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A I R T R AV E L P O S T- C O V I D -1 9

R E-IM A GINING
A I R TR AVEL F OR
A POST-PA NDEM IC
W OR LD
Creating a contactless journey is key
to restoring passenger confidence and
accelerating recovery; existing technologies
can make it happen – and improve air
travel for years to come
I NT R O D U CT I O N As with all dire and chaotic situations, the unprecedented
disruption of global air travel wrought by the COVID-19
pandemic offers one shining light: the opportunity to view
existing procedures and practices from a new perspective
and, perhaps, create an even more vibrant, resilient and
passenger-friendly industry.
It would be easy to overlook this opportunity amidst all
the bad news. By the end of April 2020, commercial flights
worldwide had decreased nearly 75% compared with the
same period the previous year1. Certain countries saw an
even greater decline: Spain, Hong Kong, Germany, Singapore,
France, India and the U.K. were all down over 90%, according
to industry data specialist OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited 2.
More than 15 airlines have been forced to restructure or
cease operations3. The International Civil Aviation Organization
– part of the United Nations – said global airlines could see
up to 2.9 billion fewer passengers in 2020 compared with
2019. Seat capacity could drop by more than half, resulting
in a $384 billion loss of gross operating revenues of airlines
compared with previous forecasts4.
There is no question that the worldwide travel restrictions,
shelter-in-place orders and widespread fear of infection have
led to catastrophic losses that are likely to continue for some
time. Most airlines are not expecting air travel to return to
normal levels for two to three years5.
But it will return.
Air travel is a vital part of modern life, so integrated into
commerce, leisure and international relations that its absence
would alter the course of human history. People can tolerate
temporary suspensions, but the desire to return to the patterns
of travel they enjoyed previously will eventually overwhelm
any pressures against it. The “bounce back” may take some
time – as it did after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and various
other historic disruptions – but it will come.
The question is, when? The longer it takes, the greater the
economic toll.
That’s why airports, airlines and government regulators
– together with their industry partners – must act now to
shorten the duration of the decline, limit the damage and
accelerate the bounce back. How? One key is by reassuring
passengers they are safe in the air-travel environment and
that flying is, once again, a low-risk activity.
In the age of COVID-19, creating that safety “bubble” means
reducing or eliminating human-to-human contact. Bottom
line: The contactless journey is key to restoring passenger
confidence and fueling a quick resurgence in air travel.

2 Air Travel Post-COVID-19  |  June 2020

EXIST I N G T E C HNOLOGY
CAN MA K E I T HAP P EN
Given the current situation with significantly decreased These quick fixes have helped to assure passengers, but there
passenger loads, sharply diminished revenue and uncertain is more “low hanging fruit” that could be harvested through
prospects, it’s understandable that most airports and airlines the aggressive use of existing technology.
have little appetite for an ambitious, long-term overhaul of
their passenger processing procedures to achieve this goal. For several years now, the air travel industry has been exploring
But there are low-cost, easy-to-implement actions they can and, in fact, installing and using technologies designed to speed
take right now that represent steps along the way to the the flow of passengers through the airport. Biometrics, artificial
ultimate contactless journey. intelligence, mobile applications, self-service features and other
technology solutions are rapidly transforming the air travel
The simplest of these solutions, such as mandating the use ecosystem. These technologies provide passengers a much more
of facial masks and encouraging social distancing where enjoyable travel experience; they bring significant improvements
possible, are already in place, as are new procedures for in capacity, efficiency and profitability to airports and airlines;
disinfecting airport common areas, luggage and aircraft and they provide governments and regulatory agencies around
interiors. Airlines are also reducing or eliminating food and the world greater border control and security.
beverage service to minimize contact between passengers
and crew, and multiple-use paper products – such as airline It just so happens these same technologies also facilitate
magazines and menus – have been removed. In addition, a passenger journey that is virtually free of human-to-human
airlines are providing separated seating arrangements when contact.
occupancy rates allow it 6.

Air Travel Post-COVID-19  |  June 2020 3

BIOM E T R I C I D E NTITY M ANAGEM ENT
A single-token passenger journey from curb to gate

A number of airports and airlines, for instance, have begun

deploying SelfPass™, a biometric solution for passenger
processing offered by Collins Aerospace. Despite the challenges
brought about by the pandemic, Collins Aerospace is continuing
to implement SelfPass for JetBlue at JFK in New York and at
Haneda Airport, Japan, among other locations.

