Automated Border Control Market Report

The aviation industry holds a significant share in the global automated border control market. The substantial rise in the number of airports and the growing number of air passengers is anticipated to be a driver to accelerate the market for Automated Border Control market. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) projected that 4 billion people will travel globally in 2024 i.e. 103% of 2019 total. A 111% rise in the overall traveller numbers is expected till 2025. Additionally, it was anticipated that travel could be a vehicle for the Covid-19 virus to spread. Thus, restrictions had been imposed on travel in an attempt to reduce the spread of the virus. However, it came to governments’ notice that the travel restrictions have little to no long-term impact on spread of the virus. Moreover, the economic and social hardships caused for very little benefit was proving to be a loss for the growing market. Thus, in March 2022, The International Air Travel Association called for the removal of all travel barriers for travellers who are fully-vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine. Furthermore, pre-departure antigen testing was proposed to enable quarantine-free travel for non-vaccinated travellers. Implementation of such measures accelerates the expansion of the market.

For efficiency and the smooth handling of a large number of passengers, several airports are investing in the most recent technology of border control kiosks. These kiosks incorporate systems for passenger biometric capture and verification, as well as document verification. Moreover, for use in high security applications, numerous facial recognition algorithms have been developed to achieve high recognition rates, high performance, and high accuracy. However, there is no standard benchmark methodology for evaluating facial recognition systems, and each system used by a public or private organisation is assessed using its own internal datasets. This lack of standardisation is anticipated to hamper the market growth. Moreover, in January 2022, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection warned about the emerging phone scams taking place. Individuals claiming to be government officials made attempts to call residents with the intention of soliciting money, Bitcoin or other digital currencies in exchange of personal details or banking information. Identity theft is another restraint for the automated border control market.

Attackers who utilise morphing techniques by using image editing software combine their biometric passport images into a single image that seems like a combination of two people.  If the morph is executed correctly, neither the officer at the border control counter nor the facial recognition software will be able to tell the difference between the real person and the morphed image. Thus, attacks that use morphing techniques will probably continue to be a challenge in near future. In some nations, severe data protection rules may apply to the collection and utilization of biometric data by automated border check systems. In order to avoid legal repercussions, businesses who participate in this sector must assure compliance with certain regulations. The automated border control market encounters complex and varied regulatory challenges. To ensure compliance and achieve ongoing growth, businesses in this sector will need to be aware of and respond to these difficulties.

Global need for an automated border control system is being driven by the growing adoption of cutting-edge technologies like IoT, AI, biometric identity systems, and contemporary e-gate technologies like border control software and facial recognition. In addition to this, automation in border control systems has already begun owing to the advancements in technology. The scope and potential to use these technologies has been explored by various international organisations, private sector and other market participants. The use of Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence enables smooth functioning of the product and also increases the efficiency which in turn reduces the cost of global trade. In 2021, Thales Group introduced a new solution called ‘Fly to Gate’ that aimed at enhancing traveller’s experience using a digital token. This token could be used to authenticate an individual in less than a second with or without a mask. The digital token reduced passport control and boarding time by an average of 30%. The token technology was anticipated to reduce 70% of the processing time as well. Furthermore, in October 2020, Idemia partnered with Avinor Oslo Airport to create a new face recognition solution called ‘MFACE’ which is easy to use and easier to maintain due to the absence of moving parts, thus, reducing downtime.

The North America region is anticipated to drive the market in forecast period. The growth of automated border control market in North America region can be attributed to the presence of key market participants like Rockwell Collins, BioLink Solutions etc. Besides this, it is anticipated that the Asia Pacific region would account for a sizeable portion of the market for automated border control systems during the forecast period. This market expansion has been attributed to China and India spending more money to construct airport infrastructure. Through rigorous passport inspections to confirm travel documentation, the Chinese government is placing increasing emphasis on airport security. Additionally, the Indian government is driving the market expansion by tightly enforcing the background check procedure for registered travellers. The market is expanding significantly in Europe as well owing to the need for border clearance from aviation industry of U.K. and Germany. The increasing number of international travellers and rising government regulations for adoption of automated border control systems due to security concerns in the region can be attributed to the expansion of the market in Europe. In order to improve the airport's operating efficiency, there is a growing need for automated border control systems in South America, the Middle East, and Africa.