The increasing threat of fraud identity necessitates the strengthening of security features in passports. To minimise this threatening concern various countries are issuing Biometric passport to the passport applicants. Airport security has been one of the major causes of worry for most of the countries, especially considering the rising rate of militancy. For stronger airport security check the authorities have started implementing ePassport also known as biometric passport for authentic verification of the traveller’s entity. Biometric technology has emerged as a powerful security support system to ensure access control at various international as well as domestic entry points. Biometric passport is a combined paper and electronic passport that contains biometric information of an individual that can be used to authenticate the identity of the traveller. It uses contactless smart card technology, including a microprocessor computer chip and antenna (for both power to the chip and communication) embedded in the front or back cover, or centre page, of the passport. The document and chip characteristics are documented in the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The passport’s vital information is both printed on the data page of the passport and stored in the chip. Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is used to authenticate the data stored electronically in the passport chip making it expensive and difficult to forge when all security mechanisms are fully and correctly implemented. The passport’s chip stores the traveller’s name, date of birth, photographs of the traveller’s face and fingerprints. The currently standardised biometrics used for verifying the identity is facial recognition, fingerprint recognition and iris recognition. Biometric passport is one of the most significant breakthroughs in the field, used to ensure a number of security aspects: • Automated and secure immigration checks • Detection of manipulation of documents and information • Identification and verification of the passport holder • Avoidance of militancy attacks at the air terminals Worldwide Acceptance: Malaysia was the first country in the world to issue biometric passports in 1998, after a local company, IRIS Corporation, developed the technology. The countries in the European Union and other parts of the world have taken up initiatives to adopt biometric passports in the recent years, UK being the first to make it compulsory for issuing biometric passports to new applicants and to those applying for a renewal. In the year 2009, the countries like Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia and many more have replaced the traditional passports with new biometric passports. India has recently initiated first phase exercise of Biometric e-Passport for Diplomatic Passport holders in India and abroad. Biometric passport’ validity can range from 3 to 10 years, under the laws in force in the country of issue. Its validity can be extended one or more times under the law. There are around 100 million biometric passports in circulation all around the world out of which 50 countries worldwide use the technology for better safety. More countries are planning to introduce ePassport for prohibiting the entry of militants or fraud characters in the country and undergoing unlawful deed or on a bigger part terrorising the nation through various dreadful attacks. Introducing Biometric passport will filter lesser illegitimate people during preliminary security check-in in the country. After all, “prevention is better than cure”.
Category: Technology
Middle East Airlines – Air Liban (MEA), the national carrier of Lebanon, will sign an agreement on February 28 to officially start the process of joining SkyTeam in 2012. Customers will benefit from increased access to and from the Middle East and Western Africa. Welcoming MEA to become a full member is a significant step towards enhancing the global network of the alliance. SkyTeam is actively working to strengthen its presence in the Middle East, one of the world’s most important economic regions. MEA will be a valuable addition to the alliance by offering customers increased access to the Middle East and Western Africa. MEA has continued to improve its products and services to customers ever since it successfully concluded a thorough restructuring plan, destined to modernize and restructure the airline. Key elements of this plan included fleet renewal and rationalization, increasing the density of its European, Middle East and West African network and improving product quality and consistency. SkyTeam has made significant progress in attracting new members. In 2010 China Eastern and its daughter company Shanghai Airlines, China Airlines, Garuda Indonesia and Aerolíneas Argentinas all confirmed their future membership in SkyTeam. In January 2011 Saudi Arabian Airlines was the first member from the Middle East to announce its membership. Adding MEA as the second member from this region complements the network offer to SkyTeam customers and illustrates the continuing global expansion that SkyTeam accelerated last year.
