LOOK: NAIA's New Biometric and Facial Recognition E-Gates Are Here

(SPOT.ph) Have you been to the airport lately? If so, you might have noticed some new touchscreen kiosks around the premises.

In a recent airport visit, we spotted a bunch of new computer kiosks around check-in and immigration, and while they aren't operational yet, it begs the question: are these finally the airport modernization tech we've been promised by the New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation (NNIC)? Check out what we discovered about these new improvements coming to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

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The short answer is yes, these new "e-gates" are part of the NAIA modernization promised by the NNIC.

Representatives from the NNIC have confirmed to SPOT.ph that these tech around the airport are the promised new facial recognition e-gates mentioned by New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation (NNIC) Chair Ramon Ang and then Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon back in June. According to the NNIC, three e-gate processing systems will be available for use upon rollout by mid-to-late October 2025. Although we initially spotted them around NAIA Terminal 3, they will be simultaneously implemented in all NAIA terminals.

By the end of October, passengers "will be able to breeze through check-in, bag drop, security, and boarding using just your face," says the NNIC in a post on the NNIC official social media page. According to airport management, passengers will soon experience more modern airport procedures. This starts upon check-in, where biometric capture will soon be part of the airline check-in procedures. This can be done over the counter with the airline's ground crew or, if you prefer, through a self-check-in kiosk. Should passengers choose to proceed with self-check-in, they'll also be able to print their own baggage tags and drop their luggage by themselves without needing to scan their passports or boarding passes again. All they'll need to do is show their face.

Once done, passengers can proceed to immigration and security, where more e-gates have replaced manual boarding pass checks. Gone are the guards who will manually check your boarding pass and e-travel compliance; all you have to do is scan your face at the e-gates, and the system will automatically check your eligibility to proceed to immigration.

For now, passengers will have to undergo the usual manual immigration processes by lining up in front of a Bureau of Immigration officer while they check their eligibility to fly. However, if it's any consolation, the NNIC, in cooperation with the Bureau of Immigration, is also targeting the automation and integration of this process to the larger airport modernization plan before the end of the year. "We ask for a bit of patience as immigration processes are more complex to integrate than others. We are targeting a roll-out of e-gate processing for immigration before the year ends," an NNIC representative tells SPOT.ph.

After clearing security, passengers will need to pass through one final e-gate before boarding their plane. Remember those long lines at boarding gates where airline ground crew check your ID and boarding pass one last time? Final pre-plane checks will also be conducted through facial recognition e-gates once the system is rolled out.

As for data privacy, there’s no need to worry—your information is not stored in the system for long. Data collected across all e-gates will be automatically deleted once your flight takes off.

The NNIC clarifies that these e-gate implementations will be implemented in various phases. As of writing, not all airlines have fully integrated into this new airport system; as such, come late October, not everyone will be immediately able to use the facial recognition and biometric e-gates. "We might start with the local carriers first and others who have registered in the system ahead," says the NNIC. "The goal is to have everything in place within the year."

The new facial recognition and biometrics-enabled e-gates are powered by Collins Aerospace, an aviation services and technology firm that has partnered with over 170 airports across the world, including India's Indira Gandhi International Airport, Cincinnati International Airport, the UK's Bristol Airport, and many more. The company offers end-to-end passenger experience solutions, from check-in to fly-out. "With the new systems in place, we're hoping passenger processing time at NAIA will be significantly reduced," says the NNIC.

For more information, visit New NAIA's Facebook page.