Automated pre-security gates have been installed at Kansai International Airport near Osaka, Japan. It’s the second largest airport in the Vinci Group, handling (pre-Covid) 30 million passengers a year.
The manufacturer Vision-Box has fitted five banks of 12 pre-security gates (GT11) at Terminal 1 at Kansai, operational from Monday, July 27. It’s part of work on a ‘Fast Travel’ experience for passengers, allowing for a smoother departure procedure (a feature in the August 2020 print edition of Professional Security magazine). By automating the boarding pass confirmation procedure at the departure gate, the self-scan will replace the need for human inspectors to manually check and scan passenger boarding passes, and speeding up the overall travel experience, the product company says.
The launch of the automated gates comes at a pivotal moment for the airport, allowing for fast contactless operation, helping prevent the spread of infectious diseases especially during the current covid-19 pandemic. Jeremy Goldstrich, COO at Kansai Aiports said: “We are delighted to partner with Vision-Box to implement cutting edge contactless automated gates at Terminal 1, allowing for a seamless travel experience for passengers. By automating the boarding pass confirmation procedure at the departure gate, we will realize a smoother departure procedure. Until now, an inspector took a boarding pass from the customer in front of the international security checkpoint and read it with a scanner to determine whether or not to pass it. Kansai Airports will continue to proactively introduce cutting-edge technology to improve the convenience of the airport and provide a comfortable and new travel experience.”
Miguel Leitmann, CEO of Portugal-based Vision-Box, said: “This is another positive step forward in increasing our presence in the country as we aim to deliver innovate projects which focus on seamless travel and identity management. We believe that the team at Kansai International Airport share our vision to modernise and change the landscape of the travel and aviation industry for the better. While Vision-Box continues to drive such technology in the field, Japan is no doubt one of the leaders in technological development and this partnership is testament to our hard work and expertise in delivering such innovation.”
About the firm
Vision-Box installed Europe’s first facial recognition e-Gate at Faro International Airport in 2007. Today, the company’s partners and customers include the UK Home Office, US CBP, London Gatwick Airport, Eurostar, Air Asia, Emirates, KLM, Dubai Airport, Schiphol Airport, Bangalore International Airport and JFK. Visit www.vision-box.com.