British and French mobile operators are poised to strike a deal that would provide mobile phone coverage in the Channel Tunnel in time for the 2012 Olympics. The consortium of operators – including O2, Vodafone, 3 and Orange – are understood to be splitting the £20 million cost of installing the technology along the entire 31.4 mile length of the tunnel. Alcatel-Lucent, the French telecoms infrastructure company, has been contracted to install the technology, reports The Telegraph. Ofcom, the UK telecoms regulator, confirmed that it is preparing to issue spectrum licences to allow French and British operators to share airwaves inside the tunnel. UK operators will – Vodafone, O2, Everything Everywhere and 3 – will split the installation costs along the Dover to Calais tunnel. Meanwhile their French counterparts – Orange, SFR and Bouygues – will share the costs along the Calais to Dover tunnel. Vodafone is believed to be spearheading the Channel Tunnel project on the British side of the Channel. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is also aiming to bring 2G and 3G coverage to the London Underground in time for the 2012 Olympics. The technology is already available on the Paris metro. Mobile operators have agreed to collectively invest £150m to provide mobile coverage on most of the capital’s Tube tunnels. Thales is the leading bidder to install the technology, which is likely to be managed by Huawei, a Chinese telecoms company. Passengers will be able to make voice calls and browse the internet over the 3G network. World Mobi In the build up to the 2012 Olympics, World Mobi has launched its new guide to the capital. London.Mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up of city guides, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the World Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory. The guide offers click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers. Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed. Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport. World.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide. City.mobi comes into its own during mega sporting events such as the Olympics and the World Cup. During the South Africa World Cup, city.mobi provided detailed information about accommodation, attractions, dining, city guides, and transport information tailored for users on the go, and includes host cities, including Durban (durban.city.mobi ), Port Elizabeth (portelizabeth.city.mobi ), Bloemfontein (bloemfontein.mobi, Johannesburg (joburg.city.mobi ), Pretoria (pretoria.mobi ), Nelspruit (nelspruit.city.mobi ), Polokwane (polokwane.city.mobi ), and Rustenburg (rustenburg.city.mobi ).
A court in Rio de Janeiro has ordered Air France to pay $727,000 in compensation to relatives of a Brazilian family that died on Flight 447, the Rio-Paris flight that came down in the Atlantic in June 2009, killing all 228 people on board. The court awarded the sum to the parents and grandparents of a 31-year-old Brazilian woman, Luciana Clarkson Seba, who was killed along with her husband and parents-in-law in the accident. Crash investigators blamed the accident on faulty speed sensors on the Airbus A330-200. Air France, through its insurers, has made compensation payments to the relatives of the passengers and crew, but continues to defend itself from litigation in Brazil. On top of the damages for suffering, the Rio court ordered Air France to pay Clarkson Seba’s mother $3,000 dollars. Aer Lingus learns lessons from Flight 447 In separate news, Aer Lingus captains flying Airbus A330 jets across the Atlantic have been warned not to put too much trust in their auto-pilots. This follows research in the wake of the crash of Air France 447 in which three young Irish doctors lost their lives. Data broadcast from the Airbus jet suggested the air speed probes were malfunctioning and that the auto-pilot had disconnected. Airbus auto-pilots are designed to disconnect automatically if the probes – which tell the flight computer how fast the plane is travelling – give erroneous or contradictory readings. The pilots will then resume manual control until the problem is sorted out, or until they can land safely. However the European Air Safety Agency has since discovered a potentially unsafe condition where flight computers suggest reconnecting the autopilot if two of the aircraft’s three speed sensors give the same reading, even if it is false. “We are aware of this and the associated amendment has been distributed to flight crew,” an Aer Lingus spokeswoman said.
The European Commission has announced plans to relax the 100ml limit on carrying liquids, with the view to a full lifting of restrictions by 2013. The liquids ban was introduced in August 2006 after terrorists were thwarted from trying to smuggle the liquid ingredient for a bomb onto an aircraft and mixing them during the flight. But the strict guidelines on taking liquids through security gates has proved a source of irritation for passengers and added to security check delays. The regulation was relaxed after a few months, with the imposition of a 100ml limit. But this still created large amounts of waste, ranging from water bottles and baby food to shaving foam. The move comes as the security industry develops new machinery which it believes is capable of screening passengers and their luggage properly. The new EU ruling will also mean transfer passengers will no longer have to surrender liquids they bought from duty free shops at the start of their journey if they were changing planes. In October Martin Broughton, the British Airways chairman, called for the scrapping of what he described as “redundant” security measures. Philip Hammond, the UK Transport Secretary, last month told the Transport Select Committee that he believed airline passengers were being subjected to more security checks than necessary, “It is possible in some cases more searches than are necessary are being carried out. Different approaches using technology could eliminate risk,” he said. “I am not suggesting we relax the standards we require. I am suggesting more flexibility.” Last month Ian Hutcheson, the head of security at BAA, has called for an overhaul of how passengers are screened, warning that predictable airport security is giving terrorists an advantage.
Stranraer Thomas Cook manager, Amanda McKeand celebrated after receiving a Christmas hamper from Holiday Extras, as a reward for being the first Thomas Cook agent to book an airport hotel after Holiday Extras became the preferred supplier of UK airport hotels for Thomas Cook UK. Amanda said: “I’m so delighted to have won this hamper – I was amazed to think that I was the first in the whole country to book an airport hotel following this new agreement. “I always say that I never win anything, so this is a first and a great start to the festive season.” Andrea Clayton, Head of Partnerships at Holiday Extras said, “We are delighted to be working with Thomas Cook UK to promote our airport hotels to Thomas Cook’s customers. “Our new agreement offers a fantastic opportunity for Thomas Cook agents to make the most selling of our wide range of airport hotels, which offers the chance to add value for their customer with our unique selection of hotel upgrades.”
