Abu Dhabi International Airport is using new automated passport control (APC) kiosks from air transport and government IT specialist SITA, increasing efficiency by off-loading work from the immigration counters to the kiosks.
The self-service kiosks employ advanced biometric technology to streamline border control procedures and process passengers securely in less than 60s.
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Passengers at the airport are required to provide their travel documents, biometric data and customs declaration prior to speaking to a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer.
The passport and biometric information captured by the APC kiosks will be cross-referenced to verify the passenger and then checked against government watch lists.
SITA Middle East, India and Africa president Hani El-Assaad said: "Our APC kiosks use the latest biometrics to facilitate fast, accurate and secure passenger processing at the border. This ensures that airports, airlines and governments can provide a warm welcome, while still providing a high level of border security.
"For airports like Abu Dhabi, which are experiencing strong passenger growth, these kinds of automated solutions are becoming increasingly important to help manage greater volumes of passengers securely and efficiently."
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By GlobalDataPassengers will get a receipt to show at the exit after answering certain immigration questions on the kiosk.
Etihad Airways chief operations officer Richard Hill said: "Since its opening in January last year, US preclearance has been extremely popular with passengers flying from Abu Dhabi to the US where they arrive as domestic passengers.
"The process has been greatly enhanced by the introduction of automated passport control kiosks, which allow passengers to pass through border controls quickly and seamlessly, significantly improving their travel experience."
Passengers from the US, Canada and other 38 countries that are part of the US Visa Waiver Program can use these kiosks.
