American Airlines deploys 20 dormakaba biometric boarding gates at Dallas Fort Worth

American Airlines has announced the official launch of its dormakaba eGates at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in Texas, becoming one of the Swiss biometric access control company’s new airport projects.

A total of 20 dormakaba Argus Air XS eGates will be installed at the airport. The model offers optional facial biometric modules, which add protection against identity theft. The airline also plans to expand the technology to additional airports.

During an earnings call in February, dormakaba’s CEO, Till Reuter, said the firm has secured major airport deals in the first half of the 2025-2026 financial year. Aside from Fort Worth, this includes Frankfurt Terminal 3, Munich and Düsseldorf in Germany and Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Canada. The company is also involved in modernizing the UK’s border control system.

American Airlines started testing dormakaba’s electronic boarding gates in November 2025. The addition is part of a broader strategy for faster boarding, which also includes the TSA PreCheck Touchless ID program and One Stop Security, a biometric identity verification platform used by international connecting passengers.

“After piloting the technology late last year and seeing positive feedback from both customers and team members, we’re excited to further incorporate electronic boarding gates at DFW,” says Jim Moses, American Airlines’ senior vice president of DFW Hub Operations.

Dormakaba has been trying to grow its footprint in North America. The firm strengthened its presence in the market by acquiring U.S. entrance systems control company Avant-Garde Systems in January.

The company also recently invested in two U.S. companies, physical access control firm SwiftConnect and facial authentication firm RealSense, which spun out from Intel.

According to its earnings call, the group’s EBITDA amounted to 211.9 million Swiss francs ($271.1 million) in the first half of the 2025/26 financial year. Aside from airports, the company has also won projects in the healthcare and marine sectors.

The data center vertical also gained traction, boosted by its July 2025 acquisition of German electronic locks maker TANlock, which expanded its product portfolio. TANlock offers fingerprint biometrics for access control.

Article Topics

ABC gates  |  airport biometrics  |  American Airlines  |  biometrics  |  dormakaba  |  face biometrics  |  passenger processing