Study: Passport kiosks cut airport wait times

Passengers who board flights at airports that have passport kiosks spend half as much time waiting for custom check-ins for their flights as those who do not, according to a study reported Thursday by USA Today.

The study, conducted by New York airport advocacy group the Global Gateway Alliance, found the average wait time for airports with passport kiosks was 17 minutes, compared to 36 minutes at those without kiosks.

Vancouver International Airport Vice President Tony Gugliotta said passengers at his airport did not have many problems adjusting to kiosks.

{mosads}”It’s very user friendly,” Gugliotta told the paper. “It’s been a dramatic improvement in every airport.”

Global Gateway Alliance Chairman Joe Sitt said the study’s findings should convince airports to be more willing to adopt kiosks for their customs process.

“Our airports are too important to the region’s and the nation’s brand to allow the horrific wait times passengers endured last year,” Sitt said, according to the paper.