We don’t seem to be getting any closer to personal jetpacks but flying in America has taken one step closer to a sci-fi movie. JetBlue Airways and Delta Air Lines have started testing biometric technologies at airports in the United States.
JetBlue has introduced a pilot program to replace paper boarding passes with facial recognition technology for travelers on flights between Boston’s Logan International Airport and Queen Beatrix International Airport in Aruba. JetBlue is working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and information technology firm SITA to match photos of travelers to their passport images saved in a database. The move is aimed at decreasing bottlenecks at airport checkpoints and is already being tested extensively at European airports including Amsterdam, Paris, and Helsinki.
Delta is using biometric technology at Ronald Reagan National Airport to allow Sky Club members access to the lounge with fingerprint scans. The trial is in preparation for a program to allow Delta passengers to board aircraft and pick up checked baggage using fingerprint ID scans.
Delta Chief Operating Officer, Gil West, said in a statement, “We’re rapidly moving toward a day when your fingerprint, iris, or face will become the only ID you’ll need for any number of transactions throughout a given day.” How long before this technology comes to conference badges?
