Hamad International Airport launches Fast Track service for its passengers using facial recognition technology.

Doha, July 06 (QNA) - Hamad International Airport and Qatar Airways have launched the 'Fast Track' service, implementing this new biometric service aimed at facilitating the departure experience and reducing the usual paper procedures during travel, in collaboration with SITA technology company.

A statement from Hamad International Airport said that the 'Fast Track' service allows passengers, through facial recognition technology, to pass through the main checkpoints in the airport with the least possible number of paper travel document checks.

It pointed out that this initiative is one of the largest applications of this service for passenger identity verification using biometric technology in the Middle East and the world, as it connects more than 700 touchpoints together within a single biometric journey that enjoys reliability and provides passengers with the highest standards of security and data protection at every step of their journey through the airport.

It stated that registration for the 'Fast Track' service is available via self-service check-in kiosks at the airport, as well as through the Qatar Airways app. Once registered, the passenger can pass through specific points equipped with biometric technologies such as check-in, baggage drop, security screening, and boarding gates, using the digital face fingerprint, as it only takes a few seconds to activate the service, sparing passengers from repeated paper document checks and reducing waiting times, especially during peak seasons.

It clarified that this service remains optional, as passengers can still complete their travel procedures using traditional methods relying on passports and boarding passes with the assistance of airport staff. This comes amid increasing global demand for travel using biometric data, as the majority of travelers, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), prefer to verify their identities via biometric data rather than paper documents.

It is noted that the launch of the 'Fast Track' service falls within the framework of Hamad International Airport's journey to enhance innovation and keep pace with this global trend, while providing its passengers with a more efficient way to navigate through the airport. This significant expansion in the application of the 'Fast Track' service reflects the airport's keenness to enhance the paperless travel experience. The airport will continue to implement the service by adding more touchpoints and strengthening its cooperation with technology partners to support the overall travel experience, with the possibility in the near future to offer this service to interested other airlines operating at Hamad International Airport.