by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:26 AM ET, Wed May 18, 2022
Officials from Miami International Airport (MIA) announced a new partnership with information technology company SITA that includes rolling out biometric boarding for international flights at all of the Florida airport's more than 130 gates.
According to PhocusWire.com, the widespread implementation of biometric technology at MIA will be the largest at any airport in the United States when completed in 2023. The airport first began testing the technology in 2019.
"We look forward to elevating our passenger experience with this state-of-the-art boarding solution," MIA CEO Ralph Cutie said. "MIA is now the busiest U.S. airport for international travel and continues to set new records each month for passenger growth. Biometric boarding is one of the major steps we are taking to pave the way for additional growth in the years to come."
The new system being installed at MIA is part of SITA's Smart Path solution, which verifies the identity of passengers by using cameras to scan their faces at the departure gate, eliminating the need to show boarding passes or passports to gate agents.
"Globally we see that passengers want a faster journey through the airport where key steps in the journey are automated," SITA Americas president Matthys Serfontein said. "Our Smart Path biometric solution will enable future expansion to other touch points at MIA as well as the use of multiple forms of digital identity."
SITA and MIA have been at the forefront of technological upgrades, with the airport launching biometrics for international arrivals, known as Simplified Arrival, in 2020, and SITA's biometric boarding system also being used at facilities in Athens, Rome, Beijing, Istanbul and more.
Another significant technological advancement in recent weeks was Ireland's Shannon Airport announcing its new state-of-the-art computed tomography, or CT, scanning security system, which would allow travelers to leave their electronics and liquids in their bags when they go through security.
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