Air Canada is rolling out new facial recognition technology at domestic boarding gates inside Vancouver International Airport that will scan passengers’ faces to confirm their identity as they pass through.
The new electronic gates mean passengers won’t have to dig through their wallets to find their driver’s licence or passport anymore — they’ll just have to look at the camera.
“Digital identification is readily used to streamline numerous daily activities including unlocking phones and entering workplaces, and bringing this technology to the gate enhances the travel experience, making boarding flights convenient and effortless,” Tom Stevens with Air Canada said.
Air Canada claims customers’ biometric data is stored securely, though the airline has been a victim of data breaches before. Back in 2018, it locked all mobile app accounts after it detected unusual login behaviour. About 22,000 of Air Canada’s 1.7 million profiles were improperly accessed. The company contacted impacted users directly and instructed them to watch for suspicious credit card activity.
Travellers will have to voluntarily enroll in Air Canada’s Digital Identification Program to use the service. If a passenger doesn’t want to share their biometric data, they can still board as they usually do — by showing an agent their physical ID.
Air Canada said initial feedback during a pilot of the new technology was positive. Travellers apparently liked that it sped up the boarding process.
Right now, the technology is only being rolled out in the domestic section of Vancouver International Airport. Passengers leaving the country still need to bring their passports to enter the country they’re visiting and re-enter Canada on their way back.