DutchNews.nl - Schiphol starts tests of do-it-yourself biometric passport checks

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Schiphol starts tests of do-it-yourself biometric passport checks

Tuesday 27 March 2012

Amsterdam Schiphol airport begins a test run of a self-service passport control on Tuesday evening in its departure and arrival hall 3.

Passengers wanting to use this quicker system will need a new European biometric passport which contains a facial recognition chip.

It is expected that the biometric passport system will result in shorter queues this summer.

Immigration minister Gerd Leers will be the first through the new passport gate this evening.

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Readers' comments (4)

They've had these installed at London Heathrow for years. They actually slow down the process as the face readers often need two or three attempts to recognise you.

By Stephen | March 27, 2012 4:17 PM

A lot of wasted security money at airports these days thanks to 911. It's a good money making scam unless carried out properly!

Just this month and February, international airport in Manila: asked to look at my belt, then apologizes & waves me though...?
Domestic airport, terminal 3: searches in my tobacco & wallet, but not my hand baggage...?

Who trains these people? - a waste of time and payroll!!

Must have been the end of their shift?

(Am ex UK military.)

By The visitor | March 28, 2012 6:48 PM

Yet another person's job replaced by a machine. Kurt Vonnegut's "Player Piano" is coming more and more true every minute.

By Stupid | March 29, 2012 7:56 AM

@Stephen: you may be right, but latest generation allows less than 10 seconds for a passenger to go through which is really a performance.
@Stupid: you can see it like that but the idea is to then re-use people for tasks which are more rewarding and produce a higher value in the process instead of just checking ID papers

By JFL | April 1, 2012 12:12 PM