British Airways has become the first airline to trial self-service biometric boarding gates on international flights out of the USA, working in partnership with Los Angeles Airport.

As part of the airline’s commitment to invest in innovation and new technology, British Airways has begun an exclusive trial that will transform customers’ airport experience by improving the boarding process and significantly reducing the amount of time it takes to board an aircraft.

The new technology, created by Vision-Box, will create a smoother journey for customers, as they will no longer need to present their passport or boarding pass at the gate – only at check in and security. Instead, travellers can simply look into a camera prior to boarding, wait for their biometric data to be verified, and then walk onto the aircraft.

Similarly to facial identification built into mobile phones, the biometric gates use high definition camera technology, and allow customers to pass through by recognising their unique facial features, and reconciling them with the digital facial scan taken as part of the immigration process.

The new biometric boarding gate at LAX Airport

British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience, Carolina Martinoli, said: “Our customers want the ability to simplify and speed up their journeys through the airport, so we’re investing in the most advanced technology that will enable us to streamline our boarding process and further improve our punctuality.

“We’re using biometric technology that consumers are now familiar with and trust because it delivers a convenient, reliable and secure experience.

“This step forward to modernise our operation is a first in the industry, and we will continue to work with airports around the world to evolve this technology, and revolutionise the way in which people travel,” Martinoli said.

Safety and security is at the core of biometric facial recognition technology, and British Airways has been working closely in partnership with the Customs and Border Protection Agency and the US government to develop and approve the scheme.

Boarding for British Airways’ flights has become fully-automated in Los Angeles

The gates have been installed on three stands at Los Angeles Airport and British Airways is the only airline with the advanced technology to offer purely biometric boarding to its customers.

The project, led by Los Angeles Airport, builds on technology already in use by British Airways on its domestic flights from Heathrow’s Terminal 5 – checking customers’ biometric data at the gate when they scan their boarding pass.

“This industry-first deployment of innovative solutions from the US Customs and Border Protection and Vision-Box, shows the amazing potential of using biometrics to speed up the boarding process while maintaining safety and security,” said Los Angeles World Airports Chief Innovation and Technology Officer Justin Erbacci.

“We have been very impressed with the results thus far, and love to see the passengers’ excitement at being some of the first in the world to use facial recognition to board British Airways flights from LAX to Heathrow.”