ORLANDO, Fla. — It begins with international travelers, but the push is on to make Biometrics identification available all travelers at Orlando International Airport one day.
“The customers love it,” explained Senior Director of Airport Operations Tom Draper.
“First off, this is very cool and this is the latest and greatest in technology,” he said when asked why OIA is interested in testing this method of entry/exit for international travelers who often have to go through long waits in customs.
Because of air schedules, a lot of international flights arrive at the same time from Europe, he explained.
To get on a flight here, they simply need to stand in front of a camera at the gate. It will scan their faces and match it to their passport photos, which are already in the system. It cuts down on the time it takes to board.
The same kind of technology could be used on domestic flights for passengers who have valid passports and they could set up the devices at the TSA screening checkpoints.
“For our airport, a lot of people have passports, so it would be another way to expedite that process,” Draper explained.
While it is being utilized on international flights now, it is not mandatory. A person can opt out and simply show their passport at the gate.
The Department of Homeland Security has been experimenting with Biometrics since 2013.
“Lufthanza (a German airline) reported boarding 350 passengers using facial recognition at LAX,” said Colleen Manaher, Executive Director, Planning, Program Analysis, and Evaluation for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
She, too, is hopeful that Biometrics will gain widespread acceptance.
“Maybe we can even make air travel fun again, right?” she noted.
