Delta's Main International Gateways Offer Automated Passport Control Program

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Jun 24, 2014, 12:00 ET

ATLANTA, June 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines' (NYSE: DAL) international customers now have access to Automated Passport Control kiosks when arriving at the airline's main international gateways, including Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York-JFK and Seattle. The APC program officially launched today in Detroit and Los Angeles.

APC self-service kiosks expedite the entry process for U.S., Canadian and eligible visa waiver program international customers by providing an automated process to submit customs declaration forms and biographical information.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, airports that employ APC kiosks reduce the average customer's wait time through primary inspection areas by 29 to 45 percent, depending on location.

"These new kiosks will improve the overall experience for our international customers thanks to shorter wait times, less congestion and faster processing for exiting customs," said John Laughter, Delta's senior vice president – Corporate Safety, Security and Compliance. "We strive to provide our customers with an enjoyable travel experience from start to finish, and that includes customs and border protection checkpoints."

The number of APC kiosks at Delta's different international gateways includes:

Atlanta: 74 installed in May 2014
Boston: 20 installed in June 2014 with an additional 10 to be installed later this summer
Detroit: 30 installed in June 2014
Los Angeles: 10 installed in June 2014
Minneapolis: 10 installed in June 2014
New York-JFK: 40 installed in September 2013 with an additional 14 installed in June 2013 and 14 more later in the summer
Seattle: 14 installed in December 2013

Delta was the original financial supporter for the installation of APC kiosks in New York-JFK and Los Angeles. Additionally, Delta's Terminal 5 in Los Angeles is the first terminal at Los Angeles International Airport to offer arriving international customers APC kiosks.

The APC program was launched in May 2013 at the CBP preclearance facility at Vancouver International Airport. Vancouver Airport Authority (YVR) pioneered BorderXpress, an APC system that delivers fully-hosted kiosks to automate the administrative function of the border inspection process. Delta utilizes YVR kiosks at its locations in Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York-JFK and Seattle.

"We are proud to partner with Delta Air Lines to deliver BorderXpress Automated Passport Control technology at major international hubs across the United States, including Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York-JFK and Seattle," said Craig Richmond, President and CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority. "Together with Delta Air Lines, we are advancing our goal to speed up, streamline and simplify the passenger travel experience."

Delta Air Lines serves nearly 165 million customers each year. This year, Delta was named the 2014 Airline of the Year by Air Transport World magazine and was named to FORTUNE magazine's 50 Most Admired Companies, in addition to being named the most admired airline for the third time in four years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 333 destinations in 64 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a newly formed joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on delta.com, Twitter @Delta, Google.com/+Delta, Facebook.com/delta and Delta's blog takingoff.delta.com.