Air New Zealand speeds up boarding process with facial recognition tech
Boarding passes will soon be a thing of the past, with Air New Zealand rolling out biometric verification in the US after a successful trial at Los Angeles Airport.
This latest initiative is part of the airline’s plan to make travel smoother, starting with the rigmarole of getting through the airport.
Upon entering the US, customers are provided with the opportunity to register with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) using their biometric information.
The next cab off the rank is San Francisco, followed by the airline’s other US ports.
Using the automated airport kiosks, this same data is then used to verify their identity at the time of boarding. Biometric information is secured by CBP and not directly accessible to Air New Zealand or any other airline using this service.
Air New Zealand chief digital officer Nikhil Ravishankar said this technology will speed up the boarding process, creating a seamless experience for customers and airport staff.
“We’ve heard from customers that they want their airport experience to be hassle-free and technology is a key enabler of that,” Ravishankar said.
“According to IATA, more than 75 per cent of customers see huge value in biometric verification and want to use it instead of passports and boarding passes.
“The feedback from the more than 1000 customers who have used this technology to board our flights has been really positive.”
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
air new zealand biometric verification los angeles airport Nikhil RavishankarLatest News
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