Air Canada has initiated a pilot program allowing passengers to enroll through its mobile app to use four biometric facial-verification gates at Toronto Pearson International Airport, according to Mobile ID World on September 14, 2026. The pilot comprises one gate for domestic flights and three for US-bound transborder passengers.
Enrollment Process and Technology Providers
Domestic Air Canada travelers opting into the pilot register via the airline’s mobile app before gate access. A live facial image is captured and matched against the airline’s identity gallery, replacing the need to present a passport and boarding pass. US-bound passengers use biometric gates that verify their faces against images
collected during American border preclearance at the airport, bypassing separate advance enrollment.
Dormakaba supplies the physical biometric gates, while Airsphere and SITA provide middleware connecting these gates with identity management systems. Air Canada manages the domestic enrollment platform and maintains the passenger identity data.
Participation and Performance Tracking
Participation in the biometric pilot remains voluntary; standard document checks continue for travelers who opt out. Toronto Pearson International Airport is tracking adoption rates, processing durations, passenger throughput, and customer satisfaction as part of the pilot’s operational metrics.
Background and Airport Modernization Context
This pilot builds on Air Canada’s previous mobile-based traveler identity test that linked smartphone enrollment with facial recognition
technology at the airport. A separate biometric boarding deployment using selfie onboarding operates at Calgary Airport.
Toronto Pearson currently manages around 47 million passengers annually with projected growth to 65 million by the early 2030s. The airport’s modernization program includes digital identity and automated processing solutions designed to handle increased passenger volume.
