American Airlines and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have introduced a new biometric screening system, Enhanced Passenger Processing (EPP), at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). This system uses facial recognition technology to match travelers with their passport photos, significantly reducing wait times for U.S. citizens reentering the country.
Eligible passengers can now be processed within seconds, effectively cutting reentry time in half and improving passenger flow through the Customs Hall. American Airlines is the first airline at JFK to implement EPP, which will initially be used by approximately 45% of all passengers at Terminal 8.
While EPP offers a faster clearance process without requiring pre-enrollment, concerns have been raised about its broader implications, particularly regarding data collection and sharing with federal agencies like ICE. CBP states that photos of U.S. citizens are deleted within 12 hours, but organizations like the ACLU have called for greater transparency and oversight to ensure travelers’ rights are protected.
The implementation of EPP reflects a shift toward streamlining international travel through biometric innovation and contactless processing. Travelers eligible for EPP can expect a faster entry process upon arrival, while those opting out can still use traditional passport inspection lines.
Source: https://qns.com/2025/06/american-airlines-facial-recognition-system-jfk