Korean Air Introduces 'Bio Self-Boarding' Service with Palm Scan for Aircraft Boarding...

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] Even without a physical boarding pass, passengers can now board Korean Air domestic flights at Gimpo Airport using only pre-registered palm vein information.

Korean Air announced on the 9th that it will implement the "Bio Self Boarding Service," allowing boarding of domestic flights departing from Gimpo Airport using only palm vein biometric information, the first such service among domestic airlines.

When passengers place their palm on a device installed at the boarding gate, the unique palm vein pattern, which is pre-registered, is scanned. There is no need to take out a paper or mobile boarding pass to scan a barcode; identity and boarding pass information are verified using only the palm.

Palm vein patterns, like fingerprints, are unique biometric information of individuals and are being utilized as a next-generation identity verification method.

The service is available to Korean nationals aged 7 and above. To use it, passengers must register their palm vein information in advance by presenting their ID and consenting to the use of personal information at the bio authentication self-registration station on the domestic departure floor of Gimpo Airport.

Korean Air aims to enhance efficiency and security through palm vein biometric information, which is immune to risks such as theft, duplication, or loss. It is also expected to significantly reduce the time required for the boarding process.

Since August last year, Korean Air has collaborated with Korea Airports Corporation to build and test the system. The service will start at five boarding gates at Gimpo Airport and will be fully expanded to all domestic boarding gates at Gimpo Airport within the year. Starting in August, the service will also be available at Gimhae Airport.

Korean Air is actively adopting biometric-based technologies, such as introducing the airport authority’s facial recognition service "One ID" in Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, and Singapore. One ID is a service that integrates separate identity verification procedures conducted by airports, immigration agencies, and airlines into one using passenger biometric information.

A Korean Air official stated, "We will actively provide the One ID service, expanding the Bio Self Boarding Service to international flights following domestic routes."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.