6 years ago, the British were testing the ”eye recognition” (retina recognition) system on the personnel at Heathrow Airport, saying it would speed up check-in and boarding procedures, and, after the spread of the SARS virus (which caused huge losses to the industry) airports in Asia acquired a piece of equipment which would perform a quick passenger scan and identify every trace of fever. Right now, the two technologies are just some of the systems which up until recently seemed to be exclusively the preserve of science fiction, and which are being used on a regular basis.

After the 2001 terror attacks, airports worldwide invested billions of euros in developing new technologies used to scan, weigh, take the temperature of, memorise and identify every passenger that steps into the airport. In the context of the financial crisis and of the increasingly tight competition among airlines, airports have started to be used as weapons that can make the difference in the fight over market share. All the more since a new social category has developed over the last few years, that of the frequent traveller, which includes businesspeople and keen travellers, who spend a lot of time on the airport or on an aeroplane.

Such is the case of Marius Ghenea, president of online retailer PC Fun, of Italian Coffee Concept (owner of Testa Rossa coffee shops) and of Orbital Solution, a distributor of thermal comfort equipment, who travels by aeroplane as often as twice a week. Having been on over 2,000 flights in the last 10 years, Ghenea has developed a whole ritual in preparation for the flight. ”I frequently use online check-in services provided by the major airlines because you can print your boarding pass from your home or from your office 24 hours prior to the scheduled time of the flight,” says Ghenea.

In order to attract customers like Ghenea, airport operators have thought up new technologies every year. For instance, Air France has launched the SmartBoarding technology this year, designed to attract frequent travellers, for whom saving time is essential. The company promises passengers who join the programme that they will be able to board individually at any time they wish, using a gate specially created for this service.