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New generation e-Gates in Christchurch

Safran Identity & Security, through its subsidiary, Morpho Australasia, has completed installing the next generation of e-Gates into Christchurch Airport. Traveller volumes in New Zealand are expected to increase by 4-5% annually, or around 2.3 million to nearly 12.7 million by 2019.

This installation is part of a national upgrade and innovation programme for 51 new generation border processing e-Gates for the New Zealand Customs Service (NZ Customs). The rollout has seen new generation Safran Identity & Security’s e-Gates installed in Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown and now Christchurch Airport.

Since 2009, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch Airports have been using SmartGate to give eligible travellers the option of self-processing through passport control. The system uses facial recognition technology to compare facial images of the traveller against the data contained in the e-Passport’s chip. Over 18 million passengers have successfully used the system.

The new generation e-Gates speed up the traveller experience with a one-step process, eliminating the kiosk and ticket which was part of the process with the previous gates. They also have a smaller footprint to meet the space constraints of airports, while also having Safran Identity & Security’s latest workflow and biometric matching software.

“Since its introduction in 2009, SmartGate has been increasingly popular with passengers and has helped manage growth in passenger volumes,” said Carolyn Tremain, comptroller and chief executive of NZ Customs. “The e-Gates allow passengers to pass through quickly and easily, and enable customs officers to focus on managing high-risk travellers at the border.”

Tim Ferris, MD of Morpho Australasia, added: “As a company, we are focused on providing NZ Customs with a range of innovative services and technologies to help with passenger flow. We are proud of our joint innovation journey and are looking forward to launching the next series of passenger technology to help NZ Customs continue as world leaders at the border.”

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