Finland's trial of a Digital Travel Authorization (DTC) for Finnair passengers has produced positive results: 91% of participants said it was easy to set up the DTC, 96% said it was easy to send the DTC to travel and border authorities before flying, and 90% said they would use it again on future trips.
The trial began last August, when participating passengers were required to look into the camera and place their passport on a designated reader, and their biometric and passport information was matched against pre-registered digital credentials. In January, the trial was expanded to include departures and arrivals to 22 Finnair destinations, allowing more passengers to experience the benefits of the DTC system.
The pilot program was a collaborative effort involving several key players. TECH5, a company specializing in biometric technology, partnered with Auctorizium, a Singaporean company with expertise in public key infrastructure (PKI) and validation services for e-passports. The two companies developed the DTC system in partnership with Finnair, Finavia, and the Finnish Police. The project was also funded by the European Commission, highlighting its importance and potential impact on future EU regulations.
The technology behind the DTC includes a dedicated mobile app, allowing travellers to create digital travel credentials by taking a selfie and uploading a passport photo. TECH5's AI algorithms power the app's facial recognition technology, verifying the user's identity and facilitating the creation of the DTC on their smartphone. Auctorizium provided its PKI knowledge, encrypting and decrypting biometric data with cryptographic keys, ensuring the security and accuracy of the identification process.
By the end of March, the Finnish Border Guard had completed the trial run and reported great success: a total of 466 people volunteered and 355 DTC border checks were successfully processed, with an average processing time of just 8 seconds per check.
Despite some reported technical issues, the benefits to passengers and improved processing times represent a silver lining as European authorities continue to explore digital and mobile-based identity verification technologies.
sauce: Keesing Platform
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May 27, 2024 – Alex Perala
