Passengers departing Miami International Airport, Florida, to Munich, Germany, can now board their aircraft using a biometric camera instead of showing their boarding pass and passport.
Carlos A Gimenez, Miami-Dade Mayor, said, “Miami Airport continues to explore innovative ways of streamlining and expediting the travel experience for visitors to our community. I look forward to seeing biometric exit technology expand throughout the airport and enhance the level of customer service for its passengers.”
Through a partnership between Miami Airport, German airport operator Lufthansa, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and global air transport IT provider SITA, a simple photograph taken at Lufthansa’s boarding gate is used to confirm passengers’ identities and their authorization to travel.
The facial recognition verification process takes less than two seconds with a 99% matching rate, according to CBP. MIA expects to launch biometric boarding with additional airlines this year.
Dr Bjoern Becker, senior director product management ground and digital services, Lufthansa Group, said, “Lufthansa prides itself as being an industry leader and trendsetter in digitization and innovation, and biometric boarding is a large part of this category.
“Biometric boarding is an efficient and hassle-free form of travel that helps speed up the boarding process while also increasing security. We are thrilled to be the launch airline that introduces this technological advancement at Miami Airport.”
The launch of biometric exit at Miami airport follows the airport’s February 2018 opening of America’s first all-biometric entry facility at Concourse E, which screens all international arrivals via facial recognition.
The facility, which has decreased processing times by as much as 80% for participating airlines, was chosen from among 80 nominations worldwide as the 2018 International Airport Review Award winner in the Passenger Experience and Seamless Travel category.
Lester Sola, director and CEO, Miami International, said, “We are proud to partner with CBP and SITA to provide this cutting-edge technology for Lufthansa passengers at Miami airport. Biometrics is one of the many approaches we are taking to modernize our airport infrastructure, to make the travel experience as seamless as possible.”
Interested in Biometrics? Check out the ‘Aviation Security, Border Control & Facilitation’ and ‘Technology: Passenger Journey‘ streams at the Passenger Terminal Conference, which takes place during Passenger Terminal Expo, on March 26, 27 and 28, 2019, in London.
SITA will also be exhibiting its solutions at the Expo.
