JetBlue will deploy biometrics technology at Boston’s Logan Airport to test a self-boarding process in which paper tickets are replaced with facial recognition scans. The process calls for passengers to have their photos taken by a custom-designed camera, instead of handing over a paper ticket to a gate agent. The images are then transmitted to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) database of passport and visa photos for comparison, JetBlue has announced. If the photos match, passengers are directed to board their flight. The three-month, opt-in pilot program will begin June 12 on flights from Boston to Aruba’s Queen Beatrix International Airport.
SITA, a global provider of IT, communications, and border security solutions, is providing the technology and connectivity to perform facial capture and integration with the CBP database as well as integration with JetBlue’s departure control system. JetBlue said the goal is to speed up the boarding process while improving national security. We hope to learn how we can further reduce friction points in the airport experience, with the boarding process being one of the hardest to solve,” Joanna Geraghty, executive vice president customer experience, JetBlue, said in a statement. “Self-boarding eliminates boarding pass scanning and manual passport checks. Just look into the camera and you’re on your way.”
Delta is also working to incorporate biometric data into airport procedures. The Atlanta-based airline announced it will begin testing a program that allows SkyMile members to use their fingerprints to check bags and board flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
