Starting September 2026, Air Canada passengers flying from Toronto Pearson International Airport can enroll through the airline’s mobile app to access a new facial-verification biometric gate pilot. The initiative involves four biometric e-gates jointly operated by Air Canada and Pearson, with one gate dedicated to domestic travelers and three gates serving transborder passengers heading to the United States.
Technology and Operations Partners in Biometric Gates Pilot
The biometric gates used in the pilot are supplied by Dormakaba. Middleware integrating the gates with identity management systems is provided by Airsphere and SITA. Air Canada supplies the enrollment software and maintains the identity gallery for domestic travelers, supporting real-time facial
image comparisons at the gates. Participation in the pilot remains voluntary for passengers, with traditional document checks continuing alongside biometric processing.
Domestic passengers wishing to use the biometric gate must opt in via the Air Canada app before reaching the gate. For transborder travelers, the gates utilize images captured during U.S. border preclearance completed at Pearson. This enables a live facial scan at the gate to be compared against existing authorized records, eliminating the need for separate pre-enrollment.
Passenger Processing Improvements and Optional Use
When a passenger’s facial image matches the identity record, the biometric system replaces the final need to present a passport and boarding
pass at the gate. This verification method streamlines processing and expedites boarding without compromising security standards. However, passengers may still choose to undergo conventional document verification methods as the biometric gates remain an optional service.
Toronto Pearson Passenger Volumes and Modernization Efforts
Toronto Pearson International Airport currently manages about 47 million passengers per year. The airport plans for passenger traffic to rise to approximately 65 million in the early 2030s. The biometric gates pilot is part of Pearson’s broader modernization program aimed at handling increased traveler volumes through digital identity solutions and automated processing techniques.
The pilot builds on Air Canada’s prior mobile-based traveler identity initiatives that
linked smartphone enrollment with facial recognition technology. Additionally, biometric boarding procedures using selfie onboarding are deployed separately at Calgary Airport, reflecting an ongoing effort across Canadian airports to incorporate biometric technology for passenger facilitation.
