In an era where technology is revolutionising every aspect of our lives, the aviation industry is no exception. Air New Zealand, in its quest to become the world’s leading digital airline, has been at the forefront with the successful trial of biometric facial recognition at Los Angeles Airport, November 2022.
In collaboration with the Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP), Air New Zealand customers were among the first to experience the future of air travel. The trial was part of the CBP’s Biometric Exit Program, a government-mandated initiative aimed at enhancing security and streamlining the boarding process for passengers leaving the U.S.
Air New Zealand’s chief digital officer Nikhil Ravishankar says “We know many of our customers want to embrace technology and innovative approaches to improve their travel experience. We want to deliver on this, and our ambition is to be the world’s leading digital airline. Appropriately leveraging technology like facial recognition makes the airport experience even more seamless and hassle-free for our customers.”
The trial proved a resounding success demonstrating the effectiveness of the technology but also its potential to transform the travel experience.
Nikhil says “The biometric facial recognition trial at Los Angeles Airport in November 2022 was related to the Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) Biometric Exit Program and resulted in us successfully boarding more than 1,000 customers using biometric gates. Across the US, the CBP is rolling out a government mandated Biometric Exit Program for all passengers leaving the US. CBP’s biometric gates are located at boarding gates which allow customers, including our Air New Zealand customers, to benefit from the Biometric Exit Process for its identity verification processes.”
While it may be some years before biometric facial recognition will see its way to New Zealand customs, the CBP continues to roll out its Biometric Exit Program across the U.S and Air New Zealand customers, along with other travellers, will benefit from this innovative approach to identity verification. This successful trial marks a significant milestone in Air New Zealand’s journey to become the world’s leading digital airline.
