SIA biometrics installed by next tourism season
Published:Wednesday | August 2, 2023 | 12:09 AMJanet Silvera/Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
AS OF this winter season, passengers exiting Jamaica via Sangster International Airport (SIA) will use a state-of-the-art biometrics system, making the local airport one of the few pioneering the cutting-edge technology.
The winter season starts on December 15 annually, and runs until April 30.
MBJ Airports Limited’s Chief Executive Officer Shane Munroe, while speaking at SIA’s biannual forum last Friday, announced a series of significant changes and improvements that are set to transform the Montego Bay-based airport and enhance the passenger travel experience.
Munroe outlined the plans, including the erection of a tent to implement biometrics to alleviate long processing time. According to him, biometrics will introduce a self-check-in process for passengers.
“Travellers will have the convenience of checking in on their personal devices and then proceeding to designated counters equipped with biometric equipment,” he shared. They will then be able to drop off their luggage without the need to join long lines, which have become a sore point for passengers travelling through Montego Bay. This breakthrough innovation aims to significantly expedite the check-in process and enhancing overall efficiency at the security checkpoint.
“Biometrics is going to be a new frontier for us this year,” he added, noting that the contract to implement the system has already been signed.
“First, we’ll have self-bag drop, and not enter the regular queue. And again, this is just moving passengers through faster at the security checkpoint as well. We’re also introducing e-Gates, which should come on stream this winter also,” he revealed.
“And last, boarding gates. Passengers will be able to board their flight with biometrics, and that’s something that’s very cutting-edge. It’s really a pilot project, not yet implemented in many airports globally.”
The CEO said the system will be introduced on a phased basis, starting with the launch of the pilot phase this year, and scaling as travellers adapt.
Among the major developments revealed by Munroe to meet the growing passenger demand for the winter season are the construction of separate roads for arrivals and departures and expanding the airport’s security and immigration hall.
With the implementation of separate roads, drivers dropping off travellers will head directly to the departures area, eliminating the need to navigate through the arrivals traffic. Simultaneously, those arriving at the airport will have a dedicated route for pickup, reducing congestion and improving the overall arrival experience.
He said drivers will head up to departures to drop off their party, then continue west along a new road that’s not yet opened. “The advantage to this is that you won’t need to go to arrivals any more. You will be able to exit the airport without interacting with the arrivals’ traffic,” he shared.
Munroe added: “For the arrivals flow, you will enter the airport by the roundabout, but you won’t go to departures. You will be on your own ring road that will carry you to the arrivals, and then to exit the airport as well,” he told attendees.
SIA will undertake the expansion of its security and immigration hall. This will double the size of the current hall, accommodating more immigration kiosks and offering a more efficient and comfortable experience for travellers arriving in Montego Bay.
“We are adding significant space to the security area. We are taking all of that queue out of the checking area, and immigration will be pretty much twice the size of what it is,” he stated.
The ramp inside will be demolished, as well as the area where the current ‘I love Montego Bay’ sign is, and immigration will expand out to the roadway, he explained.
The expansion will introduce an arrivals orientation zone, improving the flow of passengers and providing a seamless transition from the arrival area. Other master plan projects announced by the CEO include a first-class Air to Sea Lounge, the East Concourse expansion, and the West Concourse renovation, all projects which are currently in various stages of progress.