Clear biometric gates roll out at Houston, Oklahoma City
Orlando Int’l trials fully face biometrics‑enabled travel
Orlando International Airport (MCO) has begun three 90‑day pilots of biometric facial recognition boarding for all outbound international flights, marking one of the most expansive deployments of biometric exit technology in the U.S.
The trials feature three different biometric systems — hardware and software solutions from iProov and Aware and a contactless corridor made by a consortium of Paravision, Embross and AiFi — each offering AI‑driven facial verification and liveness detection.
The systems enable departing passengers to board without presenting passports or boarding passes, relying instead on a live facial capture matched against federal identity records. “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 airport.
“Our goal is that you don’t have to tell travelers to do anything specific at all,” Paravision CPO Joey Pritikin told the New York Times.
iProov CTO Dominic Forrest says the technology can handle people however they present themselves to the camera, including “Four people at a time, people carrying kids, people pushing wheelchairs.”
The pilots are run in partnership with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and use a corridor of mounted cameras to verify travelers in real time while CBP officers monitor the process remotely. iProov revealed it would supply face biometrics to Orlando International Airport earlier this year.
The goal is to streamline passenger flow at the country’s ninth‑busiest airport, which expects more than 57 million travelers this year. With international traffic up by more than 800,000 passengers in 2024 alone, airport officials say the need for automation is urgent.
“Seconds matter,” said Diane Sabatino, executive assistant commissioner at CBP. “When you think about just a couple seconds they don’t have to grab their passport, put their bags down, move things — this is important to the efficiency of the entire process.”
“When you look at a camera, all you are sharing is your face,” Aware CEO Ajay Amlani said, as quoted by Govtech. “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.”
A 90-day pilot for matching the face biometrics of departing international passengers is expected to begin soon.
MCO has already installed biometric boarding equipment at 65 of its 113 gates and plans further expansion if the pilots meet performance targets. The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) aims to cut passenger processing times by 60 percent over the next five years, part of a broader strategy to integrate biometrics into every stage of the travel journey from bag drop to boarding.
“Biometric technology has evolved significantly,” added Lyttle. “They are now more accurate and precise, cost less to deploy and maintain and deliver real efficiencies.”
The airport’s Enhanced Passenger Processing (EEP) program for arriving U.S. citizens, launched six months ago with biometric technology supplied by iProov, has already reduced wait times by 43 percent, according to CBP. The new pilot continues the momentum. Participation remains optional for U.S. citizens, who may request manual ID checks, though officials warn that opting out may lead to longer waits.
Foreign nationals, green‑card holders and other non‑citizens will be required to undergo facial capture for entry and exit under federal rules taking effect December 26. CBP says images of U.S. citizens are deleted within 12 hours, while non‑citizen records may be retained for up to 75 years.
Elsewhere in Florida, Miami International Airport (MIA) introduced CBP’s EEP system, which integrates SITA’s Smart Path face biometrics system. The airport is host to CBP’s largest single deployment of automated passport screening in the U.S. SITA’s Smart Path platform captures and processes biometric photos during border inspection, verifying travelers by matching images against CBP’s records within three seconds.
Houston, OKC airports roll out Clear biometric gates
Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is the latest major U.S. hub to deploy Clear’s biometric e-gates. The Texan airport will allow Clear+ members to skip manual ID checks and move directly to physical screening.
The rollout is conducted in partnership with Clear and the TSA. William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), known colloquially as Houston Hobby, will activate its e-gates on Friday. TSA officers retain full operational control and passengers still undergo standard physical screening.
Houston’s deployment follows the system’s initial launch in mid‑August and expands Clear’s e-gate footprint to more than 15 airports nationwide, which includes Atlanta, New York, Seattle and Dallas. The timing aligns with unprecedented passenger volumes. The TSA screened 3.1 million travelers on the Sunday following Thanksgiving, the busiest day in its history.
OKC Will Rogers International Airport (OKC) will activate its biometric e-gates on Thursday, joining Houston and Sacramento International Airport in this week’s wave of deployments. Clear’s EVP of Aviation Kyle McLaughlin said the OKC launch is part of a broader modernization effort ahead of major events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and America 250 celebrations, which are expected to drive significant increases in air travel.
This article appeared first on Biometric Update.
