JetBlue to test boarding by facial recognition

JetBlue said Wednesday that it will launch self-boarding by facial recognition on certain flights beginning next month. The US airline will allow customers to “put away their boarding passes and devices and simply step up to the camera for a quick photo” in order to board flights from Boston to Aruba beginning in June. A “custom-designed camera station” will interact with US Customs and Border Protection’s systems to “instantly match the image to passport, visa or immigration photos in the CBP database and verify flight details”. “The customer will be notified on an integrated screen above the camera when they are cleared to proceed to the jet bridge,” the airline said. JetBlue said that it will be the first airline to partner with the US to “use biometrics and facial recognition technology to verify customers at the gate during boarding”. “We hope to learn how we can further reduce friction points in the airport experience, with the boarding process being one of the hardest to solve,” said Joanna Geraghty, executive vice president customer experience at JetBlue.<br/>