October 5, 2020 at Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport where the 100% biometric route is tested.

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E. Frisullo / 20 Minutes

  • From now on, a system based on facial recognition allows certain passengers in Lyon Saint-Exupéry to go through all the stages of the passenger journey without having to show a ticket or identity document.

  • Mona, this 100% biometric route is being tested as a world first in Lyon on two lines between Lyon and Portugal by Vinci Airports, which intends to generalize this system to its other airports around the world.

If the airport had been crowded, the demonstration would have been more impactful.

But in this period of health crisis linked to the coronavirus, it is in a little-frequented terminal that the Mona device, unique in the world, was unveiled this Monday morning.

This is the first 100% biometric passenger journey now offered in an experimental setting to certain passengers in Lyon Saint-Exupéry.

"This is the first time in an airport that, from enrollment at home and then during each step to boarding, everything is done by facial recognition", enthuses Nicolas Notebaert, president of Vinci Airports.

Initially, Mona is offered via the app to passengers at Lyon airport using the Transavia Lyon / Porto line, which operates three to four flights per week, and the LyonLisbonne link, provided once a day by TAP Portugal.

Just to present his face

To use this device, travelers just have to download the free application on their smartphone, then take their ticket and check in from home.

“The idea is to offer a smooth and fast course.

We save thirty minutes thanks to the queues dedicated to Mona users at the airport and to facial recognition, ”adds Valérie Vesque Jeancard, Deputy Director for France and the Americas at Vinci Airports.

Once registered on the application, the traveler does not, at any time, need to take out his boarding pass or his identity document, already taken into account when purchasing the ticket remotely.

As soon as he enters Saint-Exupéry, all he has to do is follow the instructions given to him on his phone and go through the various airport checkpoints (outside border control) by simply showing his face to the sensors. installed in front of the Mona terminals.

A plus in this period of Covid, where contactless is in the process of becoming widespread in multiple sectors.

Towards generalization?

The time savings offered to the traveler by avoiding queues, then gives them free rein to take advantage of the relaxation, catering or shopping areas offered before boarding.

Discounts are offered in particular via the application in order to make the service more attractive to the public.

Because Vinci Airports obviously does not intend to stop at the Lyon experiment.

"We are currently in discussions with other airlines to be able to extend this service during 2021 to Saint-Exupéry", underlines Tanguy Bertholus, chairman of the management board of Lyon Aéroport.

"We have good hope of convincing the Portuguese authorities and other companies so that this experiment is generalized", adds the president of Vinci Airports, which operates 45 airports in twelve countries and has invested "several hundred thousand euros" for develop this biometric journey.

This facial recognition-based “travel companion” was implemented in conjunction with the National Commission for Informatics and Liberties, due to the use of personal data from travelers.

"Once the plane has taken off, the data is destroyed", assures Nicolas Notebaert in response to passengers who are cautious at the idea of ​​providing, via an application, a large part of their personal information.

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