US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) wants the biometric departure system, which is billed as more secure, to ultimately be used at all US airports.
The new automated departure system hinges on the fact that, when entering the US, passengers provide CBP with their biometric information via face and fingerprint scans - a system that’s been in place since shortly after 9/11.
The push to use that data for automated boarding was spurred, in part, by the pandemic - which initially crimped travel, then helped spur the development of socially-distanced, non-contact solutions.
New automated kiosks at LAX can be used to scan a boarding pass and passport, or for pass-free, fully-automated face-scan boarding.
And according to a New York Times report, the Covid hiatus also provided CBP and the Transport Security Administration (TSA) with a rare moment of breathing space to develop new systems.
There are signs the pandemic may be advancing biometric acceptance.
A survey released by the International Air Transport Association last December found 75 per cent of passengers are willing to share their biometric data to improve airport processes, up from 46 per cent in 2019.
Ravishankar says CBP has offered airlines three ways of using its new gates: sticking with printed boarding passes and passports, using a hybrid system, or going all-digital.
At LAX, Air New Zealand has chosen to go all-digital, although there will be staff on-hand for queries or glitches.
Data not held
The US National Institute of Standards and Technology recently found facial recognition is at least 99.5 per cent accurate.
But what about the quarter or so travellers who have privacy or other qualms about biometrics?
Whatever your opinion of biometric data being collected, Uncle Sam already has it from your arrival. Ravishankar says Air NZ is only tapping into CBP’s system. The airline does not store any biometric data itself.
Feedback from the more than 1000 customers who have used this technology to board flights so far “has been really positive,” he says.
“Using biometrics at the boarding gate is only the beginning and we’re in talks with industry players, both globally and here in New Zealand, about how we can use biometric technology throughout the whole airport process,” he adds.
Facial scans are being trialled by some airlines for US citizens on some inbound flights, while Delta has been working with CBP and TSA on facial scans for fully-domestic baggage drops and automated boarding.
When for NZ?
There’s not even a ballpark timeline for fully-automated biometric departures or arrivals here, but some of the pieces are starting to fall into place.
Air Zealand is in discussions with Customs, Internal Affairs, MPI and other agencies.
“From a design perspective, it’s well advanced. In terms of implementation, there’s still a bit of water to go under the bridge,” Ravishankar says.
“We’ve got this amazing opportunity to take a leadership position.”
New app will help
Earlier this month, Air NZ’s app was upgraded, building on the work the airline did to integrate key travel documentation such as My Vaccine Pass and the New Zealand Traveller Declaration into their Airpoints profile.
Ravishankar says the upgraded app has the bones necessary to supporting biometric boarding too, once it’s given the green light here.
In the meantime, some extra frills are in the works, including the ability to track your baggage so - at airports with supporting technology - you’ll be able to keep tabs on your suitcase and get some peace of mind when it’s been stowed in the hold, or monitor its progress at the other end while you tap your toes at the carousel.
