On Monday October 5th, Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport inaugurated its experimental project offering travellers the possibility of taking a biometric journey without queuing from home to the plane.
Nicolas Notebaert, Managing Director of Vinci Concessions and Chairman of Vinci Airports presented the project :
With Mona, Vinci Airports offers a world first that takes the airport experience to a new dimension. In an era of "contactless" and personalisation, our network is once again proving its ability to constantly reinvent itself.
The Mona application is free and accessible in just a few clicks: simply create an account via a mobile application or a kiosk at the airport by adding a profile photo and proof of identity. Thanks to facial recognition, travellers can pass through the gates simply by showing their face from the moment they drop off their luggage until they board the plane. Passengers will benefit from dedicated queues and save about half an hour of waiting time.
Launched in association with Transavia and TAP Air Portugal, the Mona assistant will initially be offered for flights to Portugal and then developed on a large scale. The Mona project cost "several hundred thousand euros" and required 12 months of work.
Accompanied by the National Commission for Data Processing and Liberties (CNIL), the Mona project guarantees data protection. Nicolas Notebaert underlines that :
we don't store data because their protection is obviously something very important. Passenger information is automatically erased when the plane takes off.
Ranked as France's third largest airport, Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport now serves 130 destinations.
