In addition to the eGates which have been installed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, an online Embarkation/Disembarkation (ED) form will be introduced to further reduce processing times.
This is according to a brief CJIA statement on Facebook
Travellers can complete the form before arrival, and kiosks with staff support will be available for those unfamiliar with the process, the statement.
Such forms are already available for other Caribbean destinations and questions had been raised as why it was still to be implemented here.
Meanwhile, the Department of Public Information (DPI) today reported that the new automated border control system, eGates, will become operational by November.
According to CJIA’s Chief Executive Officer Ramesh Ghir, eGates will help manage the 18% rise in flights and streamline the processing of over 100,000 evening passengers annually.
“We anticipate this process will be 25 to 30 per cent faster than the current system, allowing us to process more passengers,” Ghir stated in a recent interview with DPI.
DPI said that the eGates will allow up to six passengers to be processed simultaneously under the supervision of a single officer.
Travellers opting for self-check-in will have their passports and identities verified using biometric data, such as photographs. Once verified, passengers will pass through a physical gate and proceed to customs.
“If you’re departing within a month, all the information is already in the system, making the exit process much faster,” Ghir explained, according to DPI.
For added security, the eGates are integrated with the Global Resilient Critical Communication database, which works with INTERPOL to screen individuals who have been flagged.
If a passenger’s identity fails to be verified, the gate will remain closed, and the system will alert immigration officers.
