Amadeus announced it is acquiring leading biometric solutions provider, Vision-Box for €320 million. This will enhance Amadeus’s portfolio, enabling the delivery of a full end-to-end seamless passenger experience through booking, arrival at the airport, border control, and boarding.

Biometrics technology has a range of benefits for the travel industry, streamlining the travel experience for passengers whilst enhancing security and efficiency at the airport. As such, it is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. Estimated at a value of £47.8b in 2023, the Biometrics Research Group projected that the global biometrics sector will grow to $86.1b by 2028.

Vision-Box’s capabilities around border control solutions present a key opportunity for Amadeus, which is seeking to “connect the travel industry through a seamless ecosystem approach.” Working well with the company’s existing technology, the acquisition of Vision-Box will help to enhance compatibility between airport, airlines, and border control authorities through biometrics.

Decius Valmorbida, President, Travel, Amadeus, said:

“Biometrics is a strategic and fast-growing industry, and Vision-Box’s capabilities will allow us to accelerate our growth in this area. With a portfolio which is deeply complementary to our existing offering for both airports and airlines, our combined best-in-class solutions will now deliver a seamless passenger journey from booking to boarding. This acceleration of our ecosystem approach will bring immediate and tangible benefits to our customers and travelers: it’s how travel works better.”

In an interview at World Aviation Festival, Diane J. Sabatino, Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) highlighted the importance of collaboration across stakeholders and the challenges that come with biometrics. During the short discussion, Diane also broke down general misunderstandings around facial biometrics and explained how these can be mitigated with transparency around data practices. Watch the full interview here.

 

For more like this see: