SITA passenger data system rolls out in Angola as India considers biometric bag drops

SITA roll outs in Angola and India demonstrate the growing ambitions of authorities in places where passenger numbers are expected to rise. Biometrics and digital ID are helping airports to move travellers all across Asia as implementations are carried out in the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.

One of Africa’s largest airports launches SITA passenger data system

Angola has implemented a passenger data system with SITA at the country’s capital gateway, which is being positioned as a major aviation hub for Africa.

The Angolan government has deployed SITA’s Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record Gateway (API PNG Gateway) at the Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport.

This enables airlines to transmit passport details and identity information, travel itineraries and booking data to Angolan authorities before flights depart. “Angola is showing how border authorities can lead the way into a more digital and connected future,” said Pedro Alves, SVP of Borders at SITA.

“When countries combine Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record capabilities with a national Passenger Information Monitoring and Management Center, they create an operational model that others in the industry can learn from.”

The implementations are supported by SITA’s Passenger Information Unit (PIU) services.

A new Passenger Information Monitoring and Management Center in Luanda will act as the hub for analyzing data in real time. Specialists there can identify irregularities and flag suspicious travel patterns. Unauthorized passengers will be prevented from boarding flights bound for Angola, according to a report from Techeconomy. A dedicated data center next door provides the processing power needed to handle large volumes of information securely.

The initiative brings Angola in line with international requirements set by the UN Security Council, ICAO, and the EU. It also forms part of a broader national programme to upgrade border operations as the country positions itself as a regional transport hub.

Named after Angola’s first president, the Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport can accommodate up to 15 million passengers annually, making it one of the continent’s biggest airports. The capacity exceeds current demand but the Angolan government is betting on increased air cargo and trade within Africa.

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India explores SITA biometric baggage system

SITA is in talks with major Indian airlines and airport operators to introduce AI‑driven biometric baggage systems, according to a report by Financial Express.

Currently on trial at a limited number of European airports, the technology employs AI and image recognition for bag identification by using their physical characteristics.

By linking each bag to a passenger’s booking record it can continue tracking luggage even when traditional tags are lost or damaged, which is a major cause of mishandled baggage.

Sumesh Patel, SITA’s president for Asia Pacific, commented: “India’s biometric adoption for domestic passengers through Digi Yatra is among the highest in the world along with passenger processing technology at Indian airports is now comparable with leading global hubs.”

Digi Yatra has now topped 19 million downloads and enabled more than 77 million journeys across 24 airports, with adoption at 30 percent, NDTV reports. The company is aiming for global interoperability next year, and adoption by 80 percent of its target population by 2028.

It is exploring expansion into hotels with secure, biometric check‑ins. Attractions such as museums, monuments and other tourist sights are also being considered, to streamline ticketing and visitor flow.

Airlines globally have been working to reduce baggage mishandling, which SITA says has dropped from around 20 bags per 1,000 passengers a decade ago to 6.3 today, thanks to digital tracking, automation and real‑time data sharing. Biometric bag checking aim to push that figure even lower by removing reliance on physical tags, which often fail during transfers.

Meanwhile, SITA Self Bag Drop has been documented to speed up processing time by up to 80 percent. Integration with biometric authentication via SITA Smart Path kiosks can further streamline bag drops so that the entire process can be completed in as little as 70 seconds, SITA claims.

The growing use of personal tracking devices such as Apple AirTags is changing consumer expectations, helping to normalize real‑time baggage visibility. SITA has already integrated AirTag location data into airline systems, allowing passengers to securely share bag locations with airlines and ground handlers to speed up recovery.

Rolling out baggage biometrics across India will require coordinated investment by airlines and airports, SITA believes. The system depends on comprehensive camera infrastructure throughout baggage handling areas and integration with airline computer systems.

India is now the world’s third‑largest aviation market, handling 411 million passengers annually, and SITA supports 61 airports in the country.

Busiest international airport in the Philippines rolls out more biometrics

The Philippines’ Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is launching more biometric e-gates. San Miguel Corp. (SMC) is accelerating development across its airport portfolio, which includes land development continuing at the New Manila International Airport (NMIA) in Bulacan.

SMC‑led New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) announced the rollout of biometric immigration e‑gates from Amadeus at NAIA’s Terminal 3. This is part of its modernization program for the country’s main international gateway.

