Passengers on international flights from Delta Air Lines, KLM, Air France,
Aeromexico and Virgin Atlantic can travel faster from the check-in desk to the
aircraft via facial recognition as of December. "This will be the future",
says COO Gil West.
 
Both at the check-in kiosks and at the counter, at the security checkpoint and
at the gate, it is sufficient to pose for a photo and in principle the
passport does not have to be shown. "We only check at the gate that the
traveler has a passport at all."
 
More than 25,000 travelers tested the system in recent months. Only two
percent did not want to cooperate for various reasons. "No point, because in
the regular way it is possible too."
 
West expects the biometric system, in which billions were invested by Delta,
the Customs & Border Protection (CBP) and the Transport Safety Administration
(TSA), to stimulate the flow of passengers and increase safety. "On average,
the boarding process on an international flight is now finished ten minutes
earlier."

--- D'Bridge 3.99 SR33
 * Origin: AVIATION ECHO HQ (2:292/854)