Guest Editorial: A secure future

At CBP, we are listening to the operators, owners, and passengers of general aviation, and we are expanding and modernizing our processes in how we service the unique needs of general aviation.

In August 2017, CBP launched a modernized, mobile Outlying Area Reporting Station (OARS) technology pilot program in the Northwest Angle of Minnesota to enable travelers to more easily report arrivals to CBP using mobile devices while also expanding the availability of reporting locations. The launch of this technology provides CBP officers with an automated inspection capability to process travelers in remote geographical areas where there is typically no CBP close by.

The mobile solution allows travelers to report their U.S. entry from personal smartphones, CBP iPads at partner resorts and marinas, and new weatherized booths with iPads at existing OARS locations. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive for the pilot in the Northwest Angle. It is expected that once deployed in Crane Lake and Ely, feedback will also be positive. Of particular interest for CBP is expanding remote reporting capabilities to Crane Lake, Minnesota, a popular landing location for seaplanes arriving from Canada. CBP is targeting an early spring rollout of the mobile remote reporting app in Crane Lake, followed by locations in the Buffalo, New York, and Boston field offices.

This is truly an exciting time as CBP continues to implement new technologies that are changing the way we facilitate arriving travelers.At CBP, we are also using new technologies to expand on our biometric entry/exit system. In 2016, the first exit biometric facial recognition project kicked off in Atlanta; it leveraged the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) to build a gallery of photos from existing government entities (passports, visas, previous photos taken at entry into the United States) for travelers on a single outbound flight and compared live photographs to identify travelers as they boarded the airplane. The experiment was a success and has been expanded to several more airports.

We are now working on designing a new biometric entry facial recognition process that will eliminate the need for CBP officers to physically swipe and handle travel documents. Instead, travelers will approach the CBP officer, and a photograph will be taken and compared to the gallery of photos based on APIS.

With the expansion of these technologies, CBP is developing mobile applications that will enable CBP officers to conduct biometric entry/exit inspections using mobile technology instead of requiring fixed technical infrastructure. These mobile applications will be especially beneficial in processing general aviation, recreational boating, special events, and other such operations.

This is truly an exciting time as CBP continues to implement new technologies that are changing the way we facilitate arriving travelers, making it more efficient, and allowing us to touch the remote areas of our nation without physically being on site.

CBP is also committed to the timely processing of pilots and travelers arriving aboard private aircraft. When pilots of private aircraft have been granted landing rights or permission to arrive, CBP personnel will be available upon the scheduled arrival time—barring exigent circumstances—and will work to expedite the processing of private aircraft, avoiding long wait times whenever possible. As with all other aspects of general aviation processing, CBP personnel will perform their duties in a manner that ensures and facilitates the timely processing of legitimate trade and travel.

Thank you for working with CBP and maintaining an open dialogue. We know that advancing border security and travel facilitation cooperation across federal, state, and local government—as well as with private security—is paramount. I am confident that, together, we will continue to progress in making international travel more secure and efficient for the members of AOPA.