Facial recognition may soon be coming to an airport security line near you. Earlier this week, the TSA released a 23-page report outlining changes it is proposing on how passengers are screened before boarding their flights. Key among those changes is the proposal that passports and other forms of identification will eventually be replaced by biometric technology. “With the threat to aviation evolving every day, developing the next generation of security technology with our industry partners is critically important,” said David Pekoske, the TSA administrator. “By expanding our use of biometrics, TSA secures its position as a global leader in aviation security and advances global transportation security standards.” Early this year, the agency began testing facial recognition technology for international travelers at Los Angeles International Airport. The biometric technology matches facial images to photos in government databases, such as photos obtained from passports or visa applications. And in 2017, the TSA tested fingerprint technology at the TSA PreCheck lanes at the Atlanta and Denver airports. The technology matches passenger fingerprints provided at the checkpoint to those provided to the TSA by travellers who have enrolled in the PreCheck program. Biometric technology is also being evaluated by individual airlines. <br/>
general
Aviation training firm CAE Inc said Tuesday it expects global demand for pilots to rise with fleet growth and changing crew ratios, and the active combined airline and business jet pilot population will exceed half a million by 2028. A positive environment combined with strong passenger traffic, strong fleet growth and aircraft utilization drive solid performance in business and commercial market aviation segments, CAE said. The 10-year average compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for commercial aircraft is 3.5%, and the active fleet is expected to grow by 12,000 aircraft to reach 39,000 aircraft by 2028, the company said. The growth in fleet and crew ratio is driving the need for 10,000 new business jet pilots and 160,000 new airline pilots in the next decade, CAE said. Crew ratios are projected to increase to an average of more than 12 pilots per aircraft in the next decade, it said.<br/>
Christian Suttner, managing partner of startup incubator Starburst, has predicted that drone-based aircraft maintenance inspections will go mainstream by 2020. “The second wave is coming,” Suttner said. “In 2019, we will see the first real roll outs. Then, in 2019-20, a big rush will come.” Companies like easyJet were early adopters of drone-based inspections, which can be used to view difficult-to-reach areas of the aircraft, minimizing downtime and cutting costs. A handful of specialist suppliers have emerged in this field, including Donecle, Luftronix, Mainblades Inspections and MRO Drone. Suttner believes the half-dozen airlines that have backed this technology will begin to see solid returns, as their rivals struggle to catch up. “It will take them [the rivals] another year to work out their processes and another year for full roll out,” he said. Meanwhile, the early adopters have had the systems developed to fit their own operations. “They are three years ahead. [After incidents like lightning strikes], they are getting their aircraft out a day earlier than planned. That’s good money; it’s significant. This is a huge timesaver that is coming and the ones who were working with this earlier will have a huge lead time reaping the benefits.”<br/>
Honda Aircraft CE Michimasa Fujino said Tuesday he expects deliveries of the HondaJet to rise in 2019 above the estimated 50 aircraft customers will take this year, as the light business plane maker targets Asia for growth. In 2017, the division of Honda Motor Co delivered 43 of the six-seater light business jets, which competes against planes like Embraer's popular Phenom 300. Honda Aircraft has recently introduced a longer-range version of the plane called the HondaJet Elite and announced a new performance package this week to owners who want to upgrade the original HondaJet. Fujino said he was targeting growth in the fledgling Japanese market, which he said did not "know" business jets and had a low market penetration. He is also eying sales in China, which is currently dominated by larger executive planes and where tight government controls over airspace have hurt growth of the private jet market, analysts say. "We have a very good, healthy backlog," said Fujino, without providing a specific number. Fujino said the company has delivered a total of 92 HondaJets.<br/>