United States. Miami International Airport (MIA) confirmed that new facial recognition systems will be installed at 130 gates for international flights. The installation is expected to be completed in 2023. When completed, the project will be the largest implementation of biometric technology at any U.S. airport, an airport statement said.
"The launch of the biometric approach at MIA is the latest way Miami-Dade County is leveraging technology to improve customer service and simplify operations. I am proud to see our airport lead the nation with this cutting-edge innovation that will streamline the boarding process for our passengers," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
Using SITA's Smart Path solution, which leverages NEC's biometric identity platform, passengers will simply approach a camera at the gate and their image will be used to confirm their identities and authorization to travel in seconds. MIA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) first tested biometric boarding in 2019 during a pilot program with select airlines, with significant improvement in boarding times.
"We look forward to improving our passenger experience with this state-of-the-art boarding solution. MIA is now the busiest U.S. airport for international travel and continues to set new records each month for passenger growth. The biometric approach is one of the main steps we are taking to pave the way for further growth in the years to come," said Ralph Cutié, Director and CEO of MIA.
The launch of MIA's biometric boarding is in line with its airport-wide expansion in 2020 of Simplified Arrivals, an enhanced CBP process for international arrivals that uses facial biometrics to automate manual document verifications required for admission to the U.S.
"Globally, we see that passengers want a faster journey through the airport where key journey steps are automated. Our Smart Path biometric solution will enable future expansion to other touchpoints at MIA, as well as the use of multiple forms of digital identity," said Matthys Serfontein, President of the Americas at SITA.
Source: MIA.
