Seattle airport to adopt facial-recognition technology

The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in the U.S. state of Washington will introduce the facial-recognition technology for international travelers by the end of this year, a Seattle-based newspaper reported Sunday.

A Lufthansa Airbus 330 taxis toward its terminal spot at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on it's inaugural flight from Frankfurt March 30, 2008. [Photo: VCG]

Travelers of U.S. Delta Air Lines, Sea-Tac's second-largest carrier, will be able to board a plane by scanning their faces at the airport to speed up the boarding process, after their faces match with their visa or passport photos stored in the database of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), The Seattle Times said.

The newspaper said Delta, which will become the first air carrier to adopt the new technology, is planning to use facial-recognition cameras to confirm international travelers' identities at its Sea-Tac gates in late December 2019.

Delta has installed facial-recognition cameras in six airports in the country, and insisted that the new technology aimed to deliver better customer service "by eliminating the need to juggle luggage, passports and boarding passes."

The Seattle daily said a five-member commission will meet in mid-December to vote on principles concerning the use of facial recognition at Sea-Tac.