Biometric technology is at the forefront of flight safety, efficiency, and passenger experience. This new wave of technology allows airports to quickly scan passengers and match their faces to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) records. It reduces wait times and flaws in traditional boarding procedures. TPA biometric screenings are now being used at many of their international gates.
Implementing this technology for departures is one of the latest initiatives TPA has undertaken to improve efficiency, safety, and convenience during the boarding process. Currently, the Airport has eight biometric scanners installed, only at international airline gates, with several more on the way.
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“By 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has mandated that all U.S. international flights use biometric scanners,” TPA IT Analyst David Golden said, “The ones we’ve been implementing at TPA will replace, in many cases, the traditional boarding pass scanners.”
How biometric scanners work
Biometric scanners work by taking a quick snapshot of a passenger and comparing their photo to current CBP records. The scanner ensures the photos match, that the passenger’s name is on the flight manifest, and will clear or reject the passenger in five seconds or fewer. The gates will automatically close after each passenger to prevent piggybacking and to reduce wait times between each boarder. In this manner, biometric scanners can speed up boarding times tremendously, cutting down wait times for passengers in half in some cases.
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Golden said that in many aspects, TPA is already ahead of the biometric curve.
“We are joining the biometrics ranks of other major airports using this new technology to speed up and simplify the airport experience,” Golden said. “Multiple airlines are currently working with the Airport to implement this new process and our goal is to have multiple biometric scanners in use soon.”
As TPA looks to the future, passengers can expect an even more seamless experience traveling through the Airport, regardless of the destination. Within the next 10 to 15 years, TPA expects to have the technology in place for passengers to use biometrics to check a bag, use the shuttles, pass through TSA and board a flight, all without needing a paper boarding pass.
“The future is here,” Golden said. “And the future is amazing.”
