The Hindu Business Line : FAST check-in and immigration at Changi

SINGAPORE'S Changi airport has started a biometrics-based system, the Fully Automated Seamless Travel (FAST), that speeds frequent flyers through check-in and immigration. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Singapore International Airlines and the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority are conducting a six-month trial of the world's first automated one-stop check-in-cum-immigration for departing travellers.

At present travellers leaving the Changi airport have to go through three departure formalities including at the airline check-in counter to get boarding card and seat allocation, then at the police check before reaching the immigration counter for passport verification.

However, under the FAST system, all these three steps will happen at one point. This would mean reducing to two minutes the 8-15 minutes now taken for these formalities.

For this, a `FAST traveller' will get a card containing a microchip that has captured his facial features and fingerprint details on enrolment. Authentication of his identity will be done at a one-stop kiosk, where he can check-in, select a seat onboard and clear immigration from an interactive touch-screen monitor.

For now, the FAST trial is open to select frequent travellers on the Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer programme.

Interestingly, the second part of Naresh Chandra Committee report had suggested that the immigration authorities in India use a similar system. The Committee, which recently submitted its report to the Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Praful Patel, suggested that the country think of introducing swipe cards, either biometric or smart, for Indians passengers. The report also points out that many countries, including some in Asia, provide swipe cards to those willing to pay so that they can go through a separate fast-track channel.