Houston reached a technological milestone as the only U.S. city to have two airports equipped with facial comparison technology at international arrivals checkpoints.
“Houston’s Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby Airports are fundamental in maintaining the technology resilience that characterizes our city,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. “In reaching this milestone, Houston is sending a message to the nation that we are a center for innovation and technology.”
The facial comparison or “Simplified” program is in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP, and is being used at Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby Airports. The program went online in November at Bush Airport. In February, William P. Hobby airport was the first airport in Texas to use facial comparison technology for all international arrivals and departures. The technology - in addition to providing faster processing of passengers - also reduces touchpoints.
“At Houston Airports, we want to create a touchless environment at every step of the air travel experience,” Houston Airports Director of Aviation Mario Diaz said. “With this technology, we not only drastically reduce wait times at immigration checkpoints for international passengers, but more importantly, we minimize direct contact between passengers and CBP officers, which makes the entry process touchless, safer and faster for everyone.”
Here’s how it works. When international passengers arrive, they pause for a photo at the primary inspection point. CBP’s biometric facial matching service will compare the new photo of the passenger to images that the passenger previously provided to the government, such as passport and visa photos. If a passenger cannot be matched to a photo on record, the CBP officer will process the passenger manually. Passengers who wish to opt-out of the new biometric process may notify an officer as
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