Lufthansa has introduced biometric boarding for its passengers departing Miami International Airport.
The airline started boarding using facial recognition on its flight 461 to Munich last week.
It means that passengers departing can now board with the click of a camera instead of a boarding pass and passport.
Through a partnership between MIA, Lufthansa, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and SITA, a simple photograph taken at Lufthansa’s boarding gate is used to confirm passengers’ identities and their authorization to travel. The facial recognition verification process takes less than two seconds with a 99-percent matching rate, according to CBP.
Dr. Bjoern Becker, Lufthansa Group Senior Director Product Management Ground & Digital Services:
“Lufthansa prides itself as being an industry leader and trendsetter in digitalization and innovation, and biometric boarding is a large part of this category.
“Biometric boarding is an efficient and hassle-free form of travel that helps speed up the boarding process while also increasing security. We are thrilled to be the launch airline that introduces this technological advancement at MIA.”
The launch of biometric exit at MIA follows the airport’s February 2018 opening of America’s first all-biometric entry facility at Concourse E, which screens all international arrivals via facial recognition. The facility has decreased processing times by as much as 80 percent for participating airlines.
MIA expects to launch biometric boarding with additional airlines this year.
SITA and MIA have already partnered on a number of innovative travel experience solutions, including Mobile Passport Control and MIA Airport Official, the airport’s mobile app.
Lester Sola, MIA Director and CEO:
“We are proud to partner with CBP and SITA to provide this cutting-edge technology for Lufthansa passengers at MIA.
“Biometrics is one of the many approaches we are taking to modernize our airport infrastructure, to make the travel experience as seamless as possible.”
Diana Einterz, SITA President, Americas:
“This is another great success at MIA where we have teamed up to improve the passenger experience through innovation.
“We have worked closely with the US CBP, airlines and airports to design a seamless biometric exit solution that meets the needs of all parties.
“SITA Smart Path™ is based on industry-standard common-use gates so it can be used by any other airline at MIA.”
Lufthansa first trialled biometric boarding at Los Angeles for flights leaving the United States in March 2018.
N.B. Image credit: SITA
