Vision-Box has unveiled the world’s first fully automated passenger departure process at Queen Beatrix International Airport in Aruba.
Passengers traveling to the Netherlands will show their passports once at the automated check-in kiosk and will then proceed through to bag drop, immigration and boarding, having only looked into a biometric camera to prove their identity.
The Happy Flow system from Vision-Box is subject to a two-year trial before it can be fully deployed, and was developed in partnership with Queen Beatrix Airport, the Aruba Government, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, the Dutch Government and Dutch airline KLM.
Miguel Leitmann, senior vice-president at Vision-Box, said, “Having initially accepted the challenge in 2013, Vision-Box is truly proud of the inauguration of the first 100% self-service passenger flow based on passenger-centric biometric technology. This amazing pilot, the result of an exceptional collaborative effort, represents the onset of a new era in the aviation industry, reshaping the future of identification processes and passenger experience not only in airports, but at borders around the world.”
The Happy Flow system is orchestrated by Vision-Box’s vb i-shield software, which provides a secure platform for the private sharing of data between different stakeholders. The system also benefits from a pre-clearance initiative between Aruba and the Netherlands, which acts as a legal vehicle to exchange intelligence and improve security. The aim is to ensure that a passenger departing from Aruba and intending to enter the Schengen space in the European Union (EU) is pre-cleared before take-off. If a passenger is not cleared to enter the EU then appropriate measures can be taken and the respective authorities notified.
Jos Nijhuis, president and CEO, Schiphol Group, said, “Happy Flow is an extremely innovative and important step in the transportation industry for passengers, not only for Aruba but worldwide. Aruba is very proud to launch this unique concept by bringing together public and private parties. Happy Flow is another milestone in creating a sustainable knowledge economy in Aruba and fortifying the development of Aruba as a hub.”