In collaboration with SITA, Miami International Airport (MIA) is implementing biometric boarding for international flights at all of its more than 130 gates. When implemented in 2023, the project will be the biggest biometric technology installation at any airport in the United States.
The technology is part of SITA’s Smart Path solution, which employs cameras to scan the faces of passengers at the departure gate to verify their identification and authority to fly, removing the need for people to submit gate agents’ boarding passes or passports. Orlando Foreign Airport became the first in the world to adopt SITA’s biometric boarding system for all outgoing international tourists in 2018. Athens International Airport, Rome Fiumicino Airport, Beijing Capital International Airport, Istanbul Airport, Kuala Lumpur International Airport and more airports employ the technology.
Miami International Airport and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) initially used biometric boarding in 2019 as part of a pilot program with certain airlines, with considerable improvements in boarding times.
“We look forward to elevating our passenger experience with this state-of-the-art boarding solution,” says Ralph Cutié, Miami International Airport director and CEO. “MIA is now the busiest U.S. airport for international travel and continues to set new records each month for passenger growth. Biometric boarding is one of the major steps we are taking to pave the way for additional growth in the years to come.”
This airport-wide biometrics rollout for foreign departures comes on the heels of Miami International Airport’s Simplified Arrival biometrics rollout in 2020.
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