CALGARY – Earlier this week, WestJet and Telus trialled Trusted Boarding, which uses facial verification technology as a touchless method of checking the identity of travellers before they board a flight.
“The trial was the first-of-its-kind in Canada and took place at the YYC Calgary International Airport,” according to a WestJet press release.
Trusted Boarding “employs a self-sovereign identity ecosystem (the creation of unique, private and secure connections between two trusted parties) through a TELUS-provisioned digital identity wallet in a smartphone application for IOS and Android,” the press release explains.
“It provides contactless document validation, where a facial verification scan is matched with a traveller’s documentation that has been uploaded to the app prior to boarding. Importantly, the app ensures users retain control of their personal information at all times, meaning they can securely share their verified personal credentials and revoke access when the data is no longer needed.”
one37 developed the identity platform and Oaro provided the document integrity validation, “ensuring the solution follows all data protection and privacy regulations covered under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act.”
The trial demonstrated “the responsible use of biometric boarding technology provides sufficient document validation and prevents non-authorized individuals from boarding an aircraft,” the release says.
This was the first step towards implementing the technology. WestJet is working with the Canadian government “to seek full approval for its use as a safe and secure alternative for future WestJet boarding at Canadian airports.”
“Our groundbreaking, built in Canada solution allows travellers to enjoy a secure, touchless identity verification experience, while ensuring they are able to maintain control of their personal data,” said Ibrahim Gedeon, chief technology officer at Telus.
“This level of control establishes and increases consumer trust by addressing privacy, security, and ethical data risks from the start, while providing transparency to customers.”
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Photo supplied by WestJet.
