New biometric technology to help seamless exit

The Australian government will attempt to apply "world-first" biometric technology which would allow international travelers to seamlessly exit an airport -- with no need to show a passport or incoming passenger card, local media reported on Monday.

In a project set to kick off later this year, the government is hoping to source technology which would use biometric data and eliminate the need for human involvement in the immigration process.

Currently, the technology allow Australian citizens -- and a limited number of those with international passports -- to avoid the queues at the immigration desk but still require the traveler to scan a passport to enter the country.

John Coyne from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute told Fairfax Media the potential technology would allow international passengers to "literally just walk out like at a domestic airport", adding that it might be a "world first" if implemented in a timely manner.

A spokesperson from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection has said while the government has a vision for the project, called Seamless Traveller, it has announced that it is taking tenders for the technology.

"The department is asking tenderers to provide innovative solutions to allow arriving travelers to self-process," a department spokesperson told Fairfax Media.

source: Xinhua