Unipass Biometric System Deployed At Israel Airport

The Jerusalem Post reports Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport has launched Unipass, a new biometric security system for outbound airline passengers.

The Unipass Airport Management System, developed by the Israel Airports Authority, is initially being tested on El Al Matmid Frequent Flyer Club members, before being gradually expanded to include, within two years, all departing passengers who voluntarily register, the IAA said.

The IAA said the timing of the biometric security program's launch, amid heightened international air travel security following the Al-Qaeda terrorist plot to blow up a US airliner over Detroit last month, was purely coincidental.

The IAA refused to address the issue of passenger profiling, saying instead that the Unipass system will offer improved service and security, and an identical screening process for all passengers.

“This is the first system of its kind in the world. Interest has been expressed by other international airports,” an IAA spokeswoman said.

It was too soon say how much time the new arrangement will save, the spokeswoman added, but once it becomes fully operational, the system is expected to significantly speed up the security and check-in processes.

In the first stage, passengers will arrive at a registration desk, where a machine will scan their passports, and take fingerprint and facial imaging samples to create a biometric signature.

The information will then be stored on personal smart card that will be issued to each passenger. The registration is a one-time process. Equipped with their smart cards, passengers can then proceed to the first security stand, where they will be asked to swipe their cards and passports through the machine. As the computer confirms a biometric match, a touch screen panel will present the passengers with a series of security questions that until now were asked by airport personnel.

Guards will stand next to the stands to help anyone who runs into difficulties, the IAA said. “We¹re not giving up on human interaction,” the spokeswoman said.

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