Frequent fliers to London Heathrow from North America are to take part in the first UK airport trial of iris recognition technology, allowing them to get through passport control in the blink of an eye, it was announced today.
The five-month long trial is designed to allow up to 2,000 passengers who travel frequently as visitors to the UK, with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, to speed up the arrival process and maximise space in the immigration hall.
The recognition technology works by training a video camera on the iris, the coloured part of the eye surrounding the dark pupil.
Each person has a pattern in their iris as distinct as their fingerprint. Unlike the retina - the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eyeball - the iris does not change with age or need to be scanned using intrusive infrared light.
Powerful software at the airport then translates the iris pattern into a digital code and compares it to passenger information kept on a secure database. If the details match, a ticket is printed and a barrier opens, allowing the traveller entry into the UK.
The US-developed procedure, based on a Cambridge scientist's mathematical algorithms, is considered the highest accuracy single factor identification method in the world.
Evan Smith, senior vice-president of the EyeTicket Corporation, said today that the firm had been developing the product over the past four years.
"The iris is much more unique than the fingerprint and is the most unique thing on the outside of the human body. We've had a very good early response and a flood of applications. We expect the trial to be extremely popular," he said.
A spokesman for BAA Heathrow said the trial would be about simplifying a passenger's progress through the airport, but that the technology would be considered in the future for "wider security benefits".
The Home Office minister, Lord Rooker, said: "These are unprecedented steps. Biometric technology offers many new possibilities.
"This is an excellent example of the Home Office working in partnership with other stakeholders to make the most of science and explore secure and improved passenger clearance at Immigration control."
The trial has been set up through the International Air Transport Association (IATA) simplifying passenger travel interest group, which includes airports, airlines, immigration authorities and technological suppliers worldwide.
The automated iris recognition stations have been placed in the immigration halls of Terminals 3 and 4 at Heathrow with more planned for New York's JFK airport and Washington's Dulles Airport.
Sir Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Atlantic, said: "We are delighted to be involved with this project."
