Vision-Box announces the expansion of the Seamless Border Program at Princess Juliana International Airport in Saint Maarten

Vision-Box announce the expansion of the Seamless Border Program at Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE) in Saint Maarten, the Caribbean Island.

Established in 2015, the collaboration between PJIAE, the Immigration Border Protection service, and Vision-Box aims to elevate passenger experience and security through Vision-Box’s biometric solutions. This joint effort has originally led to the implementation of Automated Passport Control Kiosks and Automated Border Control Gates to streamline the Entry/Exit Journey on the island. Due to major airport destruction caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the project went through a full refresh in 2022 by deploying last-generation software and hardware featuring the latest biometric and contactless technology.

Building upon this foundation, Vision-Box expanded the project to introduce new Automated and Manual Border Control solutions, orchestrated by Vision-Box’s Seamless Journey Platform®. This platform offers a state-of-the-art Border Control flow orchestration providing travelers with a seamless clearance experience characterized by expedited throughput and minimal regulatory travel documents’ presentation requirements.

The latest advancement in the biometric program is the implementation of the Seamless Entry/Exit Journey, broadening the project’s scope and offering greater flexibility to travellers. Leveraging facial recognition technology, travellers’ faces serve as their passports, following thorough travel document authentication and background checks. This process will further be streamlined by the requirement for travellers to complete a digital entry form on a government website before arrival, facilitating their entry and supporting tourism-focused statistical analysis.

Upon arrival, travellers will be able, starting in the coming months, to complete the pre-registration and enrolment at the Seamless Kiosk® by scanning their passport, undergoing facial recognition, fingerprint capture, and watchlist checks. Depending on the outcome of this data border check, the traveller will be directed either to the Seamless Gate® for contactless entry, or Seamless Desk® for further evaluation by an Immigration officer. Both processes are supervised by the Seamless Journey Platform® Border Management Suite for each touchpoint, respectively Inspector and Control.

For departures, the Automated Border Control, featuring Seamless Gate® and Manual Border Control with Seamless Desk® allow a seamless and efficient journey out of the country, supported by their respective front-end applications. Furthermore, improvements in land-to-air terminal access include Vision-Box pre-security checkpoint eGates that assess the eligibility of boarding passes.

The implementation of Vision-Box’s solution is significantly reducing processing times and enhanced traveller experience, particularly during peak periods.

Vision-Box’s Seamless Journey Platform®, integrates all stakeholders into one single journey and identity management ecosystem, providing a more secure and efficient process for all cohorts of passengers. This expanded partnership implements the latest and most innovative biometric service platform across the airport, enabling a modern border control ecosystem at the Air Entry/Exit of the island.

Speaking about the partnership, Jeff Lennon, Vice President Strategic Sales & Global Partnerships at Vision-Box, said ” This milestone marks our commitment to achieving new heights in innovative and seamless border control processing. As we navigate towards a fully recovered air travel landscape, it’s crucial to provide travellers with a contactless and stress-free experience that sets a new industry standard. Together, we are connecting the world, enhancing safety, and shaping the airport of the future.”

According to Brian Mingo, Chief Executive Officer at Airport St. Maarten PJIAE, “With Vision-Box’s solutions, we are seamlessly integrating technology to streamline processes while prioritizing safety and security. Saint Maarten is evolving into an increasingly attractive destination, and we are committed to elevating our standards for the benefit of our GDP.”