Tampa International Airport recently began a 30-day pilot program, which will test three different biometric face-scan vendors to determine which vendor is the best fit for the airport.
The scanners will be in mounted on the boarding gate kiosks at three international gates to process departing passengers. The scanners examine a person’s face and compare it to a database. If there is a match, the devices, which resemble an iPad or tablet, will clear the passenger.
“Tampa International Airport is on the cutting-edge with this new biometric screening technology,” Danny Glennon, guest services director, said. “This will make the boarding process faster, and eventually, could be used for inbound flights as well. We can’t wait to see the results.”
After the completion of the testing period, the airport will begin using the technology on outbound international flights. The scans will replace showing a passport at the gate.
Air France-KLM will be testing the speed, reliability, and user-friendliness of biometrics at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston and John F Kennedy International Airport in New York City. The testing is in collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Biometric Entry/Exit program.
The goal is to increase the speed and ease of the boarding process.