This world-class airport will soon go passport-free
A kinetic structure is suspended from the ceiling of the Changi International Airport on Wednesday July 4, 2012 in Singapore. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
Travelling through one of the world’s best airports is set to get even smoother next year.
Starting in 2024, officials say Singapore’s Changi Airport will introduce automated immigration clearance, which will allow passengers to depart the city-state without passports, using only biometric data.
“Singapore will be one of the first few countries in the world to introduce automated, passport-free immigration clearance,” Communications Minister Josephine Teo announced during a parliament session on Monday, during which several changes to the country’s Immigration Act were passed.
Biometric technology, along with facial recognition software, is already in use to some extent in Changi Airport at automated lanes at immigration checkpoints.
But the upcoming changes will “reduce the need for passengers to repeatedly present their travel documents at touch points and allow for more seamless and convenient processing,” Teo said.
Biometrics will be used to create a “single token of authentication” that will be employed at various automated touch points – from bag drops to immigration clearance and boarding – eliminating the need for physical travel documents like boarding passes and passports.
But passports will still be required for many countries outside of Singapore that do not offer passport-free clearance, Teo stressed.
Often ranked the world’s best airport and also one of the busiest, Singapore’s Changi Airport serves more than 100 airlines that fly to 400 cities in around 100 countries and territories worldwide.
It handled 5.12 million passenger movements in June, crossing the 5 million mark for the first time since January 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
The airport is a destination in itself and currently has four terminals.
It is set to expand, adding a fifth to cater to the growing number of travellers.
Changi Airport is projecting a return to pre-pandemic levels of passenger and air traffic and expressed hopes that the upcoming biometric system will help make passenger flows smoother.
“Our immigration systems must be able to manage this high and growing volume of travellers efficiently and provide a positive clearance experience, while ensuring our security,” Teo said.
THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL?
Seamless travel has been catching on around the world and biometric identification could soon be the future of travel, observers say.
In 2018, Dubai International Airport introduced biometric “Smart Gates” tunnels, which use facial recognition to verify travellers’ identities in as little as five seconds. Passengers are also allowed to use their fingerprints or face scans for authentication, rather than rely on physical passports.
Elsewhere in the world, facial recognition technology is already in use to some extent at Hong Kong International Airport, Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda, Indira Gandhi International in Delhi, London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle, among other airports.
Digital IDs, compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards in Aruba, allow travellers to travel using secure digital versions of their passports on mobile phones.
In the US, major airlines like American Airlines, United and Delta have been experimenting with biometric check-in, bag drops and boarding gates at select airports for the last couple of years.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING
BREAKING Canadian economy shrank 1.1 per cent in Q3 on annualized basis, StatCan says
Statistics Canada says a decrease in international exports and slower inventory accumulation by businesses were partially offset by increases in government spending and housing investment.
Shane MacGowan, lead singer of The Pogues and a laureate of booze and beauty, dies at age 65
Shane MacGowan, the singer-songwriter and frontman of 'Celtic Punk' band The Pogues, best known for the Christmas ballad 'Fairytale of New York,' died Thursday, his family said. He was 65.
opinion
opinion Don Martin: With Trudeau resignation fever rising, a Conservative nightmare appears
With speculation rising that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will follow his father's footsteps in the snow to a pre-election resignation, political columnist Don Martin focuses on one Liberal cabinet minister who's emerging as leadership material -- and who stands out as a fresh-faced contrast to the often 'angry and abrasive' leader of the Conservatives.
Constitutional challenge in Indigenous lobster fishing case moving ahead this week
An Indigenous fisherman is expected to appear Thursday in a northern New Brunswick courtroom, where he will launch a constitutional challenge that could prove pivotal for First Nations across the Maritimes.
Russian missile strikes in eastern Ukraine tear through buildings and bury families in rubble
Russian missiles tore through apartment buildings in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, local officials said Thursday, killing at least one person and burying families under rubble as the Kremlin's forces continued to pound the fiercely contested area with long-range weapons.
'We are hoping that it saves lives': Canada launches new 988 suicide crisis helpline
In a massive step towards prioritizing the mental health and well-being of Canadians, the government has officially launched a nationwide, three-digit suicide crisis helpline.
Here is what Canada's drug shortage situation looks like right now
Compared to the peak pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, Canada experienced an uptick in prescription drug shortages in 2022 that Health Canada says has continued throughout 2023.
Ontario doctors disciplined over Israel-Gaza protests
A number of doctors are facing scrutiny for publicizing their opinions on the Israel-Hamas war. Critics say expressing their political views could impact patient care, while others say that it is being used as an excuse for censorship.
opinion
opinion Five revelations from best-seller 'Endgame' that are sure to upset the Royal Family
Royal commentator Afua Hagan on five revelations in a new book that's sure to send shockwaves through the Royal Family's ranks.
