New Passport Technology Arrives At Metro Airport
By Edward Cardenas
ROMULUS (CBS Detroit) - The latest in automated customs technology was unveiled Thursday at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
Officials from the airport, Delta Air Lines and U.S. Customs and Border Protection unveiled 30 new Automated Passport Control kiosks at Metro Airport's McNamara Terminal.
"These kiosks help the airport accomplish two significant objectives that we focus on all the time, one is safety and security and the second is customer satisfaction," said Tom Naughton, Wayne County Airport Authority CEO. "By using this technology, Customs and Border Protection is able to reduce the processing time for passengers ... it is a great for passengers and great for security"
Thirty kiosks installed in the McNamara Terminal, and five additional kiosks which will be installed in the North Terminal by the end of year, at a cost of $2 million.
These kiosks will help reduce the time it takes for passengers to reduce the processing time by as much as 40 percent by using the technology.
Metro has 16 international flights and nearly 2.8 million international travelers, according to officials.
"We are really excited about having the opportunity to put these APC kiosks in because it strengthens our facility and it also enhances our customer experience," said John Fechushak, Delta vice president-Detroit.
According to the CBP, travelers use the free self-service kiosks to submit their Customs declaration form and biographic information.
The CBP officials state that instead of filling out a paper Customs declaration form, eligible passengers can proceed directly to the APC kiosks in the passport control area. Travelers are prompted to scan their passport, take a photograph using the kiosk, and answer a series of questions verifying biographic and flight information. Once passengers have completed the series of questions and submitted their Customs declaration form, a receipt will be issued. Travelers then bring their passport and receipt to a CBP Officer to finalize their inspection for entry into the United States. The kiosks allow people residing at the same address to be processed together.
Detroit joins other international airports including Chicago O'hare, Los Angeles and Orlando which have the service.