Los Angeles city leaders unveiled new self-service kiosks at LAX on Wednesday that are expected to reduce the time international travelers spend with Customs and Border Protections officers.
The Automated Passport Control kiosks were installed over the last few weeks in the Tom Bradley International Terminal as part of an effort to bring the Los Angeles International Airport into a new era of technology.
"These kiosks will allow passengers to avoid long lines and reduce wait times at Customs, so they can be out the door faster and on their way to exploring the greatest city in the world," Mayor Eric Garcetti said. "This important improvement to the passenger experience is all part of our work to overhaul nearly every terminal and bring rail to LAX, because Los Angeles deserves a world-class airport."
The 40 new machines, also called APCs, are designed to replace how travelers turn in a customs declarations form and personal information.
City and airport officials said the process will reduce wait time by nearly 40 percent, but travelers will still have to speak to a Customs and Border Protections officer.
Once at the machines, travelers scan their passport, take a photo using the kiosk, and answer questions about their flight, customs and personal information. They are printed a receipt which is given to an officer before leaving the airport.
The kiosks also allow people living at the same address to be processed together.
U.S. & World
The terminals cost $36,000 each. A consortium of 39 airlines operating in the Tom Bradley terminal is paying the roughly $1.6 million tab for personnel to direct and assist travelers with questions about the machines.
The terminals will also be installed at Terminal 2, which is a secondary international terminal. Similar machines were installed in Terminal 5 by Delta Air Lines.
US and Canadian passport holders and international visitors from Visa Waiver Program countries are eligible to use the kiosks, which are at more than 20 airports across the country, according to US Customs and Border Protection.
