SITA Encourages EU Countries to Use ABC Kiosks to Achieve Schengen EES Compliance

SITA is explaining how self-service kiosks can be used to improve the passenger experience at international airports in a new post on the company blog. The post was written with an eye toward the European Union’s Schengen border area, which will be adopting new entry and exit requirements in 2022.

Those new rules will force Schengen member states to collect the biometric information of any third-party nationals entering the area. SITA, meanwhile, believes that its automated border control (ABC) Kiosks can help those countries meet those requirements while increasing customer satisfaction. The company noted that immigration is one of the biggest pain points for most travelers, and that people report higher levels of satisfaction with self-service options.   

Unfortunately, immigration still has some of the lowest levels of self-service in the airport journey. SITA is hoping to change that with its ABC Kiosks, especially since the Kiosks can be integrated into an existing entry and exit system. The Kiosks themselves have been designed to be as user-friendly as possible, based on user feedback and on throughput studies conducted in collaboration with the Mexican National Institute of Migration and US Customs and Border Protection. For example, the ABC Kiosks use graphics and signal lights to direct people’s attention to passport and biometric capture areas, and use signage to teach people how to use the Kiosks before they arrive at the station.

According to SITA, the use of automated kiosks will reduce the administrative burden on border agents and allow them to focus on high risk cases. The company introduced its new TS6 ABC Kiosk in October, and has partnered with NEC to develop mobile screening solutions.

In the meantime, SITA is not the only company looking to help Schengen states prepare for the new regulatory environment. IDEMIA has developed its own TravelKiosk and has signed a contract to deploy them at Iceland’s borders.   

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February 3, 2021 – by Eric Weiss