February theme: Aviation securityTrial for mandatory biometrics at Heathrow Terminal 5
BAA is testing fingerprint security system on passengers at Terminal 1; system will be implemented in Terminal 5 when it opens; T5 will have one lounge for both domestic and international passengers, and new system aims to allow security authorities to have better monitoring of passengers in the lounge
Last Friday, quietly, Heathrow Airport used passengers in one terminal to test fingerprint-based security and traffic control system. The system is scheduled to be implemented in Terminal 5, and the passengers on whom the equipment was tested were at Terminal 1, where biometrics are now being taken from any domestic passengers wishing to visit the international lounge. BAA says that the security system is being used to identify passengers in order to stop them swapping tickets once they are in the departure lounge. Terminal 5, due to open later this year, will mix domestic and international passengers in a single lounge, while Terminal 1 has two lounges — doemstic and international — although last time we checked, domestic passengers were allowed to use the international one.
The system, when fully operational, will take biometrics from all passengers as they pass into the departure lounge, and match them up as they board the aircraft. The biometrics being taken are fingerprints and a digital photograph - not iris scans, as was incorrectly reported. According to BAA, the biometrics data will not be passed on to other authorities and will be destroyed at the end of each day.
Some observers — the Register’s John Lettic is one — doubt that the new biometric system is much of an impriovement over the current system
