Use of automatic border control checkpoints on the rise

In 2011 a total of 289,660 passengers made use of the automatic border control checkpoints. In December, the number of users nearly doubled compared to December of 2010.

The enormous growth in the use of automatic checkpoints can be partly explained by the fact that the number of checkpoints was increased in 2011, making the total number 15. Last December, the number of automatic checkpoints was further increased by five, which serve arriving passengers. At present, there are a total of 25 automatic border control checkpoints in service at Helsinki Airport. There are also plans to increase the number of checkpoints this year.

"We intend on further developing automatic border control checkpoint solutions this year. Our goal is to become Europe's most modern airport using automatic border control checkpoints," states Pentti Alapelto, head of the Helsinki border inspection section of the Finnish Border Guard.

At present, automatic border control checkpoints may be used by citizens of the European Union and European Economic Area and Switzerland who are holders of biometric passports. Last year, 40% of eligible users passed through the automatic border control checkpoints.

A pilot project, in which Japanese passengers will also be able to use the automatic border control checkpoints, will be launched in 2012. This is expected to further increase the number of automatic checkpoint users.

The automatic checkpoint system is based on the biometric identification of passengers. Biometric passports contain a microchip, whose data is read by the checkpoint. The automatic checkpoint compares the proportions of the real-time image of the passenger's face with the data contained in the chip. In normal circumstances, the passenger will complete their automatic border control in approximately 15 seconds.

Passengers in wheelchairs and with infants must still go through the conventional border control line.

By the year 2017, EU citizens will only have biometric passports, thus increasing the use of automatic border control checkpoints in other European countries. In the future, the Finnish Border Guard will develop automatic border control checkpoints for use by all nationalities.

Source: Finnish Border Guard

Border control and customs inspections at Helsinki Airport