Vision-Box Biometric Screening Comes to Winnipeg International Airport

As a result of a new partnership with Portuguese technology company Vision-Box, the Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA) and the Winnipeg International Airport have announced that NEXUS-enrolled travellers are now able to use facial recognition-enabled gates when entering Canada.

Operated by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the NEXUS program is designed to expedite border crossings for pre-approved and enrolled Canadian, American, and Mexican citizens. Members can avoid longer border entry lines by using designated lanes.

Now, using the Vision-Box Automated Border Control (ABC) eGates, NEXUS-enrolled travellers will be able to utilize the specially reserved lanes to submit to a facial recognition scan for identity verification, in what is expected to greatly speed up entry into the country.

“Finding better ways to serve the needs of travellers is paramount for Winnipeg Airports Authority,” said Barry Rempel, WAA President and CEO. “Adding Vision-Box eGates for NEXUS users at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport not only enhances the customer experience but sets the foundation for future innovation and brings us one step closer to seamless, touchless passenger travel,” he added.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating to the international travel industry, with fears of safety being paramount. As a result, contactless passenger solutions like the ones offered by Vision-Box have been steadily growing in popularity over the past several months.

Winnipeg International Airport is the only international airport in the province of Manitoba, and is therefore a very important travel hub in central Canada, having served roughly 5 million passengers in 2019.

This will mark the first time the ABC eGates are being deployed for NEXUS travellers as an alternative to the usual NEXUS kiosks, and is also the first touchless passenger solution aimed at improving the flow of border clearance.

“The ability to go live with a remote orchestrated installation is a major accomplishment,” says Miguel Leitmann, Vision-Box’s CEO. “Our team, along with CBSA and members of the Winnipeg Airport Authority worked tirelessly across time zones, with frequent and intense communication, to make this happen. I couldn’t be prouder of this accomplishment and I congratulate all the agencies and people involved in making this project a reality.” 

Source: Security Document World

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September 16, 2020 – by Tony Bitzionis