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Indonesia is the first in the world to implement biometric ‘seamless corridors’ in airports

Long queues at immigration may soon be a relic of the past

Tessa Kaur
Written by
Tessa Kaur
Contributor, Time Out Asia
Soekarno Hatta International Airport - Jakarta
Photograph: Soekarno Hatta International Airport - Jakarta/Facebook
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Most people’s least favourite part of travelling is the airports. Hour-long queues to get through immigration are enough to put a damper on even the most excited traveller’s mood. However, you might not face this problem for long if the technology installed at Indonesia’s airports becomes more widespread.

In partnership with Amadeus, Indonesia is the first nation to begin using fully operational biometric, seamless corridor systems, where passengers can complete immigration clearance by walking through gated corridors without needing to stop or scan their passports. This is different from biometric measures in other countries, such as Singapore or the UAE, which still require stopping to scan faces or passports. The corridors use AI-powered facial recognition cameras to capture and verify passenger identities in real-time.

These corridors have been installed at two major airports. Two are in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, and one is at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya. Currently, the system is used to prioritise accessibility, serving elderly passengers and passengers with disabilities. To use the corridor, travellers must pre-register through the All Indonesia app, which completes background checks before passengers arrive in the country.

However, stress testing showed that each corridor could process over 30 passengers a minute at peak times, making it ten times more efficient than the biometric e-gates used in many other countries. This allows immigration officers and airport staff to focus on travellers who need assistance, while giving travellers a fuss-free experience. If more countries adopt similar technology, long wait times in immigration could become a thing of the past.

Rudy Daniello, executive vice president of AirOps at Amadeus, said, “The Seamless Corridor is the ‘jewel in the crown’ of our end‑to‑end portfolio for seamless travel, helping to remove friction and queues at the border. In combination with innovations in digital identity and biometrics at key airport service points, it’s finally possible for airlines, airports and governments to provide a truly seamless, secure experience, free from document checks, queues and barriers.”

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