Advertisement

Header Utility Menu

  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Events

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram Get Our App

  • Login

Virginia Business

Mobile Menu

  • Issues
  • Industries
    • Banking/Finances
    • Law
    • Real Estate
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Energy/Green
    • Federal Contracting
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Hotels/Tourism
    • Insurance
    • Ports/Trade
    • Small Business
    • Startups
    • Technology
    • Transportation
  • Regions
    • Central Virginia
    • Eastern Virginia
    • Northern Virginia
    • Roanoke/New River Valley
    • Shenandoah Valley
    • Southern Virginia
    • Southwest Virginia
  • Reports
    • Best Places to Work
    • Business Person of the Year
    • CEO Pay
    • COVID-19
    • Generous Virginians Project
    • Legal Elite
    • Most Influential Virginians
    • Maritime Guide
    • Site Locator
    • The Big Book
    • Virginia CFO Awards
  • Company News
    • For the Record
    • People
  • Opinion
  • Lists
  • Awards/Events
    • 2022 Virginia Business Political Roundtable
    • Women in Leadership
    • Diversity Leadership Series
    • Virginia 500
    • Legal Elite
    • CFO Awards
    • Big Book of Lists
    • 100 People To Meet
    • Best Places To Work
  • Virginia 500
    • Read The Issue
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Buy an award plaque
    • Suggest execs for 2023

Advertisement

Header Primary Menu

  • Issues
    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • Issues Archive
  • Industries
    • Banking/Finances
    • Law
    • Real Estate
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Energy/Green
    • Federal Contracting
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Hotels/Tourism
    • Insurance
    • Ports/Trade
    • Small Business
    • Startups
    • Technology
    • Transportation
  • Regions
    • Central Virginia
    • Eastern Virginia
    • Northern Virginia
    • Roanoke/New River Valley
    • Shenandoah Valley
    • Southern Virginia
    • Southwest Virginia
  • Reports
    • Best Places to Work
    • Business Person of the Year
    • CEO Pay
    • COVID-19
    • Generous Virginians Project
    • Legal Elite
    • Most Influential Virginians
    • Maritime Guide
    • Site Locator
    • The Big Book
    • Virginia CFO Awards
  • Company News
    • For the Record
    • People
  • Opinion
  • Lists
  • Awards/Events
    • 2022 Virginia Business Political Roundtable
    • Women in Leadership
    • Diversity Leadership Series
    • Virginia 500
    • Legal Elite
    • CFO Awards
    • Big Book of Lists
    • 100 People To Meet
    • Best Places To Work
  • Virginia 500
    • Read The Issue
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Buy an award plaque
    • Suggest execs for 2023

Home News Regions Northern Virginia Facial-recognition systems used at Virginia airports

Facial-recognition systems used at Virginia airports

Published November 30, 2018 by Joan Tupponce

Facial-recognition technology is being used at about 15 high-volume airports around the country.

Passengers speed through the international boarding areas at Washington Dulles International and Ronald Reagan Washington National airports in seconds, thanks to new facial-recognition technology.

The technology helps streamline passenger verification on outbound international flights. Large aircraft such as a double-decker Airbus A380 are “boarding 500 passengers in 22 minutes. Normally it takes 45 to 50 minutes to board,” says Colleen Manaher, executive director; planning, program analysis and evaluation in the office of field operations for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The new biometric screening system at Dulles and Reagan, veriScan, was designed by the Office of Technology at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) in partnership with the CBP. MWAA oversees the two Washington-area airports. The system was developed in response to a congressional mandate for CBP to implement biometric exit processes for commercial flights leaving the U.S. 

With veriScan, passengers walk up to an iPad equipped with the custom-developed software.  Their photos are taken, encrypted and transmitted to CBP. The airport pictures are matched against existing travel document photos.

“Currently it’s being used in a two-step process. The first step, the passenger presents a boarding pass to the gate agent. With the second step, veriScan technology replaces manually checking a passport or document,” says Andrew Trull, a MWAA spokesman. “We are moving to a one-step process that will replace both the document check and a boarding pass for passengers.”

Airlines began a veriScan pilot program at Dulles in July. Reagan activated the system for a limited number of international flights in late November.

“To date, we have used the technology to process more than 20,000 passengers boarding at Dulles to fly internationally with a 99 percent match rate,” says Trull.

Facial-recognition technology now is being used for exit and entry of international passengers at about 15 high-volume airports around the country.

Some third-party vendors have developed software that meets the CBP’s specifications, but MWAA found its in-house solution is equally effective at about a tenth of the cost of commercial options.

“We decided instead of investing in those, we would develop our own software,” Trull says. “It’s more flexible and versatile.”

Twenty-seven airlines that either tested veriScan or participated in a pilot program at Dulles are now adopting the facial-recognition system.

The early adopters include SAS, United, Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Emirates. Other airlines and airports also are interested in using veriScan.

“We would like to see it expand,” Trull says. “We are doing pilot programs and tests at other airports.”

Related Stories

Virginia Business logo

MicroPact signs lease for 41,690 square feet

Virginia Business logo

Arlington’s Rosslyn City Center getting $35M renovation

84K-square-foot space to include dining, office, retail space

Virginia Business logo

Navy awards Northrop Grumman $210.1M contract

Falls Church company to manufacture navigation systems

Trending

13th annual Best Places to Work

Magical moments

Cox expands Myers’ role to East Coast

Morrissey’s Petersburg casino bill fails in Senate Finance

Danville pharma startup announces $6.1M expansion

Sponsored Stories

Working at Pinnacle Financial Partners

What Logistics issues will have the biggest impact on you in 2023?

In the New Year, Aim for Better Cybersecurity

4 innovative ways to create capacity

WHERE IS THE SUPPLY CHAIN WHEN YOU NEED IT?

P.A.I.N.T. Your Financial Mountain

5 Benefits of Treasury Management Services from Atlantic Union Bank

Blazing trails in the digital landscape

Advertisement

Advertisement

Trending

13th annual Best Places to Work

Magical moments

Cox expands Myers’ role to East Coast

Morrissey’s Petersburg casino bill fails in Senate Finance

Danville pharma startup announces $6.1M expansion

Sponsored Stories

Working at Pinnacle Financial Partners

What Logistics issues will have the biggest impact on you in 2023?

In the New Year, Aim for Better Cybersecurity

4 innovative ways to create capacity

WHERE IS THE SUPPLY CHAIN WHEN YOU NEED IT?

P.A.I.N.T. Your Financial Mountain

5 Benefits of Treasury Management Services from Atlantic Union Bank

Blazing trails in the digital landscape

Get Virginia Business directly on your tablet or in your mailbox!

Subscribe to Virginia Business

Advertisement

Advertisement

Footer Primary Menu

  • virginiabusiness.com
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Footer Secondary Menu

  • Industries
  • Regions
  • Reports
  • Company News
  • Events

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Sign Up

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram Get Our App

Privacy Policy Cookie Policy

Footer Utility Menu

Copyright © 2023 Virginia Business. All rights reserved.

Site Maintained by TechArk