After the excitement of last week's bio-smartcard announcement
industry analysts bring us back reality. Nick Huber reports
Industry analysts are sceptical of European airlines' and software
suppliers' plans to introduce a global system that uses biometric
technology to fast-track frequent flyers.
They have questioned whether the airline industry has the
commitment to invest in a project which could take up to five years
to roll out. They have also highlighted the mixed track-record of
the aviation industry in establishing common IT standards.
The scope of the industry project, however, is certainly
impressive. In the first mass-market use of biometric technology
the scheme, called s-travel, will also use smartcards and digital
certificates. It aims to reduce check-in times and boost passenger
confidence in the airline industry following the terrorist attacks
in the US last September.
Under the plans, frequent flyers will carry smartcards storing
personal biometric information and security devices will measure
their personal characteristics - eyes, fingerprints or faces - to
confirm their identities. Digital certificates will also be
used.
More contentiously, details of authorised smartcard holders,
including personal details and biometric data, will be held on a
central database.
The system is due to be tested later this year on Alitalia
passengers travelling between Milan and Zurich. Analysts estimate
that a full roll-out could cost tens of millions of pounds.
The project will be managed by the airline industry IT supplier
Sita, and industry group the International Air Transport
Association. If the pilot project is a success the aim is to roll
it out globally to every major airline and airport. All contracts
and funding, however, have yet to be concluded.
Analysts believe that there is a strong business case for
introducing the new system - for instance, the travelling
experience for highly-sought-after frequent-flyers would be
markedly improved.
However, they have also outlined a range of factors - including the
scale and scope of the project and the limited success of previous
aviation technology initiatives - that could mean the project never
really gets off the runway.
"Rolling out the system is do-able but typically these roll-outs
take three to five years," said Mark Raskino, research director of
the business management research group at IT analyst firm Gartner.
"The aviation industry has to be prepared for the long-haul and to
keep investing for five years. The risk is that at [s-travel's]
early stages it seems rather difficult, the travel industry
picks-up and you are left with half a finished system."
Commentators are also sceptical about the aviation industry's track
record for turning cutting-edge technology into everyday reality.
For instance, smartcards have been tipped as the ideal way to speed
up passenger progress through airports for about a decade but
airlines and airports have largely been unable to translate the
hype into application.
"The majority of frequent flyer cards are still magnetic stripe
cards and not smartcards," said Raskino.