Taiwan airport to pilot 'One ID' facial recognition in December

台灣機場12月試行“One ID”人臉辨識

'One ID' facial recognition system expected to reduce passenger wait times


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Tuesday (Nov. 23) announced that it will begin trial operations for the "One ID" facial recognition system next month.

Taoyuan International Airport Corp. (TIAC) said that in order to speed up customs clearance and the boarding process while limiting exposure to potentially infected passengers, the airport will trial the "One ID" facial recognition system from Dec. 1 to the end of August. It conducted a stress test on nearly 100 passengers Tuesday, with participants reporting satisfactory results.


During a press conference, TIAC President Jerry Dan (但昭璧) said that after six months of preparation, the system has officially gone online. He said that it combines biometrics with boarding cards and exit permits to simplify departure procedures for participating passengers.

With the exception of passport checks at the National Immigration Agency's inspection counter, passengers will not need to show their passports to personnel, from the time they receive their boarding pass to the moment they board the plane.

Dan pointed out that the trial for the "One ID" system will be set up in Terminal 2. From Dec. 1-14, China Airlines and EVA Air will each activate the system for one flight per day.

The company hopes that through field-testing and verification, the airport can reduce the risk of COVID transmission while entering a new era of comprehensive, smart services.

Dan said that passengers 20 and over can first scan their boarding pass and passport at the No. 9 and No. 18 check-in counters, self-service check-in kiosks, or airport security gate. Next, their facial features will be scanned and added to the database.

Then, when they reach boarding gates C6 and D5, machines will scan their faces to confirm their identities based on the database. From Dec. 15 to the end of August, the trial will be expanded to encompass more flights and boarding gates in Terminal 2.

Dan explained that currently, passenger identification at security checkpoints and boarding gates requires manual inspection of passports and boarding passes. With the facial recognition system, these processes can be expedited and reduce manpower.