No more ID? Air Canada rolls out facial recognition tech at Vancouver airport
In a pilot project currently underway, Air Canada’s digital identification is now available for customers departing from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) when boarding select flights to Winnipeg, and for eligible customers entering the Air Canada Café at Toronto Pearson International Airport. (CNW Group/Air Canada)
Air Canada is rolling out facial recognition technology at the gate, making it the first Canadian airline to deploy the software in a bid to make the boarding process smoother.
Starting on Tuesday, customers who board most domestic Air Canada flights at Vancouver International Airport will be able to walk onto the plane without presenting any physical pieces of identification, such as a passport or driver's licence.
Participants in the program, which is voluntary, can upload a photo of their face and a scan of their passport to the airline's app.
Launched as a pilot project in February 2023, the digital ID option has been available at Air Canada's Maple Leaf lounges in Toronto, Calgary and San Francisco, and the airline plans to unveil it at other Canadian airport gates.
Canadian carriers have been slow on the biometric draw, with facial recognition technology already deployed by a number of U.S. airlines, overseas airports and government security agencies.
The software, which analyzes the unique physical identifiers of a traveller's face, has also raised concerns around privacy and ethics, though Air Canada notes that the option has no links to government programs.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 28, 2024.
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