Narita to become first airport in Japan to use facial recognition for boarding instead of document checks

Narita will be the first airport in the nation to adopt a system that does not require passengers to pause for identification when boarding, according to Narita International Airport Corp. The operator hopes that the system will improve convenience for passengers ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and Paralympics. Passengers will first have photos taken of their faces at self check-in kiosks where they enter passport and boarding pass information. High-performance cameras set up at the baggage drop-off counters, safety inspection areas and boarding gates will track the passengers and check their identity against the registered photos as they make their way through the boarding process. While passports and boarding tickets will not be manually checked at such locations, passengers will still have to go through existing procedures at immigration control.