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Named after the Caribbean island where it is located, Sint Maarten Airport, also known as Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), is implementing an integrated Passenger Experience program to streamline identification processes and enhance passenger flow. The project is a joint initiative by SXM Airport and the Immigration and Border Protection Services, a department within the Ministry of Justice of Sint Maarten, who are strongly committed to the modernization of airport processes and to the improvement of the customer experience at SXM Airport when visiting this touristic Island.
The first milestone of the comprehensive program has been achieved: 6 self-service Security Checkpoint eGates have been recently installed to provide a seamless experience to departing travelers, who will simply have to scan their Bar Coded Boarding Pass (BCBP) at the self-service eGates prior to entering departure hall. The eGates, integrated with the common-use infrastructure of the airport, offer a very fast security control procedure, validating the authenticity of the boarding pass and confirming the passenger’s eligibility to enter the restricted area on the day of travel for all airlines operating on the island. Once the process is completed successfully, the passengers proceed to departure level.
And this is only the beginning: SXM has planned a self-service revolution, having designed, together with Vision-Box™ (vision-box.com), a modernized passenger experience across the whole airport, covering both arrivals and departures. While Security Checkpoint eGates are expediting eligibility control from landside to airside, the latest generation of Automated Border Control eGates will soon be ready to enhance the next step of the passengers’ journey: exit emigration procedures. At the eGates, passengers will be able to automatically authenticate their passport and have a photo taken, to be matched to the one stored on the passport’s chip. Upon successful authentication, the passenger will cross the border and proceed through the airport security screening. In turn, passengers arriving at the island will be able to use self-service Automated Immigration Control Kiosks supplied by partner YVR, integrated into the Vision-Box™ Border Management suite.
SXM Airport Deputy Managing Director Larry Donker has stated that “SXM Airport is proud of this accomplishment, which is another successful milestone. Automation has and continues to revolutionize the aviation industry. With self-service solutions being the new standard in the industry, SXM Airport is making leaps and bounds towards its vision of offering passengers an experience that will move them”.
All interacting machines will be smartly integrated, building a trusted chain of secure common-use touchpoints based on biometric passenger verification at critical identification stages of both Departures and Arrivals: this is a Single Token approach, leveraging modern identity verification methods founded on biometrics.
The robust unifying management platform vb orchestra™ offers both SXM Airport and Immigration and Border Protection Services with an overview and control of the whole security and passenger flow infrastructure. This extended software suite further allows for effective pro-active monitoring and risk-based assessment features, reporting on operational, security and flow metrics, as well as passenger workflow and business rules configuration.
vb orchestra™ is ready for the integration of further passenger touchpoints and the achievement of the last chapter of the contracted program which includes the implementation of Vision-Box’s API/PNR (Advance Passenger Information/Passenger Name Record) platform, thus delivering a full-fledged Entry/Exit system targeted for 2017.
Jean-François Lennon, Vice-President for Global Business Development & Sales of Vision-Box™ highlights that “This is indeed just the beginning. With the latest generation of passenger identification technology in place, Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) is embracing the new era of aviation. In addition to the modernization of passenger experience, SXM will soon be ready to benefit from a game-changing asset made possible by the conjunction of a Single Token approach using biometrics, smartly combined with an API/PNR solution: thus delivering the power of anticipation. The identification of travelers in advance will allow for increased situational awareness, for the detection of potential risk situations and for the activation of preventive measures, as well as offer a range of opportunities to leverage data, in a privacy-responsible matter, towards more secure, agile, and efficient processes. Princess Juliana International Airport is, no doubt, a first-mover in establishing a new paradigm of border management and hassle-free experience to its growing passengers’ flow.”
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