Finnair, Vision-Box Launch Biometric Boarding System at LAX

Finnair has become the latest international airline to trial biometric boarding at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), in collaboration with biometric identification specialist Vision-Box.

The Finnish airline first implemented the technology on April 9th, allowing passengers to board their flights without the need to show boarding passes or passports, instead submitting to a brief face scan for identity verification. The process involves collaboration with the Los Angeles World Airports Authority and the US Customs and Border Protection agency, as part of the broader US Biometric Exit program.

While it is, in that sense, a security program, it’s also one that can offer greater convenience for travelers with its use of automated, self-service eGates. Commenting on the program in a statement, Finnair Ground Experience Manager Sami Suokas said, “Customer feedback was very positive, and we are looking forward to having more stations to utilize biometrics in the future – including our home hub Helsinki Airport, where we plan to start biometrics tests with the airport operator Finavia and Vision-Box.”

It’s a sentiment that echoes comments made last year by Finnair CEO Pekka Vauramo, who called biometric boarding “promising technology” that “speeds up the process” of getting travelers onto their flights.

As for Vision-Box, Finnair is its latest high-profile airline partner, with the company having previously worked with Lufthansa and British Airways on biometric boarding programs out of LAX.

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May 30, 2019 – by Alex Perala