Airside, Vision-Box to Bring Biometric Traveler ID to Curaçao

Government authorities in Curaçao and Curaçao Airport Holding have partnered with Airside and Vision-Box to develop a “mobile-based, pre-enrollment border crossing system.”

The news comes after the launch of Alaska Airlines’ mobile passenger identity app, developed by Airside and leveraging facial recognition technology from its parent company, Onfido. That solution essentially gave travelers a virtual version of their passport, stored on their personal device.

The solution planned for Curaçao sounds much the same, enabling travelers to share their information with authorities ahead of departure, and speeding up their processing upon arrival. What’s more, it will extend it to foreign nationals, which the parties involved are calling a world-first.

In a statement, the organizations involved explained that the “program will utilize integrated traveller-controlled, remote and in-person technologies, provided by Airside and Vision-Box, allowing visitors to feel the authentic Curaçaoan spirit as soon as they land.” They added that it will enable travelers to connect with the Curaçao government ahead of their trip, and that the program is expected to reduce transaction times by more than half while deliver a significant increase in throughput.

Vision-Box’s Seamless Journey Platform, which supports the use of facial recognition to process travelers at airports, is already in place at Curaçao’s Hato International Airport (CUR), where it’s being used to automate border control processes. The Airside Digital Identity App will be integrated into the overall travel process, allowing visitors to Curaçao to share their passport information ahead of departure, and to then undergo speedy face scans upon arrival, via eGates using Vision-Box technology.

“This new program will create a truly customer-friendly experience for our tourists, which will bring peace-of-mind while travelling through the airport and enable them to quickly explore our beautiful island,” said Curaçao’s Minister of Economic Development, Ruisandro Cijntje.

The collaboration offers the latest signal of Airside’s determination to pioneer biometrics-supported digital identity in the air travel industry and beyond — an ambition articulated when the company was acquired by Onfido earlier this year.

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September 29, 2023 – by Alex Perala