Air Canada to Enable Face-based Boarding for Toronto-bound Flights

Air Canada is advancing its use of biometric technology with the implementation of facial recognition for boarding select flights from Vancouver to Toronto.

Initially piloted at Vancouver International Airport for flights to Winnipeg and at the Air Canada Café at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, the service is set to expand further to the domestic Maple Leaf Lounge at Pearson. The airline’s initiative aims to streamline the boarding process, offering passengers the choice to use facial recognition, and enhancing convenience while maintaining robust security measures.

Passengers opting for this service will create a secure digital “faceprint” via the Air Canada app. The data is encrypted and stored solely on the customer’s mobile phone, requiring additional consent on the day of travel and retained for up to 36 hours. For those not opting in, traditional methods of presenting a boarding pass and government-issued ID remain available.

“Many of our customers already utilize digital credentials to simplify their daily activities such as unlocking mobile phones, entering workplaces, verifying identification during financial transactions and more,” said Craig Landry, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer at Air Canada. “We are very excited to now take a leadership position in Canada and test digital identification using facial recognition technology to validate customer identification quickly, securely and accurately at select airport touchpoints.”

This move marks Air Canada as the first airline in the country to offer such a service, indicating a significant innovation in travel solutions, and reflects the growing trend of integrating biometric authentication in travel to enhance security and efficiency.

“Our government and Canadian airlines and airports are eager to move forward with innovative solutions and technologies to modernize the traveller journey in airports across the country, which would enable a more seamless and efficient air transportation system,” said Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport. “Air Canada’s pilot project will speed up processes at YVR, and other airports where it’s established, while respecting robust privacy measures and security standards.”

The development follows the airline’s 2020 launch of biometric boarding for flights from the US to Canada, starting at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) with plans to expand to other airports.

For those participating in the new biometric boarding system, digital identification data is retained for up to 36 hours and requires additional consent for use on the travel day. This initiative is independent of government programs like NEXUS or Global Entry.

Source: CTV News

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August 6, 2024 – by Tony Bitzionis