Prague, Jan 18 (CTK) – Seventeen new self-service check-in machines started operating at the Vaclav Havel International Airport in Prague, nine in the arrival lounge and eight in the departure lounge, Czech Police President Tomas Tuhy told a press conference on Wednesday.
The new system, which cost 61 million crowns, can identify 2897 types of passports and identity cards from 206 countries.
When the machine scans the passport and confirms that it is not forged, it lets the passenger in and a camera system checks the passenger’s face. If there is any problem, the passenger must go through a police check-in.
Until now, one trouble-free check-in took about 30 to 40 seconds. “Now the time is shorter. One police officer guards up to five self-service desks and the check-in lasts 15 seconds,” Tuhy said.
In 2016, the Prague airport handled approximately 13 million passengers.
Vaclav Rehor, board chairman of the state-run Cesky Aeroholding that is responsible for the airport’s operation, said the number of passengers might reach up to 14 million this year.
The Vaclav Havel Airport has been reinforcing its security since 2015. The Czech government earmarked more than 100 million crowns for various security measures. It is to decide on the proposal for increasing the number of police officers working at the airport by 200 at one of its next meetings.
