Delta now using facial recognition technology in Atlanta; plans to expand to Detroit

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer instructs an international traveler to look into a camera as he uses facial recognition technology to screen a traveler entering the United States on February 27, 2018 at Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida.  The facility is the first in the country that is dedicated to providing expedited passport screening via facial recognition technology, which verifies a traveler's identity by matching them to the document they are presenting.

Credit: Joe Raedle

Credit: Joe Raedle

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer instructs an international traveler to look into a camera as he uses facial recognition technology to screen a traveler entering the United States on February 27, 2018 at Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida. The facility is the first in the country that is dedicated to providing expedited passport screening via facial recognition technology, which verifies a traveler's identity by matching them to the document they are presenting.

Delta Air Lines has rolled out facial recognition technology for international travel at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport for what it calls the first biometric terminal in the United States -- and is now making plans to expand the technology in Detroit.

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Atlanta-based Delta in September announced plans to make the international terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson into a biometric terminal, including facial recognition at check-in, at the security checkpoint, at gates and at Customs.

Passengers can essentially show their faces to a camera instead of showing identification or a boarding pass.

During boarding, the use of facial recognition saves an average of 2 seconds per passenger, or a total of 9 minutes for boarding of a wide-body plane, according to Delta.

The airline plans to expand facial recognition at its Detroit hub to all of its international gates at the McNamara Terminal in the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. It will then roll out facial recognition throughout the Detroit terminal in 2019.

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