Miami
International Airport (MIA) is rolling out biometric boarding for international
flights at all of its more than 130 gates, in partnership with SITA.
When
finished, some time in 2023, the project will be the largest implementation of
biometric technology at any airport in the United States.
The
system is part of SITA’s Smart Path solution, which uses cameras to scan the
faces of passengers at departure gate to verify their identity and authorization
to travel, eliminating the need to show boarding passes or passports to gate
agents.
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In
2018, Orlando
International Airport
became the first to use SITA’s biometric boarding
system for all outbound international travelers. The technology is also used at
Athens International Airport, Rome Fiumicino Airport, Beijing Capital
International Airport, Istanbul Airport, Kuala Lumpur International Airport
and more.
Miami airport and U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) first tested biometric boarding in 2019
during a pilot program with select airlines, with a significant improvement 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 launch of airport-wide
biometrics for international departures follows Miami International Airport’s
2020 launch of biometrics for international arrivals, known as Simplified Arrival.
“Globally we
see that passengers want a faster journey through the airport where key steps
in the journey are automated. Our Smart Path biometric solution will enable
future expansion to other touch points at MIA as well as the use of multiple
forms of digital identity,” says Matthys Serfontein, president of Americas at
SITA.