Jamaica Airports Installing New Passport Kiosks to Accelerate Passenger Flow

The arrival experience for travelers visiting Jamaica is about to get easier thanks to the installation of new passport kiosks at two of the island’s three international airports.

The new kiosks are being tested at Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport and Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport. They’re designed to automate the passport control system at both airports and streamline passenger movement, according to the Jamaica Tourist Board.
 
The new kiosks “will provide additional convenience for stopover visitors by speeding up processing times through the immigration halls,” Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, said in a statement, adding: “This will provide a more seamless airport experience as we progress through our peak winter season, during which we expect to welcome record-breaking arrivals.”
 
The kiosks, which are already in use in other airports around the world, use biometric technology to authenticate the identity of passengers. The process includes the kiosks scanning passports and taking a photo of each passenger’s face, which is then compared to the digital image stored in the passport’s microchip.

The kiosks will offer an alternative to the traditional desks staffed by immigration officers that travelers are required to pass through. The arrival of the kiosks also allows immigration officers to focus on other more critical border security duties, the Jamaica Tourism Board said.
 
“The installation of automated kiosks for passport control at our airports is an excellent use of modern technology to improve the overall passenger experience at Jamaica’s airports, which is important as we continue to grow arrivals to the destination,” Donovan White, director of tourism for the Jamaica Tourist Board said in a statement.
 
The goal is to have as many as 100 immigration kiosks installed in the airports before year’s end.

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