Korean Air customers flying on domestic routes can now pass through the boarding gate empty handed -- as the airline has adopted palm vein scanning to verify passengers’ identities. According to the air carrier on Tuesday, those aged above 7 with Korean nationality can register their biometric information at Korean Air kiosks in Gimpo International Airport’s departure area. Passengers who do so can simply scan their palms at the boarding gate without having to show their boarding passes. The air carrier said it expects the new process to reduce waiting and boarding time for passengers, bolster security and reduce the risk of theft, loss or duplication of passes. The service will be available at five boarding gates for domestic routes departing Gimpo. In August, the service will become available at Gimhae International Airport in Busan. Korean Air aims to expand the service to all gates at Gimpo by the year-end. In recent years, scanning palm veins for identification verification has drawn attention. The system works by checking the unique variations of each individual’s vein thickness or shape, and is more accurate than palm print scanning. Experts say this is because people's veins stay the same even as they age. At Gimpo and Jeju International Airports, palm vein identification verification scanners have been used at unmanned check-in points for 14 domestic routes, without having passengers hand in separate ID. <br/>
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Airbus, Air Liquide, Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC), and Korean Air have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the use of hydrogen aviation fuel at Seoul Incheon. The companies will also study the infrastructure necessary in South Korea for the future deployment of hydrogen-powered airliners, they say. Under the arrangement, Korean Air will focus on operational aspects such as ground handling, maintenance, and fight operations. IIAC will focus on airport facilities, while Airbus and Air Liquide will explore demand for hydrogen-powered aircraft, as well as create a roadmap for the introduction of hydrogen fuel. “This MOU will be a starting point for the Korean domestic aviation industry to systemize a hydrogen supply chain system and infrastructure development, where the introduction of hydrogen as an alternative fuel has been slow in relative comparison to other industries,” says Soo Keun Lee, Korean Air’s chief safety & operations officer. Airbus notes that the four partners will focus on their areas of expertise to help define the potential opportunities of hydrogen. Air Liquide says it already has a pair of hydrogen stations at Seoul Incheon that provide fuel for buses, cars and demonstration trucks that use hydrogen fuel cells.<br/>