Greece’s largest airport becomes Europe’s first to use biometric identity at security

UAE, Dubai – 31 March 2019 –   Passengers flying with Aegean Airlines from Athens International Airport are being offered a faster, more efficient journey through the airport by merely scanning their face at check-in and at security points. 

Athens Airport has become the first airport in Europe to trial SITA Smart PathTM, a unique solution where passengers can use their facial biometrics to identify themselves at key steps in the journey without having to show their passport or boarding card. 

When arriving at Athens Airport to check-in, passengers who utilize the trial service, scan their passport and have their photo taken. Once completed, passengers can then proceed to security where they can quickly be verified as a known traveler – without having to show a boarding pass. Passengers simply have their face scanned and then are offered a fast track through security. 

Alexandros Ziomas, Acting Director, IT&T Business Unit at Athens International Airport, said: “Passengers really appreciate the ease of using SITA’s Smart Path trial. It has reduced the time taken to check in and verify passenger identity at security to only a few seconds. It will solve a key challenge for us by ensuring a steady flow of passengers to the security area. This is a service we would like to extend to other steps in the journey over time.” 

A key benefit of Smart Path is that its technology integrates with the airport’s existing common-use check-in kiosks and boarding gates, making the solution both cost-effective and available to multiple airlines. Smart Path can also be tailored to an airport’s or airline’s specific requirements, allowing Athens Airport to offer this service to other airlines in future, including Aegean’s Star Alliance partners.  

Sergio Colella, SITA President for Europe, said: “As most airports around the world already have self-service infrastructure in place, installing Smart Path is cost-effective and easy to implement. Yet, the improvement to security and the passenger experience is tremendously positive. It explains the growing interest in this solution from both airlines and airports in Europe and around the world.”

Athens International Airport is the latest airport to use SITA’s Smart Path solution, joining Brisbane, Doha, Muscat, Orlando, Miami and Boston airports while numerous other airports in Europe and US are expected to implement the solution in 2019.