Vision-Box: Vision-Box wins Portuguese tender, Collins Aerospace makes deal with Manila airport

Biometric travel technology continues expanding alongside the travel boom with Vision-Box, Collins Aerospace and SITA speeding up traveler processing and shortening long airport waits.Vision-Box wins Portuguese tender for biometric data collectionVision-Box has won a 744,000 euro (US$806,804) contract to supply mobile biometric data collection stations to the Portuguese Foreign Ministry. The biometric border technology developer will support the European Union's digital identity infrastructure ahead of the 2025 Entry-Exit System (EES) rollout, according to the company. The contract was awarded through an open European Union tender and is partially funded by the EU. Portugal-based Vision-Box, which was acquired last year by digital services company Amadeus, was the sole bidder. Vision-Box is known for its biometric e-gates which are found in airports across the world. Last year, it deployed its new Seamless Border Program at the Princess Juliana International Airport on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. The program speeds up electronic gate crossings to 6-10 seconds per entry.Collins Aerospace to provide biometric gates for Manila airportAirport technology company Collins Aerospace has struck a deal with the main international airport serving the capital of the Philippines. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), also known as Manila International Airport (MIA), plans to overhaul its operations to reduce long queues and outdated systems. The update includes streamlining passenger flows with biometric screenings that will reduce document checks as well as baggage drop-off self-service kiosks. The project will begin in May and is expected to be completed by September 2025. Aside from the biometric technology introduction, Collins Aerospace plans to conduct a full systems overhaul, including the introduction of a Common Use Passenger Processing System and strengthening security with pre-security e-gates. The U.S. company is a subsidiary of the RTX Corporation, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies.SITA promises 30 minutes from plane to beachSITA is tempting travelers with its pre-clearance service with Delta Air Lines, which promises to enable them to step off a plane, go through customs and security and settle on a beach within 30 minutes. In a new promotional video, the airport technology company explains how passengers can achieve this by simply uploading documents in the Delta app and going through biometric verification. The introduction of biometrics, digital travel credentials (DTCs) and standards is allowing the travel industry to streamline passenger journeys and introduce biometric-driven efficiency, speakers from iProov and Goode Intelligence told Biometric Update during a webinar last week. SITA is one of the companies pushing the trend. The pre-clearance service is part of SITA's Aruba Happy One Pass (AHOP) program which combines verifiable digital credentials on travelers' mobile devices with face biometric checks at immigration. Launched in 2023, the project is a result of a partnership between SITA, Delta, decentralized digital identity firm Indicio and the government of Aruba, a popular Caribbean tourism destination.