SelfPass relies on facial scans that are quickly matched to

passport facial images in identity databases. When this system
is in place, passengers – once enrolled – no longer need to
present documents anywhere along the travel route. Their face
becomes their identification and they are “known” from the
moment they enter the airport and, at some point in the future,
through the duration of their flight to their exit from the
destination airport. This means there is no need to interact interaction. These systems add a measure of personal safety
with airport or airline agents, transferring paper tickets, not only because they are self-administered but also because
boarding passes, passports or driver’s licenses. they reduce or eliminate the lines of people congregating
at that particular checkpoint. Similarly, self-boarding gates,
Other airport self-service systems, such as Collins’ SelfDrop™ – which Collins Aerospace has installed at JFK for JetBlue and
an automated baggage drop that enables passengers to process in Las Vegas, for example, speed up the boarding process, reduce
and tag their own luggage – further reduce the need for human lines and congestion, and eliminate contact with a gate agent.

4 Air Travel Post-COVID-19  |  June 2020

Prior to the pandemic, surveys of air travelers indicated the Another way to reduce chances of infection is by taking some
overwhelming majority would appreciate the sort of seamless, activity out of the airport. Collins Aerospace has been facilitating
efficient, automated journey enabled by these technologies. an evolution to remote passenger processing for some time.
Some would even like to see them incorporated into other Systems, such as ARINC OnVoy , already enable travelers to
SM

trip-related activity, such as securing rental cars, ground check in and check bags from numerous remote locations, easing
transportation and hotel stays. In the pandemic’s wake, travelers the pressure on busy airport terminals and providing maximum
are even more likely to have a positive view of these solutions convenience and flexibility for airlines and their passengers.
and the additional measure of safety they offer.
Airports could also offer passengers a simple, dynamic
wayfinding mobile app to identify areas of high congestion
and provide alternate routes to avoid crowded “hot spots.”
Such a solution would be quick and easy to implement
at minimal cost because the technology already exists;
it simply needs to be tailored to each airport.

Onboard solutions for contactless travel include a mobile

app that would allow passengers to make in-flight food,
beverage and entertainment purchases, reducing contact
and dialogue with the cabin crew.

Preparing for the new world to come:

More short-term, changes for the longer term
low-cost solutions In addition to upending air travel, the pandemic has forever
changed the traveler. Long after a vaccine is found and the
Airports and airlines that have already invested in biometric
worst effects of COVID-19 are over, passengers will remain
solutions can now easily add another layer of protection for
wary of confined spaces, long lines and close interactions.
passengers: health screening. Collins Aerospace will look
They will come to expect an end-to-end journey that is basically
to offer health screening, including temperature and other
self-styled, seamless and contactless.
biomarkers that can be quickly and easily integrated into
the facial scanning technology, enabling airports and airlines Preparing for this new, post-pandemic world requires planning
to identify passengers who are potentially ill and may require and investment for the longer term. For organizations ready
further medical checks before flying. to commit to this new vision of travel, Collins Aerospace offers
the following recommendations gained from its experience
For airports and airlines that continue to rely on older
in providing these new technologies – particularly biometric
technologies and are not yet ready to introduce biometrics,
solutions – to multiple airlines and airports.
Collins Aerospace can integrate these health sensors into
their existing passenger processing infrastructure via its
• A single end-to-end solution drives economies of scale
SelfPass solution – no matter what that infrastructure looks
• Make sure the solution is technology agnostic
like right now. In fact, these units can be placed anywhere
along the passenger route. • Anticipate technology upgrades
• Have a robust plan for staff training and passenger engagement
• Think mobile
• Be sensitive to privacy concerns

Air Travel Post-COVID-19  |  June 2020 5

BIOMETRICS AND SELF-SERVICE TECHNOLOGY
HELP IMPROVE OPERATIONS AND EASE CONGESTION
SAVINGS FROM REDUCED COSTS

30% Self-service Biometrics at the boarding gate

less time reduces reliance • Less than 15 minutes to board a Boeing 777
boarding on agent staffing • 20 minutes to board 350 Airbus A380 passengers
a 777 • Faster boarding = less congestion

A single end-to-end solution

drives economies of scale
Ideally, to maximize the value of biometric solutions, a complete
end-to-end solution is recommended. Many airports and airlines
are doing trials with single-point solutions – such as a self-service
biometric bag drop or biometric boarding – and doing them
with different suppliers. These are useful tests, but to achieve
maximum value, airports and airlines should work together to
find a solution that can be implemented across the board. Having
different, independent solutions throughout the airport reduces
overall efficiency and economies of scale because the differing
solutions may not work together optimally.

