Biometric departures complete seamless travel journey at Jamaica’s Sangster airport

Montego Bay Jamaica (MBJ) Airports Limited, which operates Jamaica’s Sangster International Airport (SIA), is celebrating its 22nd anniversary with the deployment of biometrics for a seamless passenger journey, from departures to arrivals. The biometric gates are supplied by SITA.

The Jamaican Information Service says its digital transformation efforts mean travellers can now use biometric verification in the arrival process at the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) eGates in Immigration, and to process and exit immigration without interacting with a physical officer.

But Shane Munroe, chief executive officer of MBJ, says the long-term vision “integrates arrivals and departures through a single biometric identity, enabling passengers to move seamlessly through the airport without the need to repeatedly verify their information.” That means face biometrics for everything from bag check to boarding. The integrated biometric system is described in a document from PICA hosted on SITA’s website.

“The ability for them to go through security using e-gates, again, having their biometric identity tied to their travel information, and then to be able to board their flights. These are things we are actively working on [and] implementing this year for the passenger to be able to use their identity, and for these devices to be what verifies their travel credentials and their identity,” Munroe says.

The system can also integrate with third parties, and the CEO says discussions on additional biometric integration are at an advanced stage.

“Airports serve as gateways and are the first and last impression of the destination. Our implementation of these advanced biometric systems and monitoring technologies is transforming the passenger journey while keeping pace with global digital innovations in aviation.”

Notable recent upgrades at Sangster include self-service biometric check-in kiosks, interactive wayfinding with QR code functionality; environmental sensors that automatically optimize comfort conditions; advanced queue management systems, and video analytics and algorithmic data processing for improved operational efficiency. They also include Digital Travel Declarations with technology from SITA, which has been working with PICA for over a decade.

Biometrics, by air or by sea

SIA processes over 70 percent of visitors to Jamaica. Most of them come by plane to lounge in resorts, but some disembark on cruises. As such, the airport also has a new dedicated Air-Sea Lounge to accommodate cruise ships awaiting visitors at port. “Our airport offers a unique advantage as a cruise ship homeport facility,” Munroe says. “Cruise passengers beginning their journey in Montego Bay arrive by air at our terminal, where they experience a seamless transition. They disembark directly to airside shuttle buses that transport them to the cruise terminal at Freeport, completely bypassing the traditional immigration and customs processes.”

Article Topics

ABC gates  |  airport biometrics  |  biometrics  |  digital identity  |  digital travel  |  face biometrics  |  identity verification  |  Jamaica  |  SITA