Miami International Airport to deploy 44 more SITA biometric kiosks

Miami International Airport has contracted SITA to provide an additional 44 self-service automated passport control kiosks, bringing its total number of APC kiosks to 80 to help accelerate the customs and immigration process.

As a major hub for international traffic, Miami International Airport was one of the first airports to partner with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to automate the arrival process.

In 2013, SITA provided the airport with the first APC kiosks, which quickly match passengers’ passports with face and fingerprint biometric data to expedite wait times.

After reducing wait times by as much as 40 percent for U.S. citizens, the airport has decided to invest in more biometric kiosks.

“The APC kiosks are a great example of how our work with SITA has allowed us to investigate innovative and smart technology and roll it out quickly when we see the benefits,” said Emilio T. González, director of Miami International Airport. “We determined that SITA’s solution out-paced the competition with its design, functionality, ease of maintenance, durability and commitment to security by using the industry’s most advanced biometric technology.”

CBP has approved the latest kiosks for accurate data collection and verifying travelers’ facial and fingerprint biometrics against their passports.

The kiosks can be used to verify travelers from the USA, Canada or any of the 38 visa waiver countries, including U.S. lawful permanent residents or “green card holders.”

“The use of SITA’s APC kiosks at MIA has been a huge success, and the reduction in wait times has been significant,” said Paul Houghton, SITA president of Americas. “Our kiosks process passengers in less than two minutes, compared to longer waits for a CBP agent during peak travel periods. Passengers move quickly through the airport; airlines can de-plane passengers quickly for on-time turnarounds, while CBP agents maintain high security levels.”

SITA’s APC kiosks are currently in use in the airport’s North and South terminals, while the additional units will be deployed in the North, South and Central terminals.

Article Topics

airports  |  biometrics  |  epassport  |  facial recognition  |  fingerprint authentication  |  kiosk  |  SITA