JetBlue goes biometric

Under the headline ‘Your face is your boarding pass’, JetBlue in partnership with the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) service, last week rolled-out its first fully-integrated biometric self-boarding gate at New York JFK.

The airline said the dual-line system means passengers flying to select international destinations from Terminal 5 can board faster. The gate uses facial recognition technology to verify travellers’ identity with a quick photo capture.

The installation comes on the heels of the airline’s successful biometric boarding trials at Boston Logan International and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airports as well as JFK.

JetBlue last week also became the first airline to join forces with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority to launch one-step biometric boarding for passengers  flying to Nassau from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The airline says the programme, which began last year, does not require passengers to pre-register – they simply step up to the camera for a photo match and make their way on to the aircraft.

Senior vice-president Ian Deason noted the latest biometric enhancement complemented JetBlue’s existing efforts, including self-service lobbies with interactive kiosks that feature self-bag tag and self-bag drop capabilities.

The airline plans to expand the programme to more international flights from JFK, Boston and Fort Lauderdale, and to pilot a biometric bag drop station at JFK early next year.

www.jetblue.com

www.cbp.gov

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