Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila has rolled out biometric immigration processing with 78 new eGates powered by Amadeus, as part of the airport’s modernization program. The deployment adds large-scale biometric border processing capacity at the Philippines’ main airport.
The upgrade is tied to a US$3 billion modernization effort and is aimed at reducing immigration processing time while strengthening identity validation and document authentication. Passenger Terminal Today reported that processing times can drop to as little as 20 seconds, underscoring the speed gains expected from the new system. As of December 2025, 24 biometric eGates were operational, and the remaining 54 are planned for early 2026.
The biometric eGates combine identity validation, document authentication, and real-time monitoring. That combination is intended to streamline the passenger journey while maintaining border control checks, using biometrics and document data to verify travelers in a short, self-service interaction.
Amadeus’ Seamless Journey Platform orchestrates the workflow and connects the eGate process to border authority systems. The platform manages the sequence of document checks, biometric matching, and monitoring steps needed to complete immigration processing at the gate.
The rollout is phased to add capacity quickly while completing a broader expansion across terminals. The phased approach is intended to reduce congestion while the remaining eGates come online in early 2026.
Amadeus has been expanding its biometrics footprint across aviation, including an ICAO partnership on digital identity and biometrics modernization, a biometric departure process at Perth Airport, and biometric upgrades with a Norwegian airport operator. The NAIA rollout adds another large-scale deployment in the Asia-Pacific region.
For NAIA, the scale of the installation signals a commitment to modernization and a shift toward biometrics as a central part of immigration processing. The eGates are intended to increase throughput without reducing the integrity of document checks and identity validation at the border, particularly during peak travel periods.
The deployment positions NAIA as one of the larger airport implementations of biometric eGates in the region. By combining a high number of gates with a platform that integrates with border systems, the airport is adopting a framework designed for both speed and oversight in passenger processing at scale.
Sources: Passenger Terminal Today
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