NNIC is launching 78 biometric e‑Gates across the airport in phases, with systems already installed at Terminals 1 and 3, where international flights operate.

The e-gates enable eligible passengers to clear immigration in around 20 seconds via facial biometric verification and automated document checks. The e‑gates will begin going live this December and are expected to reach full operational capacity by early 2026.

The Bureau of Immigration will operate the system, which is designed to reduce lines and speed up passenger throughput at the congested airport. NAIA processed more than 50 million passengers last year and is already over its original design capacity.

The Philippine government earlier allocated PHP 1.347 billion (US$24 million) for the second phase of the biometric e‑gate program, following an initial PHP 1.976 billion ($35.4 million) investment. NNIC said the NAIA public‑private partnership has so far generated more than PHP 57 billion ($971 million) in remittances to the government.

Faster, QR-code based passenger clearance with Datasonic gates in Malaysia

Travellers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), one of Southeast Asia’s most busiest aviation hubs, are enjoying the faster clearances enabled by autogates.

In interviews conducted by Free Malaysia Today, travellers are impressed by the speed with which they are clearing immigration as the process takes less than ten seconds. The airport utilizes a QR code system, which replaces passport and biometrics scanning.

“You still get long queues in other countries,” a data analyst named Jamil Shahrin told the publication. “But we have upgraded to the autogate system and using the MyBorderPass app, which makes me proud to be Malaysian.”

Malaysia’s Immigration Department has installed 40 new Datasonic autogates equipped with QR code technology at KLIA Terminals 1 and 2. Additional immigration counters have also been opened.

According to official data, the initiatives have reduced passenger wait times by 54.9 percent, from 111 minutes to 50 minutes, which exceeds its original goal of a 30 percent reduction.

Datasonic e-gates feature an in-house facial recognition engine, liveness detection to secure against spoofing, and data-driven evaluation criteria and development processes to improve performance over time.

Vietnam targets faster passenger clearance with VNeID app

Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport is set to operationalize a biometric automated border control (ABC) system at its international Terminal 2 on December 19.

The newly updated Terminal 2 is set to open following an expansion that cost almost $190 million, with the international terminal adding biometrics and automated baggage handling system for smoother passenger flow.

The deployment is part of a broader smart airport infrastructure upgrade designed to replace manual verification with face biometrics, targeting a throughput of 1–3 seconds per passenger at key security checkpoints.

The implementation relies on the integration of facial recognition with ICAO-compliant e-passport readers. The automated process contrasts sharply with previous manual inspections, which averaged 1–2 minutes per passenger. To support the biometric workflow, the terminal has been equipped with self-service kiosks for check-in and automated baggage drop (ABD) units, reducing the reliance on traditional counters.

While the biometric lane is optimized for citizens with e-passports, the system maintains a hybrid operational model. Passengers without biometric credentials or those opting out can access the gates by scanning a standard boarding pass, and manual processing lanes remain available to ensure redundancy and flexibility.

This technological overhaul coincides with a major expansion of Terminal 2, which has increased annual handling capacity from 10 million to 15 million passengers. The project includes expanded floor space, additional jet bridges and an increased density of processing points, with the biometric rollout crucial in managing the terminal’s increased passenger volume.

Meanwhile at Terminal T3 of Tan Son Nhat International Airport, a new biometric digital identification system linked to the VNeID app has officially come online promising to streamline the entire passenger journey from check‑in to boarding.

Under the new process, police and airline staff assist travellers in completing online check‑in via the VNeID app. Passengers are then verified using face biometric scanners. Once their identity is confirmed, they can bypass conventional security and document checks.

The facial recognition gates installed at security points now allow people to move through in seconds. The rollout marks the second phase of a wider effort to digitize Vietnam’s civil aviation sector.

Vietnam has begun requiring most air travellers to complete ticketing, check‑in, security screening and boarding through biometric verification linked to VNeID. Under a regulation in Prime Ministerial Directive No. 24 (issued September 13) passengers must log into the VNeID app with a level‑2 verified account before initiating online check-in.

The initiative is part of the country’s sweeping digital transformation agenda as biometrics and digital ID become integral to everyday life.