In a move to reduce queues at Cyprus airports, improve the travel experience and enhance security, 74 BorderXpress kiosks have been installed at Larnaca and Paphos for passport control.
It is said to be the first implementation of permanent kiosks for entry and exit border control in Europe.
Operator Hermes Airports has installed the kiosks – innovated by the Vancouver Airport Authority – to enable passengers to independently complete passport control procedures.
“As the demand for air travel continues to increase, airports around the world must embrace and implement innovative technologies to solve critical passenger processing challenges,” said Craig Richmond, President and CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority.
“BorderXpress kiosks will increase efficiencies and improve the overall passenger experience at Paphos and Larnaca airports while enhancing safety and security within the European Union,” he added.
BorderXpress uses self-service biometric-enabled kiosks to expedite the vetting process without compromising security.
The Entry and Exit process is the same, in that, at the kiosk, travellers 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 can be compared with and verified against the photo in their electronic passport, though the kiosks do accept non-ePassports and EU ID cards as well.
Travellers then take their completed kiosk receipt to a passport control officer.
The Exit kiosks are available for use by all travellers while the Entry kiosks are only available to EU citizens due to government specifications.
“We are dedicated to establishing Paphos and Larnaca as industry-leading airports, and our commitment to prioritizing both safety and passenger experience is paramount to this, especially as we seek to increase passenger traffic,” said Eleni Kaloyirou, CEO at Hermes Airports.
“Following the success of a pilot project to test the efficiency of BorderXpress for Exit control at Paphos airport, we’re delighted to build on our partnership with YVR’s Innovative Travel Solutions.”
This technology was developed by Innovative Travel Solutions, an independent business unit within Vancouver International Airport (YVR).
The kiosks seek to reduce waiting times at entrance and exit points and improve safety and security.
Through this high-level technology, each departing or arriving passenger in Cyprus will be in a position to independently scan his or her identity card or passport as an intermediate step of the passport control procedure.
At Larnaca Airport there are 44 automatic machines of which 18 are located in the departures area and 26 in arrivals.
At Paphos Airport there are 30 machines of which 14 are located in the departures area and 16 in arrivals.
At a ceremony earlier this week at Larnaca Airport for the BorderXpress kiosks, Transport Minister Vassiliki Anastassiadou said: “Due to this new infrastructure, the process of passport control is now significantly facilitated.
It is also anticipated that the operation of the ‘BorderXpress’ kiosks will generate substantial positive effects with regards to the level of service offered to the travelling public and the image of Cyprus internationally.”
