“Star Alliance” Members SWISS and Lufthansa Airlines Adopt NEC Facial Recognition Technologies

NEC facial recognition adopted by the “Star Alliance Biometrics” platform; services launched at Frankfurt Airport and Munich Airport.

Lufthansa Airlines and Swiss International Airlines (SWISS), Lufthansa Group airline members of Star Alliance, launched the “Star Alliance Biometrics” identity verification platform utilizing NEC’s facial recognition technologies at Frankfurt Airport and Munich Airport. Currently, NEC Corporation is recognized as a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies while promoting the brand statement of “Orchestrating a brighter world.”

Face recognition technologies for Biometrics have come a long way since their initial testing days. From fingerprinting to 3D face scans, there are countless ways to identify and authenticate a person’s presence at a particular location or space, using AI-enabled software, sensors and computer vision. Airlines are using video surveillance and camera-based Face Recognition software to develop identity matching and authentication platforms. NEC Facial Recognition is one of the top software available for the airline industry.

NEC and Star Alliance have been cooperating since July 2019 in the development of an identity verification platform utilizing biometric certification, and this launch at Frankfurt Airport and Munich Airport is the first commercial service to emerge from the partnership.

Passengers using this service can pass through security access and boarding gates without contact by registering face images and passport information with mobile apps from each company in advance. This platform features NEC’s facial recognition engine, which has been evaluated as the world’s most accurate, in order to ensure high-precision certification, even when individuals are wearing masks.

With the worldwide spread of COVID-19, NEC aims to contribute to safer and more secure air travel by helping to control the spread of illness by enabling non-contact, mask-worn check-in airport boarding procedures.

This service is available to Lufthansa and SWISS Miles & More frequent flyer program members who agree to and register for the use of biometric information. Facial images and personal information of passengers are encoded and safely stored on the platform, which is designed in accordance with the laws and regulations of information protection in each country that it operates, and customer names are not saved. Moreover, Star Alliance will not use personal information without the consent of passengers.

Over 1,700 Miles & More members have already registered for the new service, with processing efficiency measurements now underway.

NEC’s facial recognition is part of the NEC I:Delight platform of contactless biometric solutions that make touchpoints touchless. Going forward, NEC aims to strengthen biometric collaboration with Star Alliance, while expanding personalized services both inside and outside the airport in order to make the travel experience more enjoyable.

NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential.