Guangzhou Airport Introduces ‘One ID’ Facial Recognition for Domestic Flights
PHOTO BY TUMISU ON PIXABAY
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport has officially implemented its “One ID” facial recognition system for domestic travelers, marking a major step in China’s push for smarter, contactless air travel. Passengers can now move through key airport checkpoints—check-in, security, and boarding—using only their face as identification.
While passports and boarding passes are still required at certain stages, this system drastically reduces manual checks, creating a faster and more efficient airport experience.
Seamless Travel with “One ID”
Guangzhou’s “One ID” program uses facial recognition to match passengers with their boarding details, streamlining check-in, security, and boarding for select domestic flights.
The following tweet captures the experience: travelers are scanned and instantly shown their gate and direction—no need to check monitors or scan passes:
Serving over 55 million passengers annually, the system is optional and uses encrypted data. It’s designed to cut wait times while keeping the airport journey fast, smart, and secure.
Part of a Growing Trend in Asia
Guangzhou’s “One ID” rollout reflects a larger regional shift toward biometric air travel. While currently limited to domestic flights, neighboring airports are moving faster.
According to a news report in the following tweet, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand now use facial scans for international clearance:
Changi Airport clears citizens in 10 seconds. Bali and Jakarta have over 150 biometric gates. Guangzhou may be behind in scale, but it’s moving steadily toward Asia’s new travel standard.
A Smarter but Still Transitional System
Guangzhou’s facial recognition system streamlines domestic travel, but it’s still in transition. Travelers must present IDs for international flights and some checkpoints.
Other Chinese airports are further along. In the video below, facial scans are shown replacing traditional passes at boarding gates:
Guangzhou’s rollout is more measured, part of China’s broader Smart Airport strategy aiming for automation—one facial scan, gate, and airline at a time.
Jodie Price
Hi, my name is Jodie Price and I have been a flight attendant for the past four years. Before that, I was a teacher at a local school. During my summer vacations from teaching, I loved to jet off on an exciting adventure whenever I could. But the flights stressed me and my friends out so much that we almost stopped vacationing altogether. Would another form of transportation be easier?
