Some Delta Air Lines passengers will soon go through airport check-in and security just by showing their faces. The nation’s first biometric airport terminal launches Saturday in Atlanta.The system will allow passengers to go from curb to gate and onto the plane without showing their passports.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is currently demonstrating the technology at seven other U.S. airports and the next stop is at another Delta hub, Detroit. According to the airline, when passengers use the facial recognition process, it cuts up to nine minutes out of the boarding process, reports CBS News correspondent Kris Van Cleave.
Starting Saturday, Terminal F will be the nation’s first fully biometric airport experience, allowing passengers to use just their face at a kiosk to check bags at the counter, go through security and board flights.
The system takes a picture and compares it against a digital copy of a travelers passport photo that’s stored in a secure Customs and Border Protection database of people flying that day. It takes as little as two seconds.
«Initially it’s for international flights from U.S. stations…I do see a future where this will be used for domestic flights,» said Gil West, Delta’s chief operating officer.
