HANOI, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam is planning to place facial recognition technology at civil airports for greater security and increased efficiency, the national broadcaster Vietnam Television reported Thursday, citing a statement by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.
The country's aviation regulator said it is testing the use of biometrics throughout the airports in the first quarter of this year.
The biometric data is used for authentication and verification of passengers, which would help "ensure social order and security" by detecting those traveling on false identity documents and wanted criminals who are prohibited from boarding commercial aircraft, the aviation authority emphasized.
The launch of biometrics technology, including the proposed use of cameras linked to facial recognition software, is also expected to reduce processing time, particularly at such airport touch-point as a security gate at immigration.
Vietnam has aimed to have 30 airports by 2030, including 14 transit hubs for international passengers, as part of the country's effort to promote tourism and boost the aviation industry.
The Southeast Asian nation currently has 10 international and 12 domestic airports. Its aviation industry is forecast to fully bounce from the COVID-19 pandemic by the end of this year with an estimated 80 million passengers and 1.44 million tons of cargo. ■