Edmonton Airports deploy 25 CBSA Primary Inspection Kiosks developed by Embross

EDMONTON, CANADA – SEPTEMBER 12, 2017 – Edmonton International Airport today unveiled its new fleet of Embross V1-biometric kiosks as the airport transitions to digital border processing as part of the Canadian Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) Primary Inspection Kiosk program.

The Embross Primary Inspection Kiosks (PIK) eliminate the need for travelers to complete paper declaration cards, reducing wait times and streamlining passenger processing requirements for customs agents.

“Our goal,” says Passenger Experience Manager Sarah Cox, “is to ensure we meet our ‘World Class Airport’ status by adopting new technologies and improving passenger processing times. We also want to ensure that we are appealing to new airlines and routes by remaining competitive.”

Upon arrival, travelers on select international flights now enter their information directly on the Embross biometric-enabled kiosks, which confirm a passenger’s identity through a one-time photo and facial recognition match against their passport or identity document.

Travel documents, exemptions and allowances are verified quickly and securely. All traveler information is encrypted, sent to the CBSA, and then deleted from the kiosk once the documents and ID are processed addressing privacy and data retention concerns.

“Improving the process to welcome visitors to our region as well as returning residents is key towards greater passenger satisfaction,” says Cox. “The PIK installation is integral to meeting the airport’s forecasted growth of passengers, ensuring that CBSA processes are modernized, and continuing the partnership that CBSA and Edmonton Airports has developed to meet market demand.”

Edmonton International is one of several airports in Canada to launch PIK program in 2017. The first PIKs, deployed at Ottawa International Airport in March, have significantly reduced the average customs wait times, much to the satisfaction of travellers and agents alike.

More specifically, Embross Primary Inspection kiosks have reduced transaction times down to as low as 1 minute 30 seconds, with the average transaction spanning around 2 minutes 15 seconds.

The kiosks, based on Embross’s flagship VelocityOne platform, provide an intuitive and user-friendly experience. Equipped with large 19-inch floating touchscreens, guidance and notification LEDs, audio-response-on-touch as well as a range accessibility features for wheelchair users and the vision-impaired, the kiosks are readily available to all travellers for use.

The new PIK program is another milestone in the continued partnership between Edmonton Airport and Embross which originated in 2006 under the IBM travel and transportation banner. Embross solutions now deliver check in, automated bag drop, passport control and Nexus Trusted Traveler programs as part of Edmonton’s passenger self service delivery.

“Embross has been a pleasure to work with during this and other projects EIA has implemented,” says Cox. “Their attention to detail and communication style is on par with our standards. We have been very impressed with their ability to produce and deliver our kiosks promptly and they are continually going above and beyond to ensure we are satisfied.”

“The Embross team continues to work with EIA, the CBSA and other leading Canadian airports to ensure the growing success of the PIK initiative,” says Brad Iverson, Embross Vice President of Sales. “Our strong partnership with Edmonton reflects our shared focus on improving the passenger experience and delivering efficiency across a spectrum of service touchpoints from check in to immigration.”

The new primary inspection kiosks are now in full operation for all international arrivals to Edmonton International Airport (EIA).

About Edmonton Airports
Edmonton Airports is a community-based, financially independent, non-share corporation that manages Edmonton International Airport (EIA) – the fastest growing and largest (by area) major Canadian airport. EIA serves over eight million passengers per year and offers non-stop connections to over 60 destinations across Canada, the US and overseas.

About Embross
Embross is a dynamic technology company developing self-service hardware and software solutions for travel, transportation and ticketing industries. With more than 20 years of solution design and deployment experience across multiple channels, the Embross team helps its customers improve operational capabilities, gain greater service efficiency and embrace newer and more effective technology options.