Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has become the latest U.S. airport to offer Simplified Arrivals for international passengers, after Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), operator of LAX, announced a partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to roll out the biometric technology.
Simplified Arrivals uses facial biometrics to automate the manual document checks that are already required for admission into the United States. This process provides travelers with a touchless process that streamlines international arrivals while fulfilling a longstanding congressional mandate to biometrically record the entry and exit of non-U.S. citizens.
“Los Angeles World Airports is an innovation leader, deploying new technology to enhance safety, streamline the passenger experience and create an increasingly digital curb-to-gate journey,” said Justin Erbacci, LAWA CEO. “Our partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection has led to many passenger improvements, and the addition of Simplified Arrivals further solidifies LAX’s position as a premiere international port of entry.”
With Simplified Arrivals, international passengers pause for a photo at the primary inspection point. Biometric facial comparison process then compares the new photo of the traveler to a small gallery of high-quality images that the traveler has already provided to the government, such as passport and visa photos. As an added benefit, travelers who have traveled to the U.S. previously will no longer need to provide fingerprints as their identity will be confirmed through the touchless facial comparison process.
LAWA has budgeted $1.9 million in capital funds to renovate the Federal Inspection Service area at the Tom Bradley International Terminal for the new arrival process, which could save travelers as much as 45 minutes.
