Checking in for an international flight just got easier as American Airlines launches passport scanning in its mobile app.

American is the first airline to offer passport chip scanning that securely transmits passport information directly from the near field communication chip embedded in the passport.

This allows customers to head directly to the gate for international flights without having their passports rechecked by a customer service agent.

“We are continuously adding features to our app to make travel easier and worry-free for our customers,” said Maya Leibman, American chief information officer.

“Mobile passport scanning removes a time-consuming step, providing our customers with a smoother check-in experience for international flights.”

Currently, customers departing on international flights who check in on the app, have their passports rechecked at the airport.

This step is required even if the customer has uploaded a photo of their passport via the mobile app.

With this new enhancement, the customer will be prompted to enter their passport information and then scan their passport with an iOS or Android device.

The app provides easy-to-follow instructions for the process.