Dallas

Facial Recognition Technology Coming to DFW Airport

New technology is coming to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

It's called biometric boarding and it uses facial recognition as a boarding pass.

American Airlines is testing out the face scans at three gates for international flights.

At the gate, passengers step up to a camera and have their picture taken. That photo is compared to the passport photo U.S. Customs and Border Patrol has on file and, within seconds, passengers are approved to board the flight.

The technology is part of a government mandate to eventually scan all international travelers.

"It's a more secure way of ensuring that whoever is leaving the country, coming into the country, that we have a secure form of knowing and matching their picture to what we have on file," said Brandon Duggins, who oversees international operations for American Airlines at DFW Airport.

Since launching the new technology two weeks ago, American Airlines said about 5,000 passengers have used the scanners.

Right now, American citizens are allowed to opt out of the face scans, but non-U.S. citizens are required to use the technology.

Contact Us