Passengers departing from Changi International Airport will soon travel passport-free. It’s one of the world’s busiest airports.
Using technology such as facial recognition, ‘automated immigration clearance’ will replace passport inspection checkpoints for travellers leaving Singapore.
Passport-free travel
A Changi Airport spokesperson told TDA that passport-free travel will be enabled by biometric technology across the airport. It will monitor travellers at “automated touchpoints from bag-drop to immigration and boarding”.
Singapore’s Communications Minister Josephine Teo said it means passengers won’t have to “repeatedly present their travel documents at touch points and allow for more seamless and convenient processing”.
An immigration officer can inspect a passenger’s passport if requested.
Privacy concerns
The International Civil Aviation Organisation says biometrics can include facial recognition, fingerprint checks and iris (eye) recognition.
Any biometric information stored by airports must meet ICAO standards, as well as comply with national data protection or privacy laws.
Singapore’s government said there will be “sufficient” privacy and security safeguards around the sharing of data. It said information will only be used for authorised purposes.
