Bordeaux Airport installs biometric egates at border control

Bordeaux Airport has introduced automated border control egates using facial recognition biometrics.

Five biometric egates have been installed for departures from Hall A and another five at arrivals. Hall A is the main terminal for international flights.

The egates are part of the French government passport verification programme called PARAFE (Passage Automatisé Rapide Aux Frontières Extérieures).

At Bordeaux, the PARAFE biometric egates are used for border control of eligible passengers on international and Schengen flights.

The goal is to reduce waiting times at the control points for passengers, without compromising on security.

The ABC egates allow for a significant increase in the flow of traffic through border control and consequently reduce waiting times.

They reduce the number of Border Police required as on officer can check 5 passengers in the time the manual system takes for 1 passenger.

How it works

The PARAFE system allows verification in less than 30 seconds and involves 7 steps:

  1. The passenger is directed to an available gate
  2. They place their biometric passport on the reader
  3. When the passport has been detected, the gate opens and the passenger enters
  4. The passenger stands at the point marked on the floor
  5. They remove their mask, sunglasses, cap etc..
  6. They look at the camera to have their facial biometrics checked with those in the passport
  7. When their face has been identified the gate opens and they can proceed

Use of the egates at Bordeaux is currently restricted to passengers with a biometric passport from France or from one of the 26 other countries of the European Union or from Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Lichtenstein or San Marino.

Personal data is only used for the time it takes to pass through the PARAFE gate and is not stored.

Bordeaux Airport, in south-west France, is the 8th largest in the country. Almost all flight are to Europe or the Mediterranean.


N.B. Image credit: Bordeaux Airport

Internet links

Bordeaux Airport (BOD)

PARAFE