Denver International Airport (DEN) has rapidly expanded, becoming the third-busiest airport in the United States. This Colorado hub serves as a crucial center for United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, both of which are among the world’s largest carriers. Moreover, Denver is enhancing its international reach by introducing new carriers and routes.
This past summer, DEN embraced innovation by implementing biometric boarding solutions for its international travelers. The airport has now deployed veriScan, a cutting-edge technology from BigBear.ai, at 14 international departure gates. This system verifies passenger identities using facial recognition, significantly reducing boarding times for nearly 47,000 international travelers each day.
Biometric technology, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, employs unique physical traits to confirm an individual’s identity. While DEN utilizes facial recognition, other biometric methods include fingerprint and voice recognition. These technologies play a vital role in safeguarding U.S. borders against unauthorized entry.
During the boarding process, veriScan connects with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) system to ensure each passenger is accurately identified. The system transmits a facial image to CBP, confirming passenger identities before flights take off. Although U.S. citizens can choose to opt-out of this process, they must inform airline staff or a CBP officer prior to arriving at the departure gate.
The introduction of biometric verification highlights DEN’s significant growth. This year, the airport anticipates 319,403 departures, reflecting an increase of over 8% from the previous year. United Airlines, operating its largest hub at DEN, leads this growth. Additionally, Southwest Airlines, Denver’s second-largest carrier, has expanded its operations significantly.
DEN recently welcomed Turkish Airlines and Aer Lingus, further boosting its international presence. In fact, Turkish Airlines plans to enhance its service to Istanbul, increasing flights to once daily in the summer of 2025. The airport aims to achieve 100 million passengers by 2027, focusing on enhancing customer experiences through various initiatives, including the integration of biometric boarding technology.
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