Air Canada has launched a pilot project that makes it the first airline in Canada to use facial recognition technology to “quickly, securely and accurately” confirm identification.

Air Canada's digital identification is now available for customers departing from Vancouver International Airport when boarding select flights to Winnipeg, and for eligible customers entering the Air Canada Café at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

The airline says it will expand digital identification options to select Canadian airports and Maple Leaf Lounges during the pilot project phase.

"Many of our customers already utilize digital credentials to simplify their daily activities such as unlocking mobile phones, entering workplaces, verifying identification during financial transactions and more. We are very excited to now take a leadership position in Canada and test digital identification using facial recognition technology to validate customer identification at select airport touchpoints,” said Craig Landry, EVP and Chief Operations Officer.

“Participation in digital identification is voluntary,” Landry stressed. “Customers choosing to use digital identification will benefit from a simplified and seamless process at the gate and when entering our Maple Leaf Lounges."

The initiative is being encouraged by the federal government.

"Our government and Canadian airlines and airports are eager to move forward with innovative solutions and technologies to modernize the traveller journey in airports across the country, which would enable a more seamless and efficient air transportation system,” said Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport.

“Air Canada's pilot project will speed up processes at YVR, and other airports where it's established, while respecting robust privacy measures and security standards. This project has great potential in making gate boarding easier and faster for Canadian passengers, while maintaining strong safety measures," Alghabra added.

Customers eligible to utilize the Air Canada Café in Toronto and customers on select flights from Vancouver to Winnipeg will receive an invitation to use the digital identification option, and instructions on how to create their secure digital faceprint prior to arriving at the airport.

Customers who don’t wish to utilize digital identification may simply board as they currently do now by presenting their boarding pass and government-issued photo ID for manual ID check and processing. Likewise, customers may elect to continue scanning their boarding cards manually as they do now to enter the Air Canada Café at Toronto Pearson.

Digital identification is a single enrollment feature on the Air Canada app. Biometric data is encrypted and stored only on the customer's mobile phone. Customers must provide additional consent for the data to be used day-of travel and will only be retained for up to 36 hours subject to Air Canada's privacy and security standards. You can find more information about digital identification here.