- U.S. airports are adapting to the growing influx of travelers by implementing technology solutions.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials are working closely with airports to help some travelers bypass traditional immigration lines.
- E-Gates are also expected to be installed at some airports by the end of summer.
The Belgian family of four was on their fourth trip to the United States. They were afraid of waiting in long passport control lines upon entering the country, but when they heard about a new app they could use to ease their entry, they decided to try it out. Within minutes, they had bypassed the long lines at Washington Dulles International Airport and were waiting for their luggage.
“The lines were always long,” Piet de Staake said of the lines for passport control. He, his wife, and two sons were visiting Washington and Chicago. “We were a little scared. But the app made it amazing.”
As travel continues to boom in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic-related recession, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is using the mobile passport control used by the De Staake family to handle the growing number of international travelers. We are expanding our use of technology such as apps. And with events like rare solar eclipses, the Paris Olympics and summer vacations still driving international travel, that number doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
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Customs and Border Protection officials spoke to The Associated Press behind the scenes about some of the technology they’ve been using and what to expect in the coming months and years.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is expanding its use of technology to process growing numbers of passengers as a travel boom stems from the coronavirus pandemic-related recession. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Seneta)
numbers
During fiscal year 2023, authorities processed more than 394 million travelers at ports of entry. This is a 24% increase over the previous year. Looking at the nation’s top 20 airports by passenger volume, staff handled a 31% increase in travelers and average wait times increased by 11%. Additionally, some of the busiest airports have seen minimal increases in wait times or even decreases. For example, at his JFK Airport in New York, wait times decreased by an average of 0.4 seconds and CBP officers processed 33% more travelers.
More and more people are traveling abroad with their families rather than traveling alone for business.
more applications
Officials are moving toward app-based technology to speed up passenger movement through the airport. One example is the mobile passport control app used by families in Belgium. This program is available not only to U.S. citizens, but also to lawful permanent residents, certain Canadians, and travelers from Visa Waiver Program countries who have been in the U.S. at least once.
Passengers upload photos and information to the app. Once you enter the testing area, you will be taken through another line. A police officer simply takes a photo of one girlfriend in the family, and the entire group’s photo and its information are extracted.
CBP launched the app in 2021, but is currently working with airlines to make the app available for download during flights and installing signage at airports to inform travelers about the app. We are trying to get more people to use the app. Last year, a record 4.1 million people entered the country using the app.
“Any second you can save through this process is a time savings, because it adds up in the end,” said Mark Calixto, a CBP executive at Dulles.
Last September, the agency also created an app specifically for passengers using Global Entry. This is part of CBP’s “Trusted Traveler” program, which allows certain low-risk passengers who schedule an interview and submit to a background check to more quickly clear customs and passport control upon arrival in the United States. It is something.
Global entry improvements
Last year, a record 3.2 million people applied for the Global Entry program, and this year the program is expected to receive about 4 million applications, said Brendan Blackmer, CBP’s branch chief for the Trusted Traveler Program. Told. But passengers have complained about how long it takes to process applications and that they are having trouble getting reservations. CBP says on its website that it takes an average of four to six months to process applications. In February, 17 members of Congress sent a letter to CBP requesting information as it responded to complaints from constituents about wait times.
Blackmer said officials are pushing for improvements to the process, including allowing nearly 100% of people renewing their status to do so without coming to an enrollment center. This frees up reservations for first-time applicants. And we are encouraging more people to complete the process while at the airport at the departure or return of their trip.
Blackmer said more reservations are available, but in some cities, such as San Francisco, demand is still so high that it can take more than 90 days to get a reservation.
“We have done a lot of work over the past year and a half, and the agency is now in a better position to meet the demands of the program, and we intend to continue our work,” Black said. Mr. Ma said.
price increase
Starting October 1, people using some Trusted Traveler programs will pay more. The cost of NEXUS, a U.S.-Canada program designed to facilitate travel between the two countries for pre-approved travelers, will rise from $50 to $120. Global entry will be $100 to $120. SENTRI for pre-approved travelers south of the Mexican border will be reduced from $122.50 to $120.
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But from now on, the fee will cover all children under 18, regardless of which program they’re in.
What hasn’t changed is that the program’s approval is valid for five years.
What’s next?
Calixto said the airport plans to open so-called “E-gates,” perhaps by the end of the summer, in which passengers using Global Entry will use an app, bypass officials at a booth, go to the gate, and then Photographs will be taken and compared. Once you present your passport and assuming there are no red lights, the gate will open and you will depart through the customs and passport control area.
Looking further down the line, Blackmer said officials are considering a concept called smart queuing. Under this concept, the app assigns passengers to specific routes depending on the information they enter into the app, such as whether they have items to declare.
