Malaysia introduces world’s first on-board biometric immigration checks

Select flights to Kuala Lumpur International Airport are piloting on-board biometric immigration checks.

Travelers around the world are familiar with the delays caused by airport immigration checks, and Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) is no exception, with wait times of over 45 minutes long during peak periods. Hoping to ease this problem, the terminal has introduced a pilot scheme to carry out biometric immigration checks while passengers are still on-board the plane. The pilot project — believed to be the first of its kind — is expected to start this month and will be introduced on “low-risk” Air Asia flights initially, before rolling out to other destinations if it proves successful. Biometric checks based on measurable biological characteristics will be used to verify the identity of passengers. According to a report in The Star, the program aims to have all passengers checked by the time they land at LCCT, therefore reducing congestion in the terminal. Passengers will not be checked again at the airport unless there are specific problems. The scheme is part of a larger plan which includes providing automatic check-in systems and groups of support personnel in an effort to improve customer experience. The LCCT expects the volume of human traffic to increase by 20 percent over the next year; a trend mirrored in other major airports around the world. Could these checks provide a safe and speedy solution to airport congestion? Spotted by: Raymond Neo