LAX unveils passport-scanning kiosks to speed international travelers

Much the way some supermarket shoppers go through a self-service checkout line, foreign travelers arriving at Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday began passing through automated kiosks that scanned their passports and customs declarations.

The devices, unveiled by LAX and federal customs officials, are expected to streamline the process to enter the United States and reduce the long waits that travelers often encounter after arriving on international flights.

Officials also say the kiosks will compensate for the frequent shortages of customs and immigration agents at the nation’s third-busiest airport.

Airport officials opened 40 automated kiosks in the Tom Bradley Terminal, where arriving passengers must go through customs and immigration before entering the U.S. The devices, which cost $36,000 each, process passport information and items purchased abroad that would have to be declared to customs officials. Twenty-two other airports around the county already have them in place.

After using the kiosks, passengers receive a receipt that must be taken to an immigration official for verification before leaving the federal inspection area.

Citizens of the U.S., Canada and 38 nations participating in the U. S. visa waiver program are eligible to use the kiosks.

“It’s very nice,” Manteca resident Pam Shelton said Wednesday, as she arrived at LAX from Australia. “It was very nice. Once you figured it out it was easy to do. It’s definitely a lot faster than the old way.”

Airport and federal officials said the kiosks will enhance the passenger experience at LAX, which handled more than 9 million passengers last year at the Tom Bradley Terminal and is expected to handle nearly 18 million this year.

Ten kiosks also have been installed in LAX’s Terminal 5 and there are plans to put some in Terminal 2, which houses a number of smaller international carriers.

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