Tuesday, October 22

No passport required as departures from Singapore airport set for ‘seamless’ journey from 2024

Travellers departing from one of many world’s busiest airports will quickly have the ability to take action without having a passport.

An automated immigration clearance system is to be launched at Changi Airport in Singapore from 2024, ministers have introduced.

The modifications will permit individuals to depart the airport without having to “repeatedly present their travel documents”.

Biometric information, taken from fingerprint scans and facial recognition know-how, will change journey paperwork and different bodily objects, similar to passports.

Automated immigration lanes at Changi already use the know-how, however the brand new measures will permit individuals to get pleasure from a extra “seamless” expertise when passing by means of the airport.

Communications minister Josephine Teo mentioned Singapore will change into “one of the first few countries in the world” to introduce such modifications.

The opening part of the scheme is anticipated to be accessible within the early a part of subsequent yr by means of the introduction of QR code scanning factors.

The upcoming modifications comply with an modification to Singapore’s immigration legal guidelines on Monday, which makes it simpler for biometric clearance for use at airports and different checkpoints.

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Some MPs within the nation raised considerations about cybersecurity however ministers mentioned the measures will permit Singapore to be extra ready for future pandemics and to pave the best way for changes to frame controls.

More than 100 airways function at Changi, with over 5 million individuals passing by means of the airport in June as passenger numbers proceed to get better following the COVID pandemic.

Biometric gates are already in use at a variety of airports internationally, together with Heathrow in London and Charles de Gaulle in Paris.

Content Source: information.sky.com