Returning international travelers passing through Phoenix Sky Harbor are about to spend a lot less time in the customs line.
The airport has rolled out Enhanced Passenger Processing, a voluntary program developed in partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection that uses facial recognition technology to verify the identity of arriving U.S. citizens. The process requires no advance enrollment and no paperwork — travelers simply approach the CBP inspection area, where a camera matches their face to documentation already on file with the agency. The entire verification takes only seconds.
Phoenix Sky Harbor is the 23rd airport in the country to offer the free service, which is designed to speed up the international arrivals process while simultaneously freeing up CBP officers to focus on higher-level security responsibilities rather than routine document checks.
Aviation Director Chad Makovsky credited close collaboration between the airport’s technology and operations teams, its airline partners and federal customs officials for getting the program off the ground — framing it as another step in the airport’s ongoing effort to justify its self-proclaimed title of America’s Friendliest Airport.
The customs program is one of several tech-forward conveniences now available at Sky Harbor. TSA PreCheck members can already move through domestic security in both terminals using touchless facial recognition, bypassing the need to show a physical ID entirely. CLEAR+ members have access to biometric eGates for identity verification. Travelers without PreCheck can reserve a specific security checkpoint time through the PHX Reserve program to avoid unpredictable wait times. A biometric exit program for departing international travelers is also in place. And since February, Early Bag Check has returned to the airport, allowing passengers to drop luggage at the Rental Car Center or East Economy parking before ever reaching the terminal.
More information on all available services can be found at skyharbor.com.
