Denver International Airport (DEN) has installed biometric devices at various gates across two of its concourses. A total of 15 gates, on concourses A and C, are now equipped with biometric facial recognition technology. The devices provide airlines a convenient, efficient and safe way to board passengers on international flights.
“Our investment in this state-of-the-art technology underscores our strong commitment to supporting our airline partners and aligns with federal initiatives to advance secure and efficient air travel,” said Phil Washington, CEO of Denver International Airport. “The system matches travelers’ biometrics with stored biometric information within seconds.”
When travelers depart on international flights, they will pause for a photo at the departure gate. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Biometric Exit process will compare the new photo of the traveler to a small gallery of high-quality images that the traveler has already provided to the U.S. Government, such as passport and visa photos. This allows travelers to board international flights without handing their passport to a gate agent. Airlines are also able to utilize the devices to cross-reference passenger lists, allowing passengers to board without scanning a physical or digital boarding pass. Facial images, taken during the boarding process, are only used for real time verification. Airlines immediately delete any photos taken during this process and will not retain any photos taken during boarding for any purpose.
“CBP is excited to partner with Denver International Airport on the expansion of facial biometrics to further secure and enhance travel while protecting the privacy of all travelers,” said Diane J. Sabatino, Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “Public-private partnerships are the best way to fulfill the Congressional mandate while strengthening security and enhancing the travel experience.”
Travelers who wish to opt out of the new facial biometric process may notify an airline official or a CBP officer as they approach the departure gate. These travelers will be required to present a valid travel document for inspection by the gate agent and they will be processed consistent with existing requirements for departure from the United States.
DEN has become the latest airport in the United States to adopt a biometric exit solution to support CBP in fulfilling its congressional mandate for biometric passenger screening on departing international flights. Biometric Exit is an enhanced international departure process that uses facial biometrics to automate the manual document checks that are already required for departure from airports in the United States.
One airline at DEN has implemented its own biometric boarding system since early 2024. The new DEN-provided devices will enable additional airlines to adopt biometric boarding. DEN airline partners began using the new devices during a soft launch prior to Labor Day weekend.
CBP is committed to its privacy obligations and has taken steps to safeguard the privacy of all travelers. CBP has employed strong technical security safeguards and has limited the amount of personally identifiable information used in the facial biometric process. Photos of U.S. citizens will be deleted within 12 hours. Photos of foreign nationals who are statutorily required to provide biometrics will be stored in a secure Department of Homeland Security system.