Air Canada Brings Biometric Boarding to Vancouver International Airport

Starting December 3, Air Canada will roll out its Digital Identification program as a boarding option for nearly all domestic flights departing from Vancouver International Airport (YVR).

This expansion follows a pilot project on select flights and marks a step toward modernizing the airport experience by allowing travellers to use digital recognition at the gate to confirm their identities. This is essentially like your iPhone’s Face ID to enter an Air Canada gate.

Passengers opting into the program can use the Air Canada app to enroll and have their identity confirmed via facial recognition technology at the boarding gate. This eliminates the need for physical ID or boarding passes during the boarding process. Air Canada says that participation in the program is entirely optional, and customers can still board using traditional methods.

“We are thrilled to take a leadership position with the Vancouver Airport Authority in using technology to simplify and transform boarding of almost all our YVR-departing domestic flights. Digital identification is readily used to streamline numerous daily activities including unlocking phones and entering workplaces, and bringing this technology to the gate enhances the travel experience, making boarding flights convenient and effortless,” said Tom Stevens, Vice President, Canadian Airports and Customer Experience Strategy at Air Canada, in a statement on Thursday.

In addition to boarding, digital identification is already available for entry into Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Lounges in Toronto, Calgary, and San Francisco, as well as the Air Canada Café in Toronto. The airline plans to expand the technology to more airports and entrypoints in the future.

Your digital profile is securely encrypted and stored exclusively on your smartphone. Sharing your profile information requires your consent on the day of travel. The faceprint created from your selfie is deleted within 36 hours of your flight, and both your selfie and the airport camera faceprint are erased immediately after being used, says Air Canada.

For those who wish to enroll, the process is completed through the Air Canada app. Customers who choose not to participate can continue boarding by showing their boarding pass and government-issued photo ID. Air Canada’s system is not connected to government programs like NEXUS or Global Entry.

Let us know if you’ve been using Air Canada’s digital ID system.