Make sure the solution Anticipate technology upgrades

is technology agnostic Right now, facial recognition is the preferred biometric solution
The solution you choose must “sit above” the touchpoints rather in most places around the world. That’s because photos are
than being embedded into them. Imagine, for instance, choosing embedded in passports and the facial scan must match the facial
to buy boarding gates with a built-in, stand-alone biometric image from the passport. However, there is increasing interest
feature. If that boarding gate cannot be integrated into the larger in other modalities, such as iris scans, fingerprints and vein
system, or work with all the other components of the system, scanning that are likely to be incorporated at some point in
you will be looking at replacing them at some point in the future – the future. It’s important to choose a provider that has broad
an expensive proposition. On the other hand, when you choose capability with biometric solutions and will be able to add these
a solution that is managed from the cloud, it can be changed, new features easily if they are required.
updated or removed from that touchpoint as needed, protecting
your investment in the physical infrastructure.
Have a robust plan for staff training
It is equally important that the system is able to tie into all the and passenger engagement
airlines’ departure control systems. Your solution must be able
to “talk” with all these systems to be able to handle all the As attractive as biometric solutions are, people don’t just
airlines within an airport. automatically start using them once they’re installed. Both
passengers and staff need to be educated about the new
technology, and the supplier you choose should have a strategy
for providing that education. Very often, the best way to introduce
a new concept to passengers is by targeting frequent travelers.
They are often the early adopters that can help lift new
technologies into wider use.

6 Air Travel Post-COVID-19  |  June 2020

Think mobile Accelerating the recovery of the air travel industry will require
speedy implementation of the best, most innovative solutions.
More and more, people expect to be able to do just about It will require collaboration and partnership among all of the
everything from their phones, and that includes opting into industry’s stakeholders – airports, airlines, suppliers and
a biometrics application. While there will always be a need government. But most importantly, it will require a long-term
to allow passengers to enroll in such a program at the airport vision of air travel, a roadmap for the evolution of the industry
from a kiosk or service desk, your biometric solution should in the decades to come.
always have mobile enrollment as an option.
While the pandemic has certainly wreaked short-term havoc
on the industry, it has also illuminated a brilliant path forward:
Be sensitive to privacy concerns By leveraging technologies that offer passengers a contactless
Some travelers feel reluctant to opt in to a biometrics program journey, airports and airlines are automatically creating additional
because they are concerned about the privacy of their data. benefits that will serve their future interests. In a fortuitous
In some parts of the world, very stringent privacy laws have intersection of demands, the very solution airlines and airports
been enacted to address these concerns – the European require for passengers to experience a contactless journey
Union’s General Data Protection Regulation is a good example. is the same technology used to improve the quality and efficiency
Passengers need to be assured that their data is secure and of air travel overall. By investing in this technology now, the
know that the system they are using complies with the laws industry will not only satisfy these dual goals, it will reap the
in their own countries. The biometric solution you choose rewards – economic and otherwise – for years to come.
should have the flexibility to comply with all privacy laws around
the world and should also allow passengers to choose where
their data is kept and whether that data is stored or erased.
For instance, passengers should have the option of deciding
if their data is stored with an airline for repeated use, stored
on their own phone or other personal device and presented
as needed, or used once then erased.

7 Air Travel Post-COVID-19  |  June 2020

 As a leading provider
of aerospace technology,
Collins Aerospace,
a unit of Raytheon
Technologies, is
uniquely positioned
to help airports and
airlines make the
contactless journey
a reality. With decades
of experience and
proven expertise in
airport operations,
baggage systems,
passenger processing,
airport cybersecurity,
cloud solutions,
in-flight connectivity
and much more,
Collins Aerospace
is the only provider
that can offer the full
range of technology
solutions to create a
seamless, end-to-end,
contact-free passenger
journey.

R E F E R E N C E S A N D A D D I T I O N A L P U B L I C I N F O R M AT I O N S O U R C E S

1. Flightradar 24, Blog, Aviation Business, “7-day moving average of total flights tracked by Flightrader 24, May 2016-May 2020.”
Retrieved May 2020 from https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/100000-daily-flights-tracked-for-the-first-time-since-22-march/
2. OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited, “Global Scheduled Flight Change year-over-year.”
Retrieved May 2020 from https://www.oag.com/coronavirus-airline-schedules-data
3. Airline for America, “Tracking the Impacts of COVID-19, June 15, 2020.”
Retrieved May 2020 from https://www.airlines.org/dataset/impact-of-covid19-data-updates/#
4. International Civil Aviation Organization, Effects of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Civil Aviation: Economic Impact Analysis,
Montréal, Canada, 1 June 2020, Air Transport Bureau. Retrieved May 2020 from https://www.icao.int/sustainability/Documents/COVID-19
5. Atkinson, Claire (May 4, 2020). “Higher fares, longer waits, no booze: How coronavirus will change the way we fly.” NBC News.
Retrieved May 2020 from https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/higher-fares-longer-waits-no-booze-how-coronavirus-will-change-n1193431
6. International Civil Aviation Organization, Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART), Take-off: Guidance for Air Travel through the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis,
Montréal, Canada, 27 May 2020. Section A 20, Retrieved May 2020 from https://www.icao.int/covid/cart/Pages/CART-Take-off.aspx

Air Travel Post-COVID-19  |  June 2020 8

V isit coll i n sa er ospac e . c o m to le a rn m o re

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