AirAsia launches Airport Facial Recognition System

• Identifies enrolled guests as they approach the automated boarding gate
• Dedicated enrolment kiosk located at check-in kiosk area in Senai International Airport

AIRASIA on Feb 6 unveiled its Fast Airport Clearance Experience System (FACES), Malaysia’s first airport facial recognition system with self-boarding gate, at Senai International Airport, Johor Bahru, making it the first airline in Asia to have a seamless travel experience from check-in to boarding with the latest biometric facial recognition technology.

Fully owned and operated by AirAsia, FACES uses facial recognition technology to identify enrolled guests as they approach the automated boarding gate, allowing them to board their flight without having to present any travel documents.

The system was launched by Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nur Jazlan Mohamed; Johor Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumerism Executive Committee  chairman Tee Siew Kiong; Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd  CEO Md Derick Basir and AirAsia Aireen Omar deputy group CEO (Digital, Transformation, Corporate Services).

Tony Fernandes, Group CEO of AirAsia and Co-Group CEO of AirAsia X said, “Airports are typically the worst part of flying. FACES marks our latest effort to make the on-ground experience more seamless and less stressful by using cutting edge biometric technology to authenticate guests. With FACES, your face is your passport, making it a breeze to clear the gate and board your flight.

“I want to thank Senai International Airport for once again supporting our efforts to improve the travel experience for our guests through digital innovation, as they did when they became the first airport in Malaysia to implement self-service baggage check-in. We hope the success of FACES here will serve as an inspiration and we are keen to work with other airports in Malaysia to revolutionise the way people travel with this technology and make flying enjoyable again.”

Guests who wish to be part of FACES may do so using a dedicated enrolment kiosk located at check-in kiosk area at Senai International Airport.

Guests simply have to place their MyKad or chip-enabled passport in the document reader and look at the camera to create their biometric token.

Available for guests aged 18 and above, the enrolment is a one-time process, after which guests may use AirAsia’s biometric gates for all flights as long as their identity document remains valid.

Upon expiry of the identity document, guests will need to update the enrolment record with a new valid document. Enrolled guests will also benefit from an expedited process at the security checkpoint, in addition to boarding the flight seamlessly.