Delta Air Lines is building a "curb-to-gate" facial recognition program for domestic travelers at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.
The first step will begin in December, when members of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration's PreCheck program will be able to create a digital ID that combines their PreCheck Known Traveler Number and passport number in their SkyMiles profile in Delta's app. Upon check-in, they can opt in to the program to use that digital ID, verified by a camera using facial recognition technology, to go through the PreCheck security checkpoint at Detroit's Edward H. McNamara Terminal.
The airport camera encrypts the image, removes biographic information and sends it to U.S. Customs and Border Protection's matching service to verify the traveler's identity, according to Delta. Unlike other facial recognition programs, this one will not require travelers to show their identification at the checkpoint, a Delta spokesperson said.
Next year, Delta plans to expand the program to include bag drop and its boarding gates, enabling passengers to pass through all of those areas without a manual ID check. The carrier plans to replicate the experience at other airports.
"The Covid-19 pandemic has only deepened the importance of providing a touchless experience for our customers," Delta chief customer experience officer Bill Lentsch said in a statement. "We plan to expand curb-to-gate facial recognition and digital ID beyond the Detroit test so that all of our customers can enjoy a seamless, touchless travel experience across our network.”
Participation is voluntary, and Delta will not store biometric data, according to the carrier.