

The trial, which uses technology from Amadeus Biometric Solutions, will run for six months on British Airways flights to Malaga, Spain.

Selected customers traveling from T5 will be invited to volunteer and those who sign up will receive a confirmation email of their participation three days before their flight.

Customers checking in for BA’s trial from Heathrow’s Terminal 5 will be asked to scan their face, passport and boarding pass on their smartphone or tablet before travelling, with this information ‘held securely’. BA explained that when trial participants arrive at the airport, “smart bio-pod cameras” verify their identity in less than three seconds

David Breeze, Operations Transformation Manager at British Airways, said: “Not only is this the first time our customers have been able to register their biometrics at home, it’s also the first time they can do so on British Airways’ international flights.

Customers who choose to do so will be invited to use the express security gate and receive free priority boarding.

Participants must still carry and show their passport when they reach their destination airport.

If successful, the effort will be expanded to other international flights.

It follows the introduction of automated biometric technology on British Airways’ domestic flights in 2017, when the airline became the first UK airline to introduce the technology, which captures customers’ facial scans at security and links them to the boarding gate.