W South Beach Hotel & Residences is to become the first W Hotel to launch a Smartphone application, allowing consumers to interact with the hotel remotely and customise their bookings. To celebrate the new development, the hotel is offering a WOW accessory to users of the application during the week of launch. The free application, which becomes available online and via the iTunes Store and Smartphone stores on Monday December 6, will allow users to access W’s signature Whatever/Whenever® service from any Smartphone, iPad, iPhone or iPod, Wherever they are. The ability to book rooms and manage reservations, make appointments at Bliss Spa, dinner reservations at on-site restaurants, Soléa and Mr Chow, and check out hot happenings in Miami is just a click away through the W South Beach application. In addition, users can arrange transportation via the Acura Experience, browse W The Store, learn about special offers including exclusive wedding packages, stay in-the-know on W passion points and access the Live It. Own It. feature for W South Beach Residences. The application also brings Starwood Preferred Guests the option of viewing and managing their accounts. “We are thrilled to become the first W property to introduce a Smartphone application,” said George Cozonis, General Manager of W South Beach Hotel & Residences. “This launch is evidence of our position as a leader in the market, on both a local and national level, and underscores our commitment to exceeding our clients’ expectations. The W South Beach application gives them access to our Whatever/Whenever services and presents limitless access to the property – not only while they are staying at the hotel but also when they are on the go.” Users who download the new application between December 6-10 will receive a complementary WOW accessory perfectly suited for any mobile user.
Amadeus, a leading transaction processor and provider of advanced technology solutions for the global travel and tourism industry, today announces it is first to market with the availability of IATA ’s Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD) for travel agencies and first to receive full IATA sign-off. All GDS providers must ensure the industry’s EMD standard is available to travel agencies in all of ARC (Airlines Reporting Corporation) and BSP (Billing & Settlement Plan) markets by end 2013. The EMD is the industry electronic messaging standard which enables airlines and travel agencies to more effectively share information relating to issuance, management, distribution and fulfilment of airline services. Amadeus is the first in the industry to be compliant with the full solution; it has not only replaced the current tool with the new electronic version to issue documents for standalone travel related services such as lounge access, vouchers, etc., but in advance of its competitors, it has also enabled the collection of payment for a variety of services directly associated to a flight, such as excess baggage and specific meals. Amadeus has already announced the availability of its comprehensive EMD solution for airlines with Finnair, implemented 1st of June 2010, which enables the airline to process EMDs through its direct sales channels. Amadeus’ market by market rollout of EMD functionality to travel agencies will enable airlines to distribute a wide range of products, including ancillary services, according to industry standards through the distribution channel which continues to provide airlines with over 60 per cent of its revenue and provides the highest yield. The adoption of the EMD standard for travel agencies reduces costs, enables automated reporting and accounting of ancillary service sales whilst delivering a single, consolidated and easy to understand electronic document to the traveller, which details the full range of services they have purchased. The standard is essential to the effective selling of airline ancillary services such as extra legroom, in-flight meals and baggage fees. Recent research from Ideaworks highlights ancillary services as a rapidly growing revenue driver for airlines with worldwide ancillary revenues growing 43 per cent in 2009 to €11 billion. Rudy Daniello, Director, Distribution Product Management, Amadeus commented: “Amadeus is pleased to be the first to offer the industry a full solution for travel agencies that is critical for industry profitability. Travel agencies will now have a single standardised method to issue the sale of all airline services, fully integrated into their system, which will provide a more efficient way of keeping track of spending.” Minna Tuorila, Commercial Director Corporate Travel, Suomen Matkatoimisto – Finland Travel Bureau, said: “The EMD is important for us because airlines are moving towards an unbundled proposition. We are seeking a cost-effective way to account for each individual service we sell which fits within our existing workflow and improves automation in the back-office. Amadeus’ EMD rollout will deliver just that.” Amadeus’ EMD rollout for travel agencies is underway in Finland with the first travel agents set to go live in Q1 2011. An additional 20 markets, including ARC markets, will be functional during 2011, with a further 70 markets going live during 2012 and the remaining 70 IATA Billing & Settlement Plan (BSP) markets will be operational in 2013 in order to meet the industry target. EMD is a key component of IATA’s e-Services drive which eliminates paper processing from the industry – IATA estimates the EMD will save the airline industry $2.9 billion annually.
