In just seconds, the screen flashed green with the word “verified,” giving each one a digital sign to proceed.
No one needed to pull their passport out of a bag or pocket. The system, available to U.S. citizens at no extra charge, had matched their faces to passport images in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s database.
The new system has cut wait times by 43%, customs officials say.
Central Florida travelers can expect the use of facial-recognition technology to become even more commonplace in coming years. The airport is deploying next-generation biometric systems, touting them as a tool that eliminates hassles for travelers and enhances security, though some privacy advocates are wary of such efforts.
The goal in Orlando is to eventually use facial scans for every step of the travel process — from dropping off baggage to boarding the plane.
“We must rely on technology that enables us to move more passengers more efficiently without compromising safety and security,” said Lance Lyttle, CEO of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, which oversees the Orlando airport. “Biometric technology has evolved significantly. They are now more accurate and precise, cost less to deploy and maintain and deliver real efficiencies.”
About six months ago, Orlando International — the nation’s ninth busiest airport — launched the Enhanced Passenger Processing program for U.S. citizens returning home from abroad, which is what those arriving from Costa Rica used. Soon, it will embark upon a 90-day pilot program for departing international passengers. The airport plans to test machines from three potential vendors — iProov, Aware Inc., and a three-company team comprised of Paravision, Embross and AiFi.
In a demonstration last week, company leaders boasted their systems have become more advanced, accurate and reliable, allowing families to be simultaneously screened.
“For travelers, it’s about ease of use,” said Dominic Forrest, chief technology officer at iProov, which worked with Orlando airport for the system for arriving international passengers. “Secondly, it’s about security. It makes sure absolutely unambiguously … the person who is on the ticket is the person getting on the plane.”
Facial scans for international flights are optional for U.S citizens, who can request to have their passport manually inspected instead. Foreign nationals, U.S. green card holders and other noncitizens, though, will be photographed when entering and leaving the United States under new federal travel requirements set to take effect Dec. 26. They won’t be able to opt out.
For U.S. citizens, the photos are discarded within 12 hours, according to Customs and Border Protection. For noncitizens, images can be kept up to 75 years.
Though airport leaders have embraced biometrics, its growing use has unnerved some privacy advocates who fear a lack of comprehensive guardrails could lead to broader government surveillance.
“It becomes ripe for expansion and abuse,” said Jeramie D. Scott, a lawyer with the Electronic Privacy Information Center. “It is not a coincidence that facial recognition is very ubiquitous in authoritarian governments. You are setting the stage and creating the infrastructure where the government controls identification and can decide when to ID you.”
Critics have also raised concerns about data breaches, along withstudies showing higher error rates for darker-skinned women than lighter-skinned men using facial recognition. Those discrepancies have been attributed to data used to train facial recognition systems. Companies have responded that they are using continuous bias testing to ensure the technology does not discriminate based on race or sex.
Customs officials tout facial recognition as highly effective with a match rate of about 99% for entry and say it demonstrates consistent performance among different demographic groups.
Orlando International’s system for arriving passengers has been a success by reducing wait times, said Diane J. Sabatino, acting executive assistant commissioner for Customs and Border Protection.
“When we think about thousands of people that arrive to facilities every single day, seconds matter. … This is important to the efficiency of the entire process,” she said.
The Orlando airport started experimenting with biometrics as far back as the early 2000s. In 2018, it became the first U.S. airport to commit to processing all international passengers with facial-recognition technology.
The newest products aim to produce frictionless travel, where passengers are processed faster and more accurately without the need for boarding passes and travel documents.
Joey Pritikin, chief product officer for Paravision, showed off a system that can simultaneously screen groups of people using facial recognition and spatial intelligence. Those who consent simply need to step into an opt-in zone, and officials will be able to identify them.
“We know exactly who is where, when with this system,” he said. “That helps us to decrease operational chaos.”
The Transportation Security Administration has also made biometrics a focus for domestic flights, rolling out second-generation credential authentication technology at Orlando International and other major airports across the country.
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This system, which is optional, compares the traveler’s ID photo against a real-time image. Once the match is confirmed, the passenger can proceed to security screening without needing to show a boarding passing to a TSA agent.
Ajay Amlani, president and CEO of Aware Inc., said passengers can trust facial recognition systems, which he said will make their journeys easier and protect their privacy.
“When you look at a camera, all you are sharing is your face,” he said. “You’re not showing mother’s maiden name, Social Security number, home address or any other personal information about yourself, which makes biometrics inherently a privacy-preserving technology.”
© 2025 Orlando Sentinel. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