Canada
-
BREAKING
BREAKING Canadian economy shrank 1.1 per cent in Q3 on annualized basis, StatCan says
Statistics Canada says a decrease in international exports and slower inventory accumulation by businesses were partially offset by increases in government spending and housing investment.
-
Who is U.S.-Canadian lawyer Gurpatwant Pannun, alleged target of murder plot?
Lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is at the heart of an alleged international plot that U.S. prosecutors say targeted him for assassination and was orchestrated by an Indian government employee.
-
Constitutional challenge in Indigenous lobster fishing case moving ahead this week
An Indigenous fisherman is expected to appear Thursday in a northern New Brunswick courtroom, where he will launch a constitutional challenge that could prove pivotal for First Nations across the Maritimes.
-
Twenty-five per cent of Canadians believe a degree is necessary for economic success
A new survey suggests one in four Canadians believe a university degree is essential to succeed economically.
-
Ontario doctors disciplined over Israel-Gaza protests
A number of doctors are facing scrutiny for publicizing their opinions on the Israel-Hamas war. Critics say expressing their political views could impact patient care, while others say that it is being used as an excuse for censorship.
-
Annual Lego exhibit in Halifax inspires new generation of builders
Owen Grace has spent the last 20 years sharing his childhood hobby, Lego, through an exhibit he calls, 'Bricks by the Sea.'
World
-
South Koreans want their own nukes. That could roil one of the world's most dangerous regions
With dozens of nukes in North Korea's burgeoning arsenal, repeated threats to launch them at its enemies, and a stream of tests of powerful missiles designed to pinpoint target a U.S. city with a nuclear strike, a growing number of South Koreans are losing faith in America's vow to back its longtime ally.
-
Russian missile strikes in eastern Ukraine tear through buildings and bury families in rubble
Russian missiles tore through apartment buildings in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, local officials said Thursday, killing at least one person and burying families under rubble as the Kremlin's forces continued to pound the fiercely contested area with long-range weapons.
-
Truce in Gaza extended another day but talks over remaining hostages held by Hamas could get tougher
Israel and Hamas agreed at the last minute Thursday to extend their ceasefire in Gaza by another day. But any further renewal of the deal that has seen dozens of hostages and prisoners released could prove more daunting since Hamas is expected to set a higher price for many of the remaining captives.
-
Pope says he has acute bronchitis, doctors recommended against travel to avoid change in temperature
Pope Francis said on Thursday that he is suffering from acute, infectious bronchitis and that doctors recommended he cancel his planned visit to Dubai this weekend to avoid the quick changes in temperature that would be involved.
-
Russia's Supreme Court effectively outlaws LGBTQ+ activism in a landmark ruling
Russia's Supreme Court on Thursday effectively outlawed LGBTQ+ activism, in the most drastic step against advocates of gay, lesbian and transgender rights in the increasingly conservative country.
-
Japan suspends its Osprey flights after the fatal crash of a U.S. Air Force aircraft
Japan suspended flights by its Osprey aircraft Thursday, officials said, the day after a U.S. Air Force Osprey based in Japan crashed into the sea during a training mission.
Politics
-
'No concessions' St-Onge says in $100M a year news deal with Google
The Canadian government has reached a deal with Google over the Online News Act that will see the tech giant pay $100 million annually to publishers, and continue to allow access to Canadian news content on its platform. This comes after Google had threatened to block news on its platform when the contentious new rules come into effect next month.
-
Liberal minister to testify after heated testimony from Metis, First Nations groups
As Indigenous leaders engage in heated debate over a federal bill that would formalize several Metis self-governance agreements, the Liberal minister for Crown-Indigenous relations is expected to face tough questions on Wednesday afternoon.
-
Online harms bill: Don't link boy's suicide with government actions, Trudeau says
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday that it's inappropriate to draw a link between government actions and the death of a British Columbia boy who killed himself last month after falling prey to online sextortion.
Health
-
'We are hoping that it saves lives': Canada launches new 988 suicide crisis helpline
In a massive step towards prioritizing the mental health and well-being of Canadians, the government has officially launched a nationwide, three-digit suicide crisis helpline.
-
Alberta Health Services issues measles alert in Calgary
Alberta Health Services is warning the public about a lab-confirmed case of measles in the Calgary area, adding that the public may have been exposed.
-
Study finds lower health-care costs among Ontario patients who had female surgeons
An Ontario-based study published today suggests patients treated by female surgeons incur lower health-care costs than those treated by male surgeons.
Sci-Tech
-
Make a mess of the streets of Toronto as a raccoon in new video game 'Trash Panda'
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to experience the city as a raccoon, wreaking havoc and being enamored with garbage? Well, a new video game created by a Toronto-based filmmaker lets you do just that. The game, ‘Trash Panda,’ was officially released on Nov. 15 and is now available for sale.
