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Automated Border Clearance goes on trial at Manchester Airport

Automated Border Clearance goes on trial at Manchester Airport Automated Border Clearance is currently being trialled at Manchester Airport in an new attempt to enhance security and reduce the time that passengers spend in queues.

The new system uses the latest scientific developments in identification technology to boost security levels at UK airports.

Passengers with new electronic passports will be able to utilise the system at Manchester Airport Terminal 1 as a fast track through immigration without the need for pre-registration.

Electronic passports are currently being issued as standard procedure at UK passport offices to all approved applicants.

Holders of these passports can now pass through new 'smart gates' at Manchester Airport which include innovative facial recognition scanners and other sensors to instantly assess passengers.

It is hoped that the system will trim waiting times for arrivals to the UK and also reduce queue bottlenecks into immigration.

Eithne Wallis, managing director of Fujitsu Services Government Business which is behind the technology, said that "this really is a ground-breaking trial".

"Trials of this nature are a hugely exciting prospect for UK ports of entry," she continued. "Border control is an issue close to everyone's heart and the ability to combine speed and throughput of passengers with the highest integrity of border control will change the travel experience as we know it."

The UK Border Agency indicated that the new automated system manages to easily combine reading and checking of electronic passports with assessment of biometric data.

Further trials are soon planned to enable UK airports to cope with the increasing quantities of passengers while also maintaining optimum levels of border security.


Airport News posted on 04 September 2008

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