Facial recognition and iris biometrics are allowing Singapore Changi Airport to process passengers through immigration in as little as 10 seconds as it fully embraces futuristic technology.
Since facial scanning was fully rolled out on Sept. 30, the average time it takes travelers to get through immigration has been cut by 60%, down from the previous 25 seconds, the city-state’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority said in a statement on its website Thursday.
Changi Airport, frequently rated among the best in the world, now has passport-less clearance at all four of its passenger terminals.
Singapore’s city dwellers — including permanent residents and long-term pass holders — can depart and arrive the airport using facial and iris biometrics without needing to show their passports. Foreign visitors will still need to present documentation on arrival but are then able to use passport-less clearance when they leave.
Almost 1.5 million travelers had cleared immigration without presenting a passport as of Oct. 15, according to the ICA. Around 49.9 million passengers have passed through Changi in the year to September, putting it on track to return to around pre-pandemic volumes.