Air Canada is the first airline in the country to use facial recognition technology to confirm a passenger’s identification.
The new pilot program will test the company’s facial recognition technology on passengers boarding select flights between Vancouver and Winnipeg.
Passengers who voluntarily participate in the program can use their devices as a digital ID to get them on flights.
(Kevin Andrews File photo)
Local tech blogger Kevin Andrews says the technology would require a passenger to download Air Canada’s mobile app, and create a digital profile, including a selfie and passport picture.
Andrews says the company claims that the facial biometric data will be immediately deleted after and not stored on a customer’s digital profile.
He says the digital profile and credentials will be encrypted and stored on your device for 3-6 hours on the day of your trip, and is erased immediately after it’s used. How secure and reliable that process is, says Andrews, “remains to be seen.”
