Delta Air Lines is launching a test of facial recognition technology to match passengers' faces with their passport photos, which it says is the first such test by a U.S. airline.

The facial recognition technology will be part of one of four self-service bag drop stations Atlanta-based Delta is introducing at its hub at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport this summer. The stations will allow passengers to check their own bags.

Other airlines including Southwest Airlines, the second-largest carrier in Atlanta, already offer self-service bag tagging, but do not use the facial recognition technology. Delta says its bag drop system will go beyond self-service bag tagging and also allow customers to weigh and submit their bag independently.

Delta said it will collect customer feedback during the trial, and said studies show self-service bag drops have the potential to double the number of passengers processed per hour.

MORE:

Airlines expand DIY processing at Atlanta airport Delta is introducing self-service bag drop at the Minneapolis airport and testing facial recognition technology as part of the service.

About the Author

Keep Reading

In this image provided by the National Transportation Safety Board, the wreckage of a Delta Air Lines jet rests upside down, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, after it burst into flames and flipped upside down as it tried to land on Feb. 17, at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario. (National Transportation Safety Board via AP)

Credit: AP

Featured

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shermela Williams faces another round of ethics complaints file by the state's judicial watchdog agency. (Courtesy of Fulton County Government)

Credit: Fulton County government