San Francisco International Airport and United Airlines are testing SITA Smart Path, a low-touch, biometric-enabled check-in technology for boarding some domestic flights.
This will be the first trial run in the country.
SITA Smart Path integrates with existing industry-operating platforms. It also has been used for duty-free shopping. The technology is used at airports worldwide.
United passengers participating in the trial link their driver’s licenses and flight details to their facial biometrics at check-in and scan their faces at each touchpoint employing a biometrically enabled camera. Passengers can then move through the airport, from check-in to bag drop, security and boarding, without showing a photo ID or boarding pass.
“We firmly believe that touchless technologies will be an important part of the post-pandemic air travel experience, and we are proud that United Airlines has selected SFO as a location to test this solution from SITA,” Ivar C. Satero, San Francisco International Airport director, said. “This collaboration shows our collective commitment to restore air travel to an even higher standard of safety and efficiency for our guests. We thank United and SITA for their leadership and vision in this effort.”
Last year, more than half of international flights at the airport used biometrics.