Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) will trial a new system in the next couple of months using artificial intelligence (AI) to count passengers on flights. It says the system will be used to keep track of flight occupancy levels and improve accuracy of passenger counts.
The system will use cameras in the cabin to count people in their seats but won’t use facial recognition technology or store any personal information. The airline said the AI system would only collect data on passenger numbers and would not impose on passenger privacy.
SWISS plans to test the system on flights in coming months to evaluate its effectiveness before deciding on rolling it out across the entire fleet. If successful, it could help the airline better manage flight occupancy levels and ensure it provides an accurate count of passengers for safety and operational reasons.
Concerning protecting passengers’ privacy, SWISS said it wouldn’t collect personal information and that it was vital to be transparent about how the collected data would be used and who would have access to it.
