A biometric exit trial for JetBlue flights at Boston Logan International Airport in Massachusetts has been deemed a success, according to exit provider and technology company SITA.
The program, which launched in June, worked with the airline and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and has proved popular with passengers thank to the streamlined process of simply stepping in front of a camera without the need to show a boarding pass, passport of other papers. SITA’s biometric scanning technology has a close to 100% match rate.
Randy Pizzi, SITA president, Americas, said, “SITA’s collaboration with JetBlue and CBP has resulted in this unique integrated biometric exit check and self-boarding solution.
“The results to date have been very positive with the vast majority of JetBlue customers choosing to use it. This acceptance is in line with our experience and the results of 2017 SITA Passenger IT Survey, which shows that not only do passengers prefer to use technology, but when they do it boosts satisfaction rates.
“The accuracy and speed of the system show how SITA’s technology can provide a new way for airlines to bring value to their customers. Over the coming months we will work with JetBlue and government agencies to extend the use of this innovative and passenger-friendly technology. We look forward to continued progress together.”
John Wagner, deputy executive assistant commissioner, Office of Field Operations, US Customs and Border Protection, said, “Working with industry partners like JetBlue allows us to explore the best use of technology to implement biometric exit checks while improving the passenger experience.
“The integrated and frictionless solution devised with the airline and SITA is proving a success for everyone – the airline, the passengers and CBP. We look forward to continued work with JetBlue and SITA.”
Joanna Geraghty, executive vice president, customer experience, at JetBlue, commented, “SITA’s role as our technology partner helped us bring this innovative approach to boarding from an idea to reality.
“SITA was able to quickly and effectively support both our requirements and the specification of CBP. We could not be happier with the results of this trial and hope to work with SITA in future iterations of our self-boarding program.”
