Next-Generation Kiosks Transform Border Security at Barbados’ International Airport
Innovative Travel Solutions by Vancouver International Airport (YVR) announced the expansion of the border control program at Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) in Barbados with a total of 48 biometric-enabled kiosks now in use. This partnership utilizes ITS’ industry-leading self-service global border control solution, BorderXpress, to enhance security, speed of service and improve the overall passenger experience.
“As air travel continues to experience remarkable growth, we understand the need for greater innovation to solve passenger processing challenges. As an airport operator ourselves, we prioritize researching and designing technology to improve the overall travellers’ experience, not only at our own airport, but across the travel industry,” says Chris Gilliland, director of innovative travel solutions, Vancouver Airport Authority. “We are proud to expand our global border control solution in Barbados. This is an exciting milestone for our team as we continue to work with airports and governments around the world to meet their critical passenger processing needs.”
BorderXpress was first implemented at GAIA as a pilot program with 16 kiosks in August 2018. The technology has simplified the border clearance process, significantly reducing wait times for passengers at GAIA. The program has now been expanded to include a total of 48 kiosks, available for use by all arriving passengers, expanding from the original use being limited to residents from Barbados, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) region and those who hold permanent or indefinite status in Barbados.
Using the kiosks, passengers scan their travel documents, complete their declaration and eligible travellers will verify their identity and admissibility using facial recognition technology before proceeding to a border services officer for final inspection. This process ultimately reduces time spent with the border services officers and decreases overall processing times for arriving passengers.
“The implementation of an additional 32 BorderXpress kiosks at Grantley Adams International Airport will ultimately simplify the border clearance process for all arriving passengers and reduce wait times significantly,” adds Gilliland. “BorderXpress continues to prove its effectiveness globally and we are excited to explore new opportunities to optimize the border clearance process for passengers, airports and governments.”
BorderXpress kiosks are proven to reduce passenger wait times by more than 60 per cent. In a recently published White Paper by InterVISTAS, the study concluded that the use of kiosks for border control significantly outperforms competing technologies, such as eGates, providing a much higher throughout of passengers. This results in cost and space savings and supports border authorities, allowing their officers to focus on maintaining the safety of the border, rather than administrative duties. BorderXpress provides better exception handling, is fully accessible to persons with disabilities, and can be configured with any desired languages. It can process any passenger, including families travelling as a group.
