Washington Dulles International Airport on Thursday launched the ‘Dulles Passport Express’ program to provide faster and easier service for its passengers. Forty new self-service passport kiosks, installed in the airport’s international arrival facilities, will help automate the international arrivals process, reducing the wait for passengers to be seen by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer.

“Dulles International wants every arriving international traveler to have a world-class travel experience, whether they are returning home or visiting the United States for the first time. With the launch of ‘Dulles Passport Express,’ our customers will have an international arrivals process that is simpler and more efficient than ever,” said Airport Manager Chris Browne. “The airport purchased these kiosks to significantly ease the arrivals process, shorten wait times and ensure that Washington Dulles International continues to provide cutting-edge services to our passengers.”

Passengers using ‘Dulles Passport Express’ will no longer need to complete a paper Customs Declaration form. Instead, they will scan their passport at the kiosk, answer a series of questions using the touch screen, and have their photograph taken. The kiosk will print a receipt, which the passenger will take to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer for a brief final inspection.

“International traffic at Dulles has increased more than 50 percent in the last 10 years and is projected to grow well into the future. With the launch of ‘Dulles Passport Express,’ the arrival of the Silver Line, and extensive concessions redevelopment project, the Airports Authority continues to invest and modernize Dulles International for the benefit of our customers,” said Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority President and CEO Jack Potter.

‘Dulles Passport Express’ was developed in cooperation with Customs and Border Protection, which is responsible for managing and processing all international arrivals. Combined with the recent authorization of 40 additional Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to Dulles International, and the positioning of Dulles Airport Ambassadors who assist international passengers with their arrival process, ‘Dulles Passport Express’ will enable Customs and Border Protection to allocate their resources more efficiently to reduce wait-times and shorten lines.

The self-service kiosks are formally authorized by Customs and Border Protection through a program known as Automated Passport Control. These kiosks, BorderXpress, were built by Innovative Travel Solutions, a business unit within Vancouver Airport Authority in Vancouver, Canada.

President and CEO of Vancouver International Airport Craig Richmond said, “BorderXpress Automated Passport Control kiosks reduce wait times by 89 percent compared to the typical CBP primary inspection process, lower operating costs, and improve the customs experience for both travelers and airport staff.”

Of the 40 units installed at Dulles, 24 are located in the Main Terminal’s International Arrivals Building, and 16 are located in the Concourse C/D Federal Inspection Station that is used exclusively by passengers making connecting flights.

Dulles International was also recognized as one of the leading airports for the use of Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry Program. Global Entry kiosks remain available, and travelers enrolled in Global Entry should continue to use those dedicated kiosks.

Pictured above: Several ‘Dulles Passport Express’ Automated Passport Control kiosks, which are located in the International Arrivals area at Washington Dulles International Airport.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, established in 1987 by the governments of Virginia and the District of Columbia, manages and operates Ronald Reagan Washington National and Washington Dulles International airports, which together serve more than 40 million passengers a year. The Airports Authority also operates and maintains the Dulles Airport Access Road and the Dulles Toll Road and manages construction of the Silver Line project, a 23-mile extension of the Washington region’s Metrorail system into Loudoun County, Virginia. No tax dollars are used to operate the toll road, which is funded by toll revenues, or the airports, which are funded through aircraft landing fees, rents and revenues from concessions. The Silver Line construction is funded by a combination of toll-road revenues, airport contributions and federal, state and local government appropriations. The Airports Authority is led by a 17-member board of directors, appointed by the governors of Virginia, Maryland, the mayor of Washington, D.C., and the president of the United States, and generates more than 387,000 jobs and 4.5 percent of GDP in the National Capital Region.