Improved identity access and management (IAM) schemes based on biometrics and smart cards may reduce check-in times for air passengers, according to the results of a recent biometrics trial, but only if airports rearrange their floor-space to reduce passenger bottlenecks elsewhere.

Preliminary results of the MiSense trial conducted at Heathrow airport between October 2006 and March this year are due to be published by systems integrator Accenture next week.

The trial used self-service kiosks to scan passport details and passenger index fingers, then stored the information on a database before cross referencing it prior to boarding.

Of the 3,000 passengers who took part, 62 per cent said they would sign up to a commercial scheme if offered, with faster journey times cited as the main benefit, Accenture will report.

Accenture spokesperson Cyrille Battallier said the real advantage lies not in security improvements or faster passenger travel times, but automated processes that can save money by reducing airline staff headcount.

“It is a lower cost transaction – something that is a lot cheaper for the organisations involved,” he said.

“Passengers were able to pass through the gates in as little as 7-15 seconds, but it is not just about passing the gate itself. It is about airport layout and making better use of floor space.”

Accenture, which conducted the trial in partnership with the British Airport Authority (BAA), Cathay Pacific and Emirates airlines, believes schemes like MiSense can eventually replace boarding cards altogether, and speed up immigration checks if extended to include passport agencies.

A full analysis of the MiSense trial can be found here.