After pilot programs in Atlanta and Detroit, Delta Air Lines is launching voluntary facial-recognition programs at airports in New York and Los Angeles, allowing passengers to move through security lanes and check bags without showing a physical ID card, the carrier announced Tuesday.
Delta has unveiled the Digital ID program at Los Angeles International Airport and New York's LaGuardia Airport and said it would do so on Thursday at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The move follows initial rollouts in 2021 at Detroit Metro Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Delta in a statement said "a large majority of eligible customers" in Detroit and Atlanta have opted into the technology.
Delta said it developed the system in partnership with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, and travelers must have a membership in TSA's PreCheck expedited-screening program to use the facial recognition tech. They also must have their TSA Known Traveler Number and passport information included in their Delta profile, must be members of Delta's SkyMiles loyalty program, and must have the Fly Delta mobile app.
Eligible travelers will be notified through that app, according to Delta, and will be directed to the appropriate bag-drop line and security checkpoint, where they will look into the facial recognition camera for verification. Should the technology fail to identify the traveler, an agent will inspect their physical ID, said Delta.
"It's a simpler, more convenient experience—one that strictly adheres to passenger privacy and our security protocols, as well as our mission of protecting our nation’s transportation systems," TSA assistant administrator of requirements, capabilities and analysis Austin Gould said in a statement.
Delta said it would look "to expand the technology to additional hubs in 2024." The carrier does not retain passengers' biometric information, it said.