Lufthansa Group First to Implement Star Alliance Biometrics

Lufthansa Group airlines, Lufthansa and SWISS, will be the first to use Star Alliance Biometrics for select flights starting in November and usher in a touchless customer experience at airports.

The airline alliance has developed an interoperable biometric identity and identification platform that will aim to significantly improve the travel experience for frequent flyer programme customers of Star Alliance member airlines.

According to Lufthansa Group, special infrastructure is currently being installed at hub airports Frankfurt and Munich, reaping operational benefits at both locations.

“The topic of biometrics will become increasingly important when travelling in the future. Especially during the pandemic, such touchless processes at the airport are a big plus. In the Lufthansa Group, biometric technology and solutions will increasingly ensure simplified and more efficient processes at airports, thereby significantly improving the travel experience of our passengers,” said Christina Foerster, Member of the Board, Customer, IT & Corporate Responsibility at the Lufthansa Group.

Members of the Lufthansa and SWISS Miles & More Frequent Flyer Program, who opt-in to biometrics, will be able to pass through both security access and boarding gates in a touchless manner, an important health and hygiene safety measure in times of COVID-19.

“With Star Alliance Biometrics we will be able to offer interested frequent flyers biometric security checkpoint access and boarding via facial recognition at our Frankfurt and Munich hubs as from November. This is an important milestone for us,” Foerster added.

The identification process works for passengers wearing masks.

The Star Alliance Biometrics service is built upon NEC Corporation’s NEC I:Delight biometric and identity management platform software.

The secure service is available at no cost to customers of the Miles & More program who have consented to share their biometric data with stakeholders of their choice during travel.