The government of Curaçao in conjunction with Curaçao Airport Holding, announced today that it has chosen Airside, the industry leader in privacy-based digital identity sharing, to join Vision-Box, the global leader in biometric-based travel solutions, in creating the world’s first mobile-based, pre-enrollment border crossing system. The program will utilize integrated traveller-controlled, remote and in-person technologies, provided by Airside and Vision-Box, allowing visitors to feel the authentic Curaçaoan spirit as soon as they land.
Under the Curaçao Airport Holding leadership, this advancement marks a milestone in the international travel experience. By connecting travellers and the government ahead of time this innovation will allow travellers to send their verified information before they cross the border. The solution will cut transaction times by more than half, processing a significantly larger volume of travellers in less time, and leveraging secure biometrics with an emphasis on travellers’ data privacy.
Airside's technology is trusted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the world’s largest airlines and follows ISO/IEC 18013-5 and ICAO Digital Travel Credential (DTC) standards for airport security and border control pre-registration. Under strict traveller’s consent, the Airside app enables the traveller to initiate the verification and sharing of their electronic travel documents, including biographic and biometric data, allowing the country’s immigration services to use a risk-based approach to anticipate and determine physical border crossings, starting with departures by US, EU, and Canadian passport holders.
This revolutionary capability is sustained with Vision-Box's Seamless Journey Platform, which is already orchestrating the Automated Border Control flow at Curaçao’s Hato International Airport (CUR).
With a design capacity of 2.5 million passengers per annum, CUR is poised to continue its integral role in driving the island's tourism industry forward. In 2022, the airport served a record-breaking 1.46 million passengers, with international routes accounting for a remarkable 106% increase compared to 2019. This robust performance has already exceeded previous forecasts, which the airport expects to welcome approximately 1.6 million passengers in 2023 and anticipates long-term growth rates of around 10% per year. With this new entirely contactless process, Curaçao is paving the way for a hassle-free border control experience for travellers, while ensuring safety and convenience remain paramount.
How it will look
Using the Airside Digital Identity App on their smartphone, visitors to the popular Caribbean getaway will share their verified passports with border control officials before their trip. Then upon arrival/departures at the airport, travellers will simply show their face to quickly process through the newly updated, contactless entry/exit Seamless Journey platform and eGates, provided by Vision-Box. Eligible travellers will include:
- Owners of any smartphone, iOS and Android.
- US, EU, and Canadian passport holders.
- Travellers on international flights entering- and exiting the country, starting initially with departures.