Silicon Valley-based AOptix introduced new “e-gates” that recognise faces as well as irises of passengers before opening to let them board flights.

“This is what we call the future of passenger boarding,” AOptix director of corporate communications Brian Rhea said as an InSight Duo electronic gate was tested at the San Jose International Airport in Northern California.

“Airlines are very concerned about security and are looking to make sure everyone who gets on the airplane is exactly the person on the boarding pass.”

AOptix e-gates that confirm identities based on iris scans are already in use at airports in Britain and Qatar and at a “high-security facility” in the US capital.

“Customers are asking for a face image with iris,” Mr Rhea said.

“There is a lot of interest, especially at immigration and border crossings,” he added. Those being “enrolled” look briefly at a scanner, which maps faces and eyes in seconds. Biometric data stored in computers is synced to bar codes on boarding passes or other documents.

Someone trying to get on a flight places a boarding pass on a reader at an e-gate and looks into a nearby screen, which can check whether irises and faces match information on record. Security gates only open for correct matches.

“The iris is a better identifier than a fingerprint,” Mr Rhea said. “But if you are matching both face and iris, that could be The System.”

AOptix, founded 11 years ago in Northern California by astronomers, paired biometric scanning technology with gates made by Germany-based Kaba.

The company said it has seen interest in combined iris-face identification systems from officials who run high-security buildings, airports or border checkpoints.

“From an airport perspective, we certainly support advances in technology that could make it easier for passengers and for airlines,” said San Jose airport communications director David Vossbrink.