Delta, CBP Bring Biometric Boarding to Detroit Airport

Delta Air Lines’ biometric boarding experiment has expanded to Detroit.

The company has announced that, in collaboration with the US Customs and Border Protection agency, it’s now allowing passengers to board certain flights at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) with a simple face scan. This applies to anyone departing on a daily flight from gate A36, though any passengers who would rather use a traditional or mobile boarding pass can still opt to do so just by telling a gate agent.

The program represents an expansion from previous initiatives at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta and the Reagan Washington National Airport in DC, where Delta has replaced boarding passes with fingerprint scans in collaboration with CLEAR. The use of face scanning in this most recent deployment accommodates a broader CBP initiative to implement face-based biometric border screening at various airports and other border checkpoints in the US.

In a statement announcing the new biometric boarding program at DTW, Delta COO Gil West called it “a natural next step as we hone this boarding option in partnership with CBP.” West added that the program will allow Delta Air Lines “to get even more feedback from customers and employees”.

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July 20, 2018 – by Alex Perala