CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A new biometric screening system is being tested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for international travelers arriving at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, officials said. 

Airport officials say the “facial comparison” technology has slashed customs wait times by up to 51% for U.S. citizens since its implementation in early February 2025. 

Charlotte Douglas is one of four airports nationwide testing the new technology, alongside Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airports. The system uses facial comparison technology to match travelers with their passport photos and airline information submitted 24 hours before arrival.

“It was super quick,” said Zane Pendleton, who recently flew from Munich to Charlotte. “I’ve only been through Customs once before at LAX, and it was the longest day of my life.”

Average processing time has dropped from 16 minutes to just 8.63 minutes, while non-U.S. citizens have also seen their wait times decrease from 22 minutes to 14.33 minutes, the airport said.

“We can get passengers through faster while completing our CBP processes, and the likelihood of a passenger missing their connecting flights is significantly reduced,” said Cherrise Montgomery, Acting Port Director at CBP.

Unlike Global Entry, which costs $120 for a five-year membership and requires a background check, the technology is available at no cost to all U.S. citizens. Travelers can opt out of the facial recognition if they choose, airport officials said. 

The changes come as international travel through Charlotte continues to grow, with CBP estimating approximately two million international travelers will pass through CLT in fiscal year 2025, exceeding last year’s total of nearly 1.9 million. About 85% of these arrivals are U.S. citizens eligible for Enhanced Primary Processing.

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