No wallet. No boarding pass. No phone. No problem. Americans are just a few years away from being able to show up at the airport with nothing but a suitcase in hand.
By as early as 2020, Americans will be able to travel by plane without any paper or digital documents thanks to major technological innovations in security procedures that U.S. Customs and Border Protection has already begun implementing at airports across the country.
“The future is a lane where you never slow down … that’s the future and it’s not very far – that’s two to four years out,” according to a senior Department of Homeland Security official who spoke at the International Summit on Borders in Washington last week. The event organizer did not allow reporters to identify speakers.
“No more travel documents. No more stopping at a kiosk but being able to move freely through an airport using your face as the most recognized and easily applied biometric that there is,” the official added.
Twelve U.S. airports are testing this new security process at departure gates, but last week, CBP announced Orlando International Airport as the first airport in the country to fully put into effect an entry and exit program that uses facial recognition techniques instead of paper or digital documents to process all international travelers.
“We are at a critical turning point in the implementation of a biometric entry-exit system, and we’ve found a path forward that transforms travel for all travelers,” CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said in a statement about the change.
Airlines for America, which advocates for U.S. airline companies, said it worked with the government on the project and supports the change to facial recognition.
“The safety and security of our passengers and employees is our single highest priority,” A4A said in a statement. “[W]e applaud their efforts on the development of a biometric solution using cloud technology and facial recognition.”
Five years ago, CBP launched the Global Entry Program, which allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers to go through expedited security screening upon their return to the United States. Global Entry allows American members returning from foreign trips to deplane following the flight and bypass customs officers by going through kiosks for approval to re-enter the country. The next step is taking passengers out of lines to scan in at kiosks and get them zooming through facial recognition checkpoints.
CBP uses airline manifest information to then pull existing photos from government databases, such as passport and visa images. It creates a photo gallery of the individuals it expects to see depart or return on a flight. At the inspection booth, the cameras take a live image of the passenger and in less than two seconds match it to images it had pulled of people expected to come through.
Following that process, passengers speak with CBP officers in an interview and photos are deleted from CBP files.
“CBP does not believe photographs taken of U.S. citizens need to be retained, and we are working on rulemaking to that effect. The rulemaking process exists so that all interested parties may comment and provide input on any proposed rules before they become final,” Jennifer Gabris, a CBP spokeswoman told the Washington Examiner.
Approximately 500,000 passengers have gone through the system prior to the Thursday roll-out in Orlando’s MCO airport, which is the 11th busiest in the country.
MCO and CBP initially began testing the system for passengers boarding British Airways flights to the United Kingdom, which allowed passengers to board in 15 minutes.
The facial recognition system is now in use at 30 of the airport’s international departure and CBP checkpoints. The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority has allotted $4 million to keep the permanent project funded for the near future.
“We are committed to delivering a premiere travel experience to Orlando International Airport’s more than five million annual international passengers,” GOAA CEO Phil Brown said in a statement. “By incorporating biometric technology into our entry and exit processes, safety, security and speed are optimized so customers can enjoy a more streamlined and comfortable journey through Florida’s busiest airport.”
In 2013, just 3 percent of travelers interacted with technology. That number skyrocketed in four years to 70 percent in 2017 and is still growing, according to DHS.
Based on how passengers have taken to the use of technology as part of the air travel experience, this new feature may woo the remaining skeptics to sign up, but you will need your license to clear that checkpoint.
