Atlanta (TAN): United States-based carrier Delta Air Lines will give passengers the option to use facial recognition technology to board planes instead of using boarding passes at several airports in the country over the next month.
Delta collaborated with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to introduce the option at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport, and Salt Lake City International Airport.
Passengers flying direct to international destinations from these airports can look into the camera to board their flights. Also, those in favour of the more traditional boarding passes, will be able to opt for that too.
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Delta’s Chief Operating Officer Gil West said: “We are already seeing improvements in satisfaction scores from customers moving through the airport in Atlanta. The expansion of facial recognition at boarding enables more customers to take advantage of this seamless, time-saving process – an important step as we implement facial recognition in our hubs across the country and define the experience for the industry. At Delta, we have the best people in aviation, and technology like this frees them up to spend more time helping our customers.”
The option for biometric boarding was expanded to include Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport, and Salt Lake City International Airport after its launch at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport last year.
“With facial recognition technology, we are simply taking a picture and matching it against passport photos, replacing the manual comparison process,” said John Wagner, Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, Customs and Border Protection.
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He added: “Built on years of testing and partnership with Delta, expansion will bring a more efficient travel experience to more passengers, while meeting the federal requirements for international passenger verification that have been in place since 1996.”
The airline also tested facial recognition at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and a self-service biometric bag drop at Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport for international passengers. It launched optional biometric check-in for all domestic Delta Sky Clubs.
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