Zamna Gets A Funding Of $5M To Automate Airport Security Checks.

Using blockchain to share and verify data securely, the airlines' industry is using Zamna for the ultimate security check. It has raised a funding of $5 million from major investors of the like of LocalGlobe, Oxford Capital, Seedcamp, the London Co-Investment Fund (LCIF), Telefonica and many other investors.

The existing investor IAG (International Airlines Group) is also the first client. The company had changed its name from VChain Technology to Zamna.

Enabling blockchain for passenger security

Even though using blockchain to verify passenger data is by a certain degree hard to comprehend, it does turn out to have useful applications. 

Zamna puts forward the idea of verifying and connecting passenger data between airlines, governments and security agencies. This application is set to reduce manual checks by 90% indicating it to be a leap in efficiency.

It is a highly motivating application as the airport security process becomes virtually seamless allowing passengers to traverse through airports without physical documentation or id checks as the passenger identities are verified digitally and shared securely using blockchain in the middle to maintain security and privacy. It does sound good, isn’t it?

The major chunk of airlines votes for Zamna.

Many of the airlines and immigration authorities are implementing the Advance Passenger Information (API) validation platform for biographic and biometric data. It was taken in by Emirates Airline and UAE’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners to deliver check-in and transit checks.

The modus operandi

Zamna attaches an anonymous token to the already verified data as it is built on algorithm checking accuracy of API or biometric data. This happens without sharing any data with third parties. As the airlines, airports, and governments access the secure, immutable and distributed network of validated tokens, they do so without seeing the data held by an agency or competing for an airline. Technology backing Zamna uses cryptography to validate the passengers’ biographic and biometric data ultimately deciding that you are who you say you are.

Experts speak

The reason behind the popularity of Zamna is that “ a preconception that you are identified the moment you arrive at the airport,- the airline and security agencies along with governments of departure and destination know you are flying securely and legitimate. There might be this transfer of intelligence between the agencies that you and your fellow passengers are safe to board the flight,” says Irra Ariella Khi, co-founder and CEO of Zamna. Inputs from her, “ The reality is farther. There being no easy and secure way for airlines and government agencies to cross-check your data, it becomes necessary to repeat manual data checks each time you travel. Each time you travel even if the destination and departure remain the same, still the same passenger processing is inevitable. Most importantly, the identity verification event that checks the document of identity to establish that it belongs to your physical identity can be avoided.”

Trends in airline security

There are three main trends regarding airline security. They are as follows:

Governments need more accurate passenger data from airlines. Also, they impose increasing regulatory fines or incorrect data provided to them.

Secondly, if at all there is the repatriation of passengers and luggage, as a government refuses entry due to incorrect data, the airline has to manage the costs.

Thirdly, as electronic transit authorizations such as eVisas are gaining more and more traction, they need to establish that the passenger’s data matches the ETA and have a correct status to travel. 

The US, as well as many other countries, have similar requirements. For U.K travelers, this becomes the case for all traveling to Europe under ETIAS regulations.

A major step towards security

Airlines are coming down with an iron fist on the security checks and document and identity checks, no matter if the person is a frequent flier, or if they have checked-in in advance.

The platform of Zamna links all the stakeholders (airlines, governments, security agencies) by validating and revalidating the passenger identity to securely establish ownership, even before the passenger is at the airport. There is no new infrastructure involved, and no sharing of data as the platform of Zamna enables ‘sharing without sharing’. 

The stage is set for the future

Expecting passengers to get doubled in the next 20 years, the technology-driven solutions come into the fore for airlines, airports, and governments to cope up. We are delighted, Zamna promises to address these challenges,” says Remus Brett, partner at LocalGlobe. 

From Dupsy Abiola, Global Head Of innovation at International Airlines Group,” we are working with Zamna on the digital transformation project that has British Airways together with other IAG carriers. It’s something we look forward to.” 

Zamna is a partner to International Air Transport Association (IATA) and its “One ID” working group.