Oslo Airport has become the first in Norway to implement self-service passport control as part of its efforts to enhance the passenger experience. The newly deployed EasyPass system will make passing through the airport simpler and quicker for travellers with Norwegian biometric passports who are arriving from non-Schengen countries.
Two automated self-service passport control units have been put in place, designed in collaboration with the National Police Directorate, and operating a two-step system.
First, passengers scan their passports at the entrance to the unit. When validated, the system unlocks a turnstile through which a passenger photograph is taken and compared with the photo in the passport. If the photos correspond, a second turnstile will open and the passenger is free to leave the passport control area. A border guard manually monitors the system, which records no personal passenger data.
It is hoped that the system, which was instigated on 17 December and became fully operational yesterday, will soon be available to travellers from the EU, EEA countries and Switzerland.
“We are pleased to be able to offer travellers a more efficient journey through Oslo Airport,” said Oslo’s Head of Media Relations Vegar Gystad. “EasyPass is an important step towards automating travel for the journey for those who travel frequently abroad and back. We expect that this will make travelling a better experience and remove some of the bottlenecks we have had at the airport.”
