Australia’s eight busiest international airports have begun implementing an enhanced border control solution that will remove the need for a passenger token as well as streamline the overall arrival process.
Currently, travellers arriving in Australia obtain tokens that were designed to help passengers move more quickly through passport control. But with the new process, a person’s face alone is used as proof of their identity, which in theory should speed up the arrival experience at Australian airports.
IDEMIA Group, which won the contract to upgrade the airports’ old arrivals systems in 2019, said the Department of Home Affairs had completed the installation of “phase one” of its technology in late 2021.
During that phase, 109 self-service ‘Gen3 Kiosks’ were fitted at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Cairns, Gold Coast and Darwin airports.
The next phase will see the delivery of eGates with advanced biometrics and capabilities.
IDEMIA says travellers complete “an initial 1:1 verification against their passport at the Gen3 Kiosk enabling a match when they present themselves at the eGate”.
Smoother and safer travel through Australian airports
On Twitter, the identity technology company said its “end-to-end border control solution comprising of kiosks + eGates will offer passengers a completely seamless traveler journey at 8 international airports in the land Down Under”.
In a statement, IDEMIA added, “the kiosk went through rigorous system and user experience testing by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Australian Border Force, as well as passengers in real-life situations”.
“We are delighted that the Australian government has once again selected IDEMIA as their partner of choice to help enhance the passenger journey,” IDEMIA Senior Vice President APAC Public Security and Identity Wee Liang Tan said.
“We are proud of this 18-year partnership that is still going strong today. The innovative Gen3 border control solution contains advanced biometric capabilities that not only help streamline the passenger’s airport experience, but also increase security.
“This is the result of the IDEMIA team’s continued dedication to successfully deploying such an innovative and industry-leading solution.”
