Iberia passengers will be able access the security area, enter lounges and board their flight by holding their smartphone near a Near Field Communication reader.
As part of the agreement, Iberia passengers who check-in online will have the option of receiving their boarding pass on their NFC-enabled smartphone. The boarding pass will be stored on the SIM card within the smartphone, meaning passengers can use their mobile device to access the security area or board their flight using their mobile, even if it is switched off.
Iberia and Samsung will also explore how they can use SIM-based NFC to allow passengers to enter airport lounges and receive personalised airport and flight information at the airline’s interactive Quick Service Points.
The partners are pursuing NFC due to the fact that the reading process is faster than the current optical barcode readers, which will help to increase processing times and reduce queues at checkpoints across the airport. Further down the line, they will work together to explore how NFC can be used to improve baggage processing and onboard services.
