Amsterdam airport operator Schiphol Group is to offer its
self-service border control system with iris recognition to other
airports and airlines.
Schiphol is working with iris recognition technology provider Joh
Enschedé to sell the system around the world because international
interest since it was launched last October has been "enormous,"
said Marianne De Bie, a spokesperson for Schiphol Group.
No deals have been signed yet but initial contacts have been made
with European and US airports and airlines, De Bie said.
About 1,200 frequent travellers have been issued passes for the
Dutch system, dubbed Privium. Pass holders do not have to stand in
line for customs but instead go through a special passage where
their iris geometry is compared with the iris information stored on
the pass, after which an automatic gate opens. Feedback from users
has been good, according to De Bie.
Iris recognition is a form of biometric identification. Other types
include fingerprinting, palm recognition and facial scans. Iris
recognition is seen as one of the most reliable types as the iris,
the coloured portion of the eye, never changes, according to
Schiphol.
Schiphol Group developed Privium in close cooperation with the
Dutch border police and the Dutch department of immigration and
naturalisation.