Helsinki Airport card

This item appears on page 75 of the November 2011 issue.

In a test program in Finland, Helsinki Airport is handing out “guidance cards” on selected flights to help transferring passengers with tight connection times.

The thin, plastic card is made with e-paper (designed to mimic paper imprinted with ink) and, by way of RFID technology with which information is transmitted, can receive personalized, real-time updates regarding gate numbers, walking times and info about cafés and services along the way.

The cards are to be returned at the boarding gate to be reused; they need no batteries and last about three years.