Lufthansa Group, in partnership with Amadeus, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and Vision-Box, has begun using one-step biometric boarding utilizing facial recognition at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
The self-boarding gates use sophisticated facial recognition cameras to capture passengers’ facial images as they approach the device. This image is securely sent to the CBP database for real-time matching and verification. After a successful, instantaneous match within a few seconds, the system recognizes the passenger as ‘boarded’, and the passenger no longer needs to show a boarding pass or passport at the gate.
“The increasing need for airlines, airports and authorities to offer faster and more convenient processes for guests to move through the airport creates a unique opportunity for the use of biometrics,” said Bjoern Becker, senior director, product management ground and digital services, Lufthansa.
“Lufthansa strives to enhance the customer experience by applying advanced technologies and innovative solutions. This is a further step toward achieving that goal.”
Amadeus, the provider of Lufthansa’s Passenger Service System Altéa – which includes the Altéa Departure Control solution – developed the biometric enhancement in collaboration with Lufthansa.
Following a successful trial in Los Angeles, Lufthansa intends to expand the pilot program to additional US gateways and other passenger touchpoints. The trial’s completion will also pave the way for other airlines using Amadeus’s Altéa technology to rapidly deploy biometrics boarding for their own passengers.
“Biometric boarding has enormous potential to make the travel experience easier and less stressful,” said Guido Haarmann, managing director, Central and Eastern Europe, airlines, Amadeus.
“Last year, over 1.6 billion passengers boarded planes using Amadeus Altéa technology. Amadeus’s mission is to develop technology that creates better journeys for travelers worldwide, and it is a pleasure to be working with our established partner Lufthansa to bring this innovative technology to market.”
