Examining the ways air travel is likely to change by 2025. Of course, biometric ID management technologies will play a significant role in safety and convenience. The whole article is interesting but I've snipped out the bit about biometrics and security below.
The most difficult prediction to materialize is the scheme in which trusted travelers are exempted from security checks.Also, according to the article, flying in the future will not involve checked baggage.
"Countries like Canada, Germany and South Korea already have trusted traveler programs, which now are mainly to do with the immigration and emigration," Thomas says.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says the current security-check system isn't effective, and wastes time and energy, investigating countless bags rather than high-risk passengers. "Today's checkpoint was designed four decades ago to stop hijackers carrying metal weapons," IATA's director general Giovanni Bisignani says.
"We need a process that responds to today's threats. It must amalgamate intelligence based on passenger information and new technology. That means moving from a system that looks for bad objects to one that can find bad people."
So, the future security check will be divided into three channels, according to a passenger's risk rate - no security for known travelers, normal security for ordinary people and enhanced security for people regarded as dangerous.
But it's still difficult, even though the biometric technology based already exists, Thomas says. And it involves governments and intelligence departments.
I've often wondered why UPS, FedEx or the postal service hasn't marketed a service designed to compete with airline baggage fees.
