October 11, 2005

Lufthansa Systems and Bundesdruckerei present SecBoard, a solution for secure passenger identity control.

For the first time ever, two German firms are presenting a biometric solution for positive air traveler identification which is integrated in the passenger handling process. The IT service provider Lufthansa Systems and Bundesdruckerei will be exhibiting the SecBoard boarding solution at the
InterAirport trade fair in Munich from October 11-14. According to experts, biometric identity checks for passengers prior to boarding an aircraft will be indispensable for air travel security in the future.

This system should also make travel more comfortable for passengers.
SecBoard consists of two parts. At a registration station (enrollment), the passengers’ fingerprints are recorded, digitized and stored on a smart card. This card only needs to be issued once and can then be used again for all future flights. The card also contains a photo of the passenger, personal information, and a serial number. During check-in, the serial number is connected with the check-in data. The second part of the system is the boarding station between check-in and the aircraft, where passengers have their fingerprints taken again. These are then compared with the fingerprint data stored on the card. If the data corresponds, the passenger may board the plane.

This way, SecBoard ensures that the passenger who checked in is the only one who can actually board the aircraft. The digitally stored fingerprints are not only associated with a single person, they are also counterfeit-proof. Additionally, the data cannot be spied upon because it is protected through the so-called Basic Access Control method, which is also being used in the new German e-passports.

“The expertise of Bundesdruckerei and our years of experience with the passenger processes at airports have led to a pioneering solution which increases both the safety and the comfort of the air traveler,” said Dr. Gunter Küchler, managing director of the Lufthansa Systems Group. He went on
to say, “With SecBoard, Lufthansa Systems is distinguishing itself in the identity control sector as a global IT service provider for the air travel industry.”

Ulrich Hamann, spokesman for the management of Bundesdruckerei, also sees great opportunities in the joint project. “The cooperation with Lufthansa Systems is important and valuable to us because it allows us to show that our electronic identification systems can be adapted and expanded as needed for fields such as aviation security. The system is also technically compatible with the ePass system.”

Bundesdruckerei is contributing its competence in biometrics and identity documents to the SecBoard project, and it is also responsible for recording and digitizing the fingerprints. Lufthansa Systems is integrating the procedure for reading and inspecting the smart card’s biometric data into the passenger system. This passenger system covers processes ranging from the issuing of the ticket, through check-in, baggage management and boarding.

Anyone at InterAirport who wants to see first-hand how SecBoard works can have their personal data recorded at the Bundesdruckerei stand and stored on a smart card. They can then take this card just a few steps to the Lufthansa Systems stand and experience biometric boarding for a
virtual flight.

In the effort to increase aviation security in the future, verifying the identity of passengers will play an even larger role than it does now. This is because passengers traveling on an electronic ticket who have checked in over the Internet can reach the boarding gate without ever coming into contact
with an airline representative if they are traveling in the Schengen area. But manual identity checks at the gate are currently costly as regards both time and personnel. This is why the identity control system developed by Lufthansa Systems and Bundesdruckerei focuses on the boarding procedure
itself. The biometric data on the smart card ensures that the passenger who checked in and the passenger boarding the plane are the same person. This closes the security gap in current procedures.

Biometric fingerprint identification is currently favored by airlines and airports over other technologies for registering an individual’s unique features. This type of identification is also playing a decisive role in the introduction of “trusted passenger” programs. In the future, passengers traveling with an electronically readable identity card containing biometric data will probably be
able to move through security at the airport more quickly and easily than conventional travelers.

Note to editors:

Lufthansa Systems is one of the leading IT service providers for the airline and aviation industries worldwide. As a systems integrator, the wholly owned subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group covers the entire range of IT services, including consulting, development, implementation and
operation. Lufthansa Systems provides its IT infrastructure and operations services to a variety of industries. Headquartered in Kelsterbach near Frankfurt/Main, Germany, the company has several branches in Germany and 17 other countries and employs around 4,500 people worldwide. In business year 2004, Lufthansa Systems recorded sales of EUR 628 million.

Bundesdruckerei GmbH, Berlin, produces and supplies personal documents, high-security cards and electronic publications for Germany and abroad. The company is also a provider of security systems which support passenger handling processes. These include biometric control systems for passengers and employees, as well as document inspection systems.
Bundesdruckerei further provides secure system solutions and services for identification and access protection. Together with its subsidiaries, which include BIS Bundesdruckerei International Services GmbH, D-TRUST GmbH, Security Printing and Systems Limited, and iNCO Sp.z o.o., Bundesdruckerei has around 1,600 employees worldwide. It recorded sales of EUR 262 million in business year 2004. Additional information can be found at
www.bundesdruckerei.de.