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Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport plans to conduct a trial using contactless IC (integrated circuit) chips and biometrics technologies to shorten the time it takes passengers to check in at Japanese airports.

The trial, which is expected to run from mid-January to March next year at Tokyo's Narita Airport, aims to establish a simpler and faster airport check-in process while maintaining security. It is part of an E-Airport initiative announced by the Japanese government in June 2001 and designed to make Japan's international airports the most technologically advanced in the world, according to a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport statement.

Participants include NTT DoCoMo, Japan Airlines Systems, and New Tokyo International Airport Authority. For the trial, 1000 participants will be chosen from among Japan Airlines Systems' frequent flyers who often travel overseas.

Personal Data

Prior to using the airport, passengers who participate in the trial will need to register their passport information, face recognition data, and iris recognition data. Passport information will be put on an IC chip, which can be embedded in either a mobile phone strap--a common accessory for Japanese cell-phone users--or a card that passengers can carry with them.

At check-in, a passenger's passport information will be read from the contactless IC chip, and a facial recognition device will confirm that the passenger's facial and iris measurements match the data stored in the chip. After completing authentication, an automated check-in terminal will issue a boarding pass and the passenger will proceed to a security gate. The IC chip and a positive iris match will allow the passenger to go through the security gate.

Iris recognition and IC chip data will be reauthenticated at the boarding gate. The passengers who finish these procedures will be allowed to board aircraft earlier than other passengers, the ministry said.

The trial itself will not significantly reduce check-in time for Japanese passengers, said a ministry official who declined to be identified. In the future, eliminating the need for more passengers to present their passports to an airport official for identification will result in time savings. In this way, the government hopes the system will reduce check-in time by half, the official said.

Aside from the automated check-in system, several trials--such as offering wireless LAN services on trains to Narita Airport and at the airport--have been conducted this year as part of the E-Airport initiative.

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