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      Changi’s New Terminal 4 Will Use Biometrics to FAST-Track Airport PaxEx

      September 21, 2017  | Written by Jordan Yerman
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      Image via Changi Airport

      APEX Insight: As part of the FAST (“Fast and Seamless Travel”) program, Changi Airport’s new Terminal 4 immigration gates will authenticate travelers’ identities using facial recognition technology. Biometrics has been a hot topic since Apple revealed the iPhone X, which replaces Touch ID with Face ID, last week.

      The new security protocols planned for Changi International Airport’s brand-new Terminal 4, set to open on October 31, will allow travelers to reach the indoor garden, boulevard of trees, and art displays faster than ever before. Dubbed FAST (“Fast and Seamless Travel”), the system will combine biometric recognition and next-generation luggage scanning to allow qualifying travelers to pass through check-in, luggage drop-off and immigration control without having to interact with another person.

      Thanks to computed tomography (CT) technology, passengers can leave laptops and liquids in their carry-on luggage, thus ending the scramble for plastic trays. The US Transit Security Administration (TSA) is also testing CT, using Phoenix’ Sky Harbor International  Airport as its real-life lab. “We already use this type of technology for checked baggage,” said TSA Acting Administrator Huban Gowadiain a press release, “and we expect these smaller checkpoint-sized machines will provide the same high level of security.” Security experts are calling this technology a sure thing for near-future airports.

      RELATED: Face Value: Are Passengers Ready for the Age of Biometric Travel?

      Most people associate the term “CT scan” with a visit to the hospital. The scanner shoots a series of cross-sectional x-ray images of the subject; in this case, an overstuffed carry-on. The security staffer then examines the image slices.

      Biometric security and border control is an emerging trend: The US Department of Homeland Security is rolling out biometric checkpoints for visa control. Last week, Apple  revealed the iPhone X, which replaces Touch ID with Face ID, causing a massive spike in Google searches for “facial recognition.”

      When it opens for full-time service at the end of next month, Changi’s T4 will serve nine airlines, including Cathay Pacific and Korean Air.