Heathrow Evaluating Biometrics; Other Technologies to Simplify Departures

London Heathrow has launched a new trial of biometric passenger screening at its Terminal 3 to see how such technology can simplify passenger airport security procedures.

The trial, called miSense, will involve BAA Heathrow airport authorities and U.K. immigration officials, and their counterparts at Dubai and Hong Kong, along with airline personnel from Emirates and Cathay Pacific, and several non-governmental companies engaged in immigration and border security activities.  The evaluation will run until the end of January 2007.

A second part of the trial, dubbed miSenseplus, will use biometric information in an international registered traveler program, where participating passengers will use a "fast path" both when departing the U.K., and during their arrival immigration processing.

During miSenseallclear, the third part of the trial, British authorities will test an iAPI (interactive advance passenger information) process that automatically provides border control agencies with intelligence in real time prior to passenger boarding.  The system is already used in countries such as Australia, Bahrain, Kuwait and New Zealand, to issue an "authority to carry" approval during check-in.

MiSense is part of IATA's (International Air Transport Association) Simplifying Passenger Travel Program that also involves Accenture, Raytheon Systems Limited, IER, Sagem Défense Sécurité and SITA.  12-08-2006.

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