International travelers could see shorter wait times for Customs at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport after the installation of new self-service passport control kiosks this week.
Eligible travelers including U.S. citizens and Canadian citizens can use the kiosks to submit information electronically before proceeding to an interview with a Customs officer to finish the process. Travelers do not have to pre-register or pay fees to use the kiosks.
The 74 kiosks in Atlanta cost about $4.2 million and represent the largest deployment of BorderXpress kiosks at any airport. The airport said the kiosks can reduce wait times by 20 to 40 percent. The BorderXpress kiosks were developed by the Vancouver Airport Authority.
The automated passport control kiosks have been in use since last year, launching in Vancouver and expanding to airports in Chicago, New York, Miami, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Seattle, Orlando, Charlotte, Montreal and Toronto. For eligible travelers, questions asked on the kiosk are meant to replace the Customs declaration form handed out on the plane during international flights to the United States.
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