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Changi Airport revamps amenities to provide no-touch check-in kiosks, iris and facial scans in light of Covid-19

SINGAPORE — Changi Airport has rolled out new contactless services as air travel both in and out of Singapore gradually resumes, including immigration clearance via iris and facial recognition and no-touch electronic kiosks for check-in purposes.

An iris and facial recognition scanner for immigration clearance at Changi Airport.

An iris and facial recognition scanner for immigration clearance at Changi Airport.

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  • Immigration clearance at Changi Airport will primarily be through iris and facial scans as air travel slowly resumes
  • Contactless lift buttons and use of germicidal ultraviolet-C light being tested
  • Terminals 1 and 3 will be given priority when rolling out these anti-Covid-19 features 

 

SINGAPORE — Changi Airport has rolled out new contactless services as air travel both in and out of Singapore gradually resumes, including immigration clearance via iris and facial recognition and no-touch electronic kiosks for check-in purposes. 

These initiatives aim to eliminate the need for travellers and visitors to touch high-contact surfaces in order to manage the risk of spreading the coronavirus.

They were presented to the media on Wednesday (July 1), in a physical tour of the airport’s Terminal 3 where many of the new developments are concentrated. 

These changes are expected to be introduced throughout Terminals 1 and 3 by the time air travel picks up again in future. 

Since May 16, flights based at Terminal 4 have been redirected to Terminals 1 and 3, which are now the only terminals in operation. Terminal 2 has been closed since May and operations are suspended for 18 months.

Mr Albert Lim, senior vice-president of passenger experience and airport operations management, said that Covid-19 had "accelerated" the implementation of the safety and hygiene initiatives. 

"When Covid-19 first disrupted travels, more passengers enquired and asked for such contactless technology," he said. 

"We then worked very closely with our partners to scan the market and identify the possible solutions and technology we could implement at Changi Airport."

For one, touch-screen kiosks for check-in and bag-drop processes are now fully contactless with sensor technology. Passengers simply need to hover their finger above the screens in order to select their desired options. 

Standalone kiosks are being installed progressively so that people need not touch electronic screens when they check in or drop off their bags. Photo: Changi Airport Group

Then, counters for passengers who need help checking in are now fitted with acrylic screens to provide a protective barrier between airport staff members and passengers. 

Upon completing their check-in, passengers may now clear immigration primarily via iris and facial scans, provided that they have registered their iris and facial biometrics when their passports were made. 

Those who have yet to enrol may do so through immigration checkpoint counters that offer the option of traditional fingerprint scanning. 

These amenities are now available at Terminal 1 as well.  

Accordingly, at Terminals 1 and 3, the airport has increased the cleanliness of often-touched surfaces such as escalator handles and lift buttons.

A device emitting ultraviolet-C LED light that serves as a disinfectant has been fitted into escalators and travellators across the terminals and has been undergoing its trial run since the start of June this year. The handrails are automatically sterilised as they pass through the hidden device. 

Lift buttons that can work without contact are being explored, to see if the same technology applied to contactless check-in and bag-drop kiosks may be used.

Lift buttons that do not requite contact are being tested. Photo: Changi Airport Group

At all four airport terminals, nearly all toilets now have door-less entry, auto-flush for toilet bowls and urinals, auto-taps at wash basins and auto-dispensers for soap. The few that do not have these features are being replaced progressively.

Certain areas of the airport, such as gatehold rooms, have not undergone similar enhancements to enable contactless usage.

Mr Lim said: "In Terminal 4, we had automated boarding gates, where passengers could go through using facial recognition. These are some possibilities we could look at (for other terminals)."

Mr Lim also commented that the initiatives in response to Covid-19 are not temporary measures and will be "here to stay".

"With all these innovations that have been put in place, I reckon that it will become a way of life."

Related topics

Changi Airport contactless travel Covid-19 coronavirus

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