Safran Identity & Security, through its subsidiary Morpho Australasia, has completed installing the next generation of ABC eGates into Christchurch Airport.
The addition of 12 new ABC eGates at Christchurch includes eight new ABC eGates in the Customs’ arrivals area and four in the departures area.
The 12 new eGates replace six older SmartGates.
This installation is part of national upgrade and innovation programme for 51 new generation border processing eGates for the New Zealand Customs Service (NZ Customs).
The rollout has already seen new ABC eGates installed in Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown.
Since 2009, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch airports have been using SmartGate to give eligible passengers the option of self-processing through passport control.
The system uses facial recognition technology to compare facial images of the passenger against the data contained in the e-Passport’s chip. Over 18 million passengers have successfully used the system.
The new eGates speed things with a one-step process, eliminating the kiosk and ticket which was part of the process with the previous gates.
They also have a smaller footprint to meet the space constraints of airports.
Carolyn Tremain, Comptroller and Chief Executive of NZ Customs:
“Since its introduction in 2009, SmartGate has been an increasingly popular with passengers and has helped manage growth in passenger volumes. The eGates allow passengers pass through quickly and easily, and enable Customs officers to focus on managing high risk travellers at the border.”
Tim Ferris, Managing Director of Morpho Australasia:
“As a company, we are focused on providing NZ Customs with a range of innovative services and technologies to help with passenger flow. We are proud of our joint innovation journey and are looking forward to launching the next series of passenger technology to help NZ Customs continue as world leaders at the border. ”
Passenger volumes in New Zealand are expected to increase by 4-5% annually, or around 2.3 million to nearly 12.7 million by 2019.
N.B. Image credit: Safran
