The Innovative Travel Solutions (ITS) team at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has signed a deal to install 74 BorderXpress kiosks at Cyprus’s Pafos and Larnaka airports.
Hermes Airports, which operates Pafos and Larnaka, is installing the kiosks to enable passengers to independently complete passport control procedures under the supervision of Hermes personnel and with the approval of Cyprus police.
With air travel continuing to show signs of growth, Craig Richmond, president and CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority declared that airports need to embrace the need to implement innovative technologies to solve critical passenger processing challenges. “BorderXpress kiosks will increase efficiencies and improve the overall passenger experience at Pafos and Larnaka airports while enhancing safety and security within the European Union,” he said.
BorderXpress’s self-service biometric-enabled kiosks expedite the border clearance process, reducing passenger wait times by more than 50%. Passengers select their language, scan their travel documents and answer a few simple questions. The kiosk also captures an image of each passenger’s face, which is compared with and verified against the photo in their electronic passport. Passengers then take their completed kiosk receipt to a border services officer. Exit kiosks are available for use by all travellers, while the entry kiosks are only available to EU citizens due to government specifications.
Commenting on the new partnership, Eleni Kaloyirou, CEO of Hermes Airports, said: “We are dedicated to establishing Pafos and Larnaka as industry-leading airports, and our commitment to prioritising both safety and passenger experience is paramount to this, especially as we seek to increase passenger traffic.”
With more than 1,500 of its kiosks in 41 airports and sea ports across Canada and the United States, the partnership with Hermes marks the first implementation of permanent kiosks for entry and exit border control in Europe.
Written by: Chloe Greenbank
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