New Zealand to add passport-reading kiosks
March 24, 2008
Stuff.co.nz (New Zealand): Kiwis flying across the region could soon be getting through airports more quickly with the help of automatic passport-reading machines. New Zealand and Australian travelers with electronic passports will be able to put themselves through passport control without having to queue. Passengers put their passports into a kiosk that downloads details, including an electronic image of the passport holder's face. Passengers are then given a coupon for a gate, at which cameras and computers use facial recognition technology to do the checks now done by customs officers.