Market Trends of Airport Security Industry
Biometric Systems Segment to Experience the Highest Growth During the Forecast Period
Various airports and airlines are currently testing and using biometrics to speed up various airport processes like check-in, security check, or passport control. Some airports in countries like the US, the UK, China, Japan, and Singapore are currently using this technology, and many other airports in smaller countries are in the testing phase of biometrics. The Transportation Security Administration of the United States released a roadmap for enhancing aviation security and passenger experience using biometrics with the vision to transform the commercial aviation ecosystem by 2026.
In September 2023, the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced its plans to expand its facial recognition pilot program. The program, which is used at airport screening checkpoints, will now be extended from 115 security lanes to 200 lanes. This initiative makes use of Credential Authentication Technology with Camera (CAT-2 ID system). It involves comparing live photos of travelers taken at airport security checkpoints with the photo on their driver’s license or government ID card. This step will not only enhance the security measures at airports but also help minimize the time spent by passengers in security checks.
Similarly, in May 2022, Fraport, the airport operator of Frankfurt, launched a project called "Biometrics@Controllane" to improve security at staff access control points. Two partners, including Norwegian biometric technology provider Zwipe, had been invited to trial their technology at the airport. The biometric-based digital processing of passengers is expected to ease the passenger processes at various checkpoints like terminal entry gates, check-in/ bag drop, security check, and boarding gates. Such initiatives from the governments towards integrating advanced biometric technology for faster processing of passengers are acting as major drivers for the segment's growth during the forecast period.
Asia-Pacific is Expected to Generate the Highest Demand During the Forecast Period
Asia-Pacific is expected to witness the highest demand during the forecast period. The growth of the demand for the market is due to the ongoing investment plans of the civil aviation authorities to construct new airports and the increasing threat of terrorist activities at the airports in the region. With the recovering passenger traffic at the airports in the region, countries like China and India are increasing their investments in constructing new airports, expanding existing airports, and modernization of aviation infrastructure in the region. Currently, more than USD 200 billion in airport infrastructure projects are ongoing in the Asia-Pacific region. China, India, South Korea, the Philippines, and Vietnam are major countries undertaking such projects.
Several airports around the region, such as Changi Airport, Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, and Hong Kong International Airport, are leading the race in Asia. These airports undertook significant biometric projects with a significant impact on passenger experience in the forecast period. In September 2022, Perth Airport in Australia tested Amadeus’s biometrics technology that uses passengers' faces as their boarding passes for selected Singapore Airlines flights. Such investments are anticipated to generate demand for new airport security systems for airports and new facilities during the forecast period.
