Facial recognition to board a plane: How does it work, and what are the privacy concerns?

Air Canada has launched facial recognition technology at the gate for people flying out of Vancouver International Airport - with the promise of a faster boarding process with fewer hassles.

Air Canada has launched facial recognition technology at the gate for people flying out of Vancouver International Airport - with the promise of a faster boarding process with fewer hassles.

The optional program on most domestic flights is based in the Air Canada app. Travellers can register for a “digital profile” by capturing an image of their passport with their phone, and then by scanning their face. It can be done before leaving the house for their flight.

Once at the gate, there is no need to hand over a boarding pass or physical identification.

Air Canada is the first Canadian airline introducing the technology at the gate, and reaction was mixed from travellers at YVR who spoke to CTV News Tuesday.

“It would be nice I guess, everybody likes to get through quick and painless right?” said Angelika Damert, on her way to Finland. Some fliers, like Tanya Leeder who was heading to Ontario, are more skeptical.

“It would probably make it easier but I don’t know I’d be comfortable with it to be honest,” she said.

Privacy concerns are an elephant in the room when it comes to facial recognition technology, according to tech analyst Carmi Levy. “As we’ve seen many times before with facial recognition, we give something up for that convenience, and that something is our privacy.”