As the number of international travelers continues to increase, so do the corresponding challenges faced by governments worldwide. Unfortunately, increasing demands must be met with limited resources. This is particularly apparent when travelers face long queues at border control.
Travelers accept that safety and security are paramount. But they expect governments to process them quickly and efficiently. If governments can’t achieve this, they’ll lose on tourism and trade – and the revenue they bring – as travelers seek alternate routes and more “user-friendly” destinations. In addition, border security is inevitably compromised when resources are stretched.
Automated border control provides the answer to increasing throughput while maintaining security. Low-risk travelers, whose identities have been confirmed via live biometric verification, can use self-service facilities. This frees qualified border agents to focus on high-risk situations.
24% of passengers feel negative emotions at the passport control stage (Source: 2016 SITA Passenger IT Trends survey).
SITA has been the world’s leading IT specialist in the air transport industry (ATI) since 1949. As such, we have been present at border crossings since our inception. Today, there is a growing overlap between airport and border processes and we are well positioned to deal with them both. Additionally, our role in the ATI means we are often the broker between the travel industry and governments – and we have extensive experience integrating ATI and government systems.
SITA offers a secure self-service alternative to traditional resource-intensive, manual border controls. We can integrate biometric verification at the border, identity document checks, entry and exit tracking, watch-list matching, trusted traveler fast-track, and automated border control (ABC) systems. Our solutions are fully compliant with FRONTEX and ICAO standards. And, through our global presence, we can provide local support.
