BTB
A live test of e-Passports, which contain contact less chips with biographic and biometric information and the readers that are capable of reading these e-Passports, begins January 15, 2006 at Terminal G at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). This test is a collaborative effort between the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore that will run through April 15, 2006.
“This test provides an important opportunity to work with our international partners to further the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to put in place an e-Passport reader solution by the fall of this year,” said Jim Williams, director of US-VISIT, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) program.
Participants include citizens of Australia and New Zealand who have been issued the new e-Passports, Singapore Airlines crew and officials holding trial e-Passports and U.S. diplomatic and official e-Passport holders.
The test will assess the operational impact of using new equipment and software to read and verify the information embedded in the e-Passports. Participants will present their e-Passports when arriving in the United States at SFO, at Changi Airport in Singapore or at Sydney Airport in Australia.
