In a board meeting Wednesday, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority Board voted to place Orlando International Airport (MCO) as the first U.S. airport to fully deploy the U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) Biometric Entry and Exit Program.
The Board approved $4 million in funding to integrate the passenger processing system that will use facial recognition technology to facilitate the arrival and departure of all international travelers. You can see an example of a biometric exit gate in the image above.
“Customer satisfaction is always our top priority and the goal of the Board is to make the journey through Orlando International Airport as enjoyable as possible,” says Frank Kruppenbacher, Chairman of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. “This program will benefit our more than six million annual international passengers by delivering a simpler travel process.”
The system has been in a testing phase for the past several months for travelers boarding British Airways flights to the United Kingdom. Passengers were able to board their planes in less than 15-minutes as the system doesn’t require them to handle boarding passes and passports during the boarding process. The image below shows a renovated CBP facility at Airside 4.
“With a faster and more secure clearance process, airlines, airports, and travelers will benefit from shorter processing times and standardized arrival procedures,” says Phil Brown, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority Chief Executive Officer. “Identity verification through biometric technology complements our long-term vision for safe, secure and seamless travel from curb to gate. The total cost for the Biometric Entry and Exit program includes the equipment and installation of Biometric Passenger processing system as well as related costs for power, low voltage wiring, and cameras.”
The system will be implemented at the 30 MCO gates having international departures and at CBP checkpoints located in the airport’s two Federal Inspection Stations.
News Source: MCO Press Release
