Australia, NZ airports boost international passenger processing capacity

Australian airports continue to add more SmartGates powered by Idemia’s biometric border technology for international arrivals.

On Thursday, Sydney Airport announced the installation of eight new automated border-control kiosks operated by the Australian Border Force (ABF) that it says will boost inbound international passenger processing capacity by 640 travelers per hour.

The additions are part of the international airport’s 2024 deal with the ABF to install 40 new SmartGate units to manage growing numbers of passengers. The remaining 32 units will be deployed by early next year.

“Delivering these eight kiosks in under six months demonstrates the strength of our partnership with the Australian Border Force,” says Scott Charlton, Sydney Airport CEO.

The SmartGates rely on a 2 step process using facial biometric verification followed by facial recognition to verify passengers. Travelers insert their e-passport and have their photograph taken at a SmartGate Kiosk, then move through the airport to use the SmartGate for facial recognition and identity confirmation.

The SmartGates are available at Australia’s major international airports, including Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth. In December last year, Idemia Public Security won a 10-year extension of a contract to upgrade systems for processing international arrivals at eight airports.

The company has been working with ABF for the last 18 years with a brief period of turbulence when Vision-Box was selected for a trial of airport biometrics in 2017. The Vision-Box technology, however, was found to be not “fit-for-purpose.”

Sydney Airport says that the new kiosks will help in consolidating existing SmartGates for more efficiency at Pier B and Pier C. Wait times in the first quarter of 2025 were 10 percent shorter compared to the last quarter of 2024, with 90 percent of inbound passengers clearing immigration within 36 minutes.

“When a tourist reaches Australia, I want them straight out there enjoying Sydney as soon as they can,”  says Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke.

New Zealand expands number of passports eligible for eGates

New Zealand will allow passengers from an additional 11 countries and territories to use their biometric passports at eGates nationwide, putting the number of eligible countries at 48, the country announced earlier this week.

The list includes European countries such as Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, and Vatican City, as well as Macau, a Special Administrative Region of China, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Around 70 percent of arriving and departing passengers are currently processed through the eGates, according to Paul Williams, the New Zealand Customs Service acting group manager for Border Operations.

“The use of eGates, along with other digital options such as completing a New Zealand Traveller Declaration digitally, will help reduce screening times in airport terminals, making it easier and faster for travelers to move through border security,” says Williams.

Saudi Arabia’s Matarat taps Thales for airport transformation

Saudi Arabia’s airport operator Matarat Holding has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Thales to modernize airport operations and management, including introducing biometrics to streamline passenger journeys.

The Riyadh-based state-owned firm is in charge of 27 airports across the Middle Eastern country through its subsidiaries, including Riyadh Airports, Jeddah Airports, Dammam Airports, and Cluster 2.

The deal was announced Tuesday but the details are yet to be released.

Article Topics

ABC gates  |  airport biometrics  |  Australia  |  biometrics  |  face biometrics  |  IDEMIA  |  Idemia Public Security  |  New Zealand  |  passenger processing  |  Saudi Arabia  |  Thales Digital Identity and Security