A strategic partnership between Travel Guard North America and Vayant Travel Technologies aims to allow travellers and travel businesses to choose from a larger array of airline carrier combinations through split-ticketing to receive better flight prices and more itinerary options, plus travel insurance protection in the event of a missed connection. Many travel sites today avoid handling split tickets for complex travel itineraries due to the complexity of pricing, taxation and the hassle involved in navigating interline rules, as well as a lack of relevant technology. Vayant and Travel Guard are embracing the challenge through a shared commitment to provide seamless customer experience with increased choice and protection. By combining non-interline carriers on a single itinerary, Vayant’s split-ticketing capabilities (branded as Multiline+) greatly increase the number of options available to travelers when booking flights, and can substantially lower travel cost. Consumers flying on split-ticketed itineraries today miss out on some of the protections that cooperating airlines traditionally provide for missed connections. With Travel Guard, Vayant will provide new offerings to travellers worldwide to make split-ticketed itineraries far more appealing and less risky than a standard interline/alliance itinerary. Working with Travel Guard, Vayant will provide case-level missed connection data as well as real-time claims management information through its unique technology platform. Vayant’s powerful proprietary algorithms and comprehensive live data now allow travel insurance to be offered more easily to split ticket purchasers. The technology bridges a significant information gap that has historically interfered with the flight search and pricing process. A traveller flying from Newark, NJ to Mykonos, Greece can now choose among prices 70 per cent less than published fares by combining mainline service with LCC service via Paris Orly. Vayant masterminds the itinerary, applies proprietary connection-time algorithms that are customizable to an individual level, and grants connections based on a variety of factors. Travel Guard seamlessly integrates the travel insurance offer within the booking path of the travel seller (online travel agencies, airlines, travel meta-searches and their partners). Working together, Vayant and Travel Guard offer air travellers new, affordable, travel options and the assurance of worldwide coverage to help with a variety of unexpected travel events. “To complement Vayant’s new offering, we will be developing a new product to provide additional protections and services for travelers coping with economic challenges and changes in the travel marketplace,” said Dean Sivley, president and CEO for Travel Guard North America. “Travel Guard’s products are a perfect addition to Vayant’s technology suite. Together, we’re offering unprecedented flexibility in travel planning, creating new affordable travel options and helping leisure and business travelers plan their travel with confidence.” “Travel Guard’s global presence, innovation-focused culture and trail-blazing entrepreneurship in travel will allow Vayant’s industrial-grade airfare shopping, pricing and booking-delivery platform, OneSearch™, to save travelers significant amounts of money and headache while exploring new ways to their destination,” said Vayant president and CEO Atanas Christov.
Kenya Airways has confirmed it will expand its operation into the Australian market through a new code share agreement signed with Qantas. Under the agreement, the self-styled ‘Pride of Africa’ will code share on daily services between Bangkok and Sydney with the Australian national carrier, while Qantas will code share on daily Kenya Airways services between Bangkok and Nairobi. Kenya Airways group managing director, Titus Naikuni, said the partnership between the two airlines would enable its customer’s access to more destinations in Australia, while also giving an opportunity to Qantas passengers to access the 41 destinations flown by KA in Africa. “Kenya Airways seeks to strengthen its presence in Australia by offering better connection options to its passengers from Africa and our association with Qantas gives us an opportunity to offer our customers a seamless connection to and from Australia.” He added that Australia was a key market for passengers either travelling for education, business and leisure. He also noted that majority of the traffic from Australia would comprise of tourists. Tourism Market Group executive Qantas Airlines commercial, Rob Gurney, said the alliance would give Qantas customers greater access to the exciting African tourism market. “Qantas is pleased to be able to increase the options available for Australians travelling to Africa,” Mr Gurney added. “There is considerable potential for growth in business and leisure travel between Australia and Kenya. This new code share arrangement positions both airlines well to capitalise on that potential.” The code share will complement Qantas’ direct services between Sydney and Johannesburg, which will be increased to a daily frequency this week. “Qantas looks forward to partnering with Kenya Airways in strengthening travel, cultural and business links between Kenya and Australia,” continued Mr Gurney. Code share services between Qantas and Kenya Airways are on sale now for travel from November 15th 2010. World Mobi Also in Africa today, World Mobi launched its new city guide to Nairobi. World Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the World Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory. However, each city retains its own mobile identity via a dedicated domain. Already on offer are Brussels.mobi, London.Mobi, Sanfrancisco.Mobi and Sydney.Mobi. Nairobi.Mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up, offering click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers. Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed. Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, transport, and weather. City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.