-
Google will start deleting 'inactive' accounts in December. Here's what you need to know
Under Google's updated inactive-account policy, which the tech giant announced back in May, accounts that haven't been used in at least two years could be deleted. Accounts deemed inactive will be erased in a phased-approach beginning Friday.
-
New technology installed beneath Detroit street can charge electric vehicles as they drive
Crews have installed what's billed as the nation's first wireless-charging public roadway for electric vehicles beneath a street just west of downtown Detroit.
Entertainment
-
Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan dies at age 65
Shane MacGowan, the singer-songwriter and frontman of 'Celtic Punk' band The Pogues, best known for the Christmas ballad 'Fairytale of New York,' died Thursday, his family said. He was 65.
-
Daryl Hall accuses John Oates of 'ultimate partnership betrayal' in plan to sell stake in business
Daryl Hall has accused his longtime music partner John Oates of committing the "ultimate partnership betrayal" by planning to sell his share of the Hall & Oates duo's joint venture without the other's permission, Hall said in a court declaration supporting his lawsuit to keep the transaction paused.
-
Britain's Parliament honors Elton John for his work fighting HIV in the U.K. and beyond
Elton John has addressed Britain's Parliament at an event honoring his dedication to fighting HIV in the U.K. and beyond. The British star spoke to dozens of lawmakers and campaigners in the grand Speaker's House of Parliament on Wednesday.
Business
-
BREAKING
BREAKING Canadian economy shrank 1.1 per cent in Q3 on annualized basis, StatCan says
Statistics Canada says a decrease in international exports and slower inventory accumulation by businesses were partially offset by increases in government spending and housing investment.
-
Safety officials release details of their investigation into a close call between planes in Texas
The air traffic controller on duty when FedEx and Southwest planes nearly collided earlier this year in Texas told investigators that he expected the airliner to take off more quickly -- before the incoming FedEx plane reached the same runway.
-
Kraft debuts dairy-free mac and cheese in the U.S.
The Kraft Heinz Co. said Wednesday it's bringing dairy-free macaroni and cheese to the U.S. for the first time. The company said the new recipe has the same creamy texture and flavor of its beloved 85-year-old original Mac & Cheese but replaces dairy with ingredients like fava bean protein and coconut oil powder.
Lifestyle
-
'I just fell in love with it:' Montreal high school students learn how to cut hair
A small group of Montreal high school students is completing a 10-week program on cutting hair, learning everything from basic techniques to what it's like to run a barber shop.
-
What's Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2023? Hint: Be true to yourself
In an age of deepfakes and post-truth, as artificial intelligence rose and Elon Musk turned Twitter into X, the Merriam-Webster word of the year for 2023 is "authentic."
-
In the U.S., Hmong 'new year' recalls ancestral spirits while teaching traditions to new generations
For the annual fall renewal of her shaman spirit, Mee Vang Yang will soon ritually redecorate the tall altar in her living room where she keeps her father's ring-shaped shaman bells.
Sports
-
IOC lines up French Alps to host 2030 Winter Olympics and Salt Lake City for 2034 edition
Salt Lake City being preferred as a shoo-in to host the 2034 Winter Olympics was expected. The surprise was the IOC favoring the French Alps bid for the 2030 edition on Wednesday.
-
Thunder guard Josh Giddey being investigated by police on alleged relationship with underage girl
The Newport Beach, California, Police Department said Wednesday that its detectives are conducting an investigation into an accusation that Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey had an improper relationship with an underage girl.
-
Sands casino family say they'll buy majority of Mavs from Cuban. AP source says valuation is US$3.5B
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has entered into an agreement to sell a majority stake in the NBA franchise to the family that runs the Las Vegas Sands casino company, it was announced Wednesday. The deal could be completed in the coming weeks.
Autos
-
New technology installed beneath Detroit street can charge electric vehicles as they drive
Crews have installed what's billed as the nation's first wireless-charging public roadway for electric vehicles beneath a street just west of downtown Detroit.
-
Consumer Reports: Electric vehicles less reliable, on average, than conventional cars and trucks
Electric vehicles have proved far less reliable, on average, than gasoline-powered cars, trucks and SUVs, according to the latest survey by Consumer Reports, which found that EVs from the 2021 through 2023 model years encountered nearly 80 per cent more problems than did vehicles propelled by internal combustion engines.
-
GM says strike cost US$1.1B, but it can absorb rising labour costs as it raises dividend
General Motors says pretax earnings took a $1.1 billion hit this year from a six-week strike by autoworkers, but the company expects to absorb the costs of a new contract and is even raising its dividend.
