What to Know
- Boarding an airplane can be a stressful experience, particularly if you've found yourself searching for your boarding pass and passport.
- A pilot program launched by the Port Authority, in partnership with the airline Lufthansa, is trying to change that at Newark Airport.
- The Port Authority is piloting a biometric self-boarding e-gate at Terminal B of Newark Liberty International Airport in which passengers undergo a new emplaning process that only requires them to show their face to board their plane.
Boarding an airplane can be a stressful experience, particularly if you've found yourself searching for your boarding pass and passport. A pilot program launched by the Port Authority, in partnership with the airline Lufthansa, is trying to change that at Newark Airport.
The Port Authority is piloting a biometric self-boarding e-gate at Terminal B of Newark Liberty International Airport in which passengers undergo a new emplaning process that only requires them to show their face to board their plane.
The pilot was conceived and is being managed by the Port Authority, according to the agency. It will be tested until Aug. 31 at Gate 62 of Terminal B before being assessed and potentially being implemented on a wider scale.
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The agency is working with EASIER and Idemia technology companies, as well as Lufthansa, which has integrated the e-gate into its departure control system.
To replace the routine emplaning process, the biometric system works with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to cross-reference images, according to the Port Authority. The biometric picture taken before boarding must match the images in CBP’s existing database, which all passport holders have already entered.
News
“The passenger walks right up to the e-gate, which takes a biometric scan and confirms a passenger is okay to board,” Raymond Viggiano, International Facility Supervisor at Newark Airport said. “There’s very little interaction needed there.”
Once CBP sends confirmation, the airline deletes all scans within 12 hours, according to Viggiano.
“The entire process takes seconds; it's that quick,” he said. “It’s just a really nice flow and passenger experience.”
