The push by Europe’s aviation industry for wider voluntary use of biometric technology could offer a more seamless way through airports, including Larnaca and Paphos, as Cyprus seeks to strengthen its air connectivity and cope with large passenger volumes.
ACI EUROPE, Amadeus, IATA, IDEMIA Public Security and SITA recently announced the formation of the Responsible Biometrics Travel Industry Coalition, calling on European Union policymakers to ensure new digital rules do not unintentionally restrict passengers from choosing biometric travel.
The coalition is urging EU policymakers to ensure the Digital Omnibus supports the voluntary and secure use of biometrics while maintaining passenger choice and strong privacy safeguards.
For Cyprus, the issue has particular relevance because the island relies heavily on air travel and has already introduced facial recognition technology at both of its international airports.
Hermes Airports, which operates Larnaca and Paphos airports, currently uses BorderXpress self-service kiosks that allow passengers to scan their passports or identity cards before proceeding through passport control.
The system uses facial recognition to compare the passenger’s face with the photograph stored on the document’s chip, with passengers directed to an immigration officer if the automated check is unsuccessful.
The technology is therefore not a completely new concept for Cyprus, but the industry coalition is arguing that wider and more integrated use of biometrics could further reduce queues and repeated document checks across the airport journey.
That could become increasingly important as Cyprus continues to handle millions of passengers each year and tries to maintain its connectivity despite periodic disruption from regional instability.
Larnaca and Paphos airports handled 8.82 million passengers between January and August 2026, according to Hermes Airports figures, down 3.3 per cent from the exceptional level recorded during the same period of 2025 but 7.9 per cent above the corresponding period of 2024.
The figures underline the scale of the passenger flows that Cyprus’ airport infrastructure has to accommodate, particularly during the summer season.
The coalition argues that biometric verification can help airports process more passengers by reducing the need for repeated manual checks of passports and boarding documents.
It said this can improve passenger flows, increase the number of people that can be processed through existing infrastructure and help airports deal with peak periods and growing traffic without necessarily requiring equivalent increases in physical capacity.
The technology could also allow airport staff to concentrate on passengers who require assistance or additional attention rather than carrying out routine identity checks.
The coalition said these benefits could strengthen Europe’s competitiveness by supporting more efficient airports and encouraging investment and innovation in the travel and technology sectors.
For Cyprus, where airport capacity and efficient passenger processing are important to tourism and wider connectivity, faster border and airport procedures could potentially improve the travel experience without requiring a fundamental expansion of existing terminals.
However, the coalition is not calling for biometric travel to become compulsory.
Instead, it is asking for technology-neutral rules under which passengers can voluntarily use biometric data where appropriate safeguards are in place, while retaining access to non-biometric alternatives.
The coalition said privacy protections and passenger choice must remain central to any expansion of biometric travel.
It wants passengers to be able to decide whether to provide their biometric information and to request that their data be deleted, with biometric use limited to a defined journey.
Research cited by the coalition found that 74 per cent of travellers surveyed would be willing to share biometric data instead of showing a passport or boarding pass, according to the International Air Transport Association’s Global Passenger Survey.
The industry push comes as the EU is already moving towards greater use of biometric and digital border systems.
The Entry/Exit System became fully operational at external Schengen borders on April 10, 2026, recording travel document information, facial images and fingerprints from non-EU nationals travelling for short stays.
Cyprus is not part of the Schengen area, meaning the EES does not operate at Cyprus’ borders in the same way as it does at Schengen external borders.
However, Cyprus is included in the forthcoming ETIAS system, which is due to begin in the final quarter of 2026 for visa-exempt travellers visiting Cyprus and the Schengen area.
The distinction is important because ETIAS is a pre-travel authorisation system, while the EES records biometric and other information when eligible non-EU travellers cross the external borders of countries using it.
The EU is also moving towards wider digitalisation of travel documents, with the European Commission having proposed a digital travel application that would allow travellers to create digital travel credentials from their passports or identity cards and submit travel information before travelling.
The coalition said the EU’s Digital Omnibus should therefore provide a regulatory framework that enables the travel industry to make use of biometric technology without undermining existing data protection standards.
“The benefits of the latest technologies are clear: they can protect passenger data privacy and open a more seamless and efficient travel process,” the coalition said. “This will enhance the region’s overall competitiveness.”
“At the same time, biometric journeys should always be based on passenger choice and voluntary participation,” it added.
The statement further mentioned that “EU policymakers have the opportunity to put Europe in the global lead on biometric regulation”.
“Today we are publishing a manifesto that cements industry commitments to responsible use of biometrics and sets out a regulatory call for action to adopt rules that facilitate a secure and seamless future for more than a billion European air travellers each year,” the coalition stated.
The group’s Advancing Responsible Biometrics in Europe manifesto calls for greater cooperation between governments and the private sector as Europe faces rising passenger numbers and limited airport capacity.
It also seeks greater legal clarity around the use of biometric information to give companies greater certainty when developing and deploying such technology.
The coalition said its aim was to support dialogue between the public and private sectors so Europe could respond to growing passenger volumes while strengthening the competitiveness of its transport and tourism industries.
It also argued that clearer rules would help European technology companies develop and expand trusted biometric systems within the European market.
The coalition brings together senior representatives from across the travel industry, including ACI EUROPE director general Olivier Jankovec, Amadeus senior vice president for industry affairs and global development Fernando Cuesta, International Air Transport Association senior vice president for external affairs Thomas Reynaert, IDEMIA Public Security senior vice president for corporate relations Lisa Shoemaker and SITA senior vice president for borders Pedro Alves.
For Cyprus, the potential benefit is likely to be less about introducing biometrics from scratch and more about making existing airport processes increasingly integrated and efficient.
That could matter as the island seeks to attract and retain air services and manage passenger growth while dealing with the disruption that regional instability can cause.
Hermes Airports said in May that Cyprus’ summer seat capacity had been reduced by no more than 5 per cent despite adjustments to airline schedules, while passenger numbers for the April to October period were expected to be around 9 per cent lower than initially anticipated.
The airport operator has also highlighted the importance of Cyprus’ connectivity, with Larnaca and Paphos providing links across Europe and the wider Middle East.
Against that background, technology that allows existing airport infrastructure to process passengers more efficiently could provide a practical benefit, particularly during peak periods.
The coalition’s proposal does not guarantee shorter queues or faster journeys at Cyprus’ airports, however, since any changes would depend on how European rules are ultimately framed and how airport operators, airlines and Cypriot authorities choose to deploy the technology.
Its central argument is that regulation should allow passengers who want biometric travel to use it without forcing those who do not to participate.
That approach would allow Cyprus to build on technology already in use at Larnaca and Paphos while maintaining alternatives for travellers who prefer conventional document checks.
