The Next Step: Airport Security Scanning Technology

IAS has already created a working demo of its biometric system for airport security. The system will integrate with the existing check-in and security infrastructure to provide greater protection for travelers and airline and airport employees.

How it Works

When a passenger checks in for a flight with this scanner, he or she keys in an airline confirmation number for the flight. IAS's airport security scanner takes a digital photograph of the passenger, scans his or her fingerprint, and scans a proper piece of identification (drivers license, passport, etc.). It then matches these identity points to the boarding pass and to the checked and carry-on baggage, which are then assigned a bar code. This data can be stored in a file as small as 100 bytes, which fits easily onto the magnetic stripe of a credit or "travel" card, or the magnetic stripe found on boarding passes. This is dispensed for the passenger to use throughout additional security checks in the airport.

The card or boarding pass holds data matching the photo, name and fingerprint scan to the name on the checked and carry-on baggage. This data is compared a second time at the x-ray security check and a final time at the gate during boarding to ensure the passenger listed on the boarding pass is also the passenger boarding the plane, and that his or her baggage has not been switched.

This data is helpful for airline carriers to provide positive baggage match for passengers and their luggage, an issue raised recently by the Association of Flight Attendants in testimony to the U.S. Congress. A positive baggage match system ensures that no checked bag can be loaded on a plane until each passenger has boarded the flight.