Machines cut wait times for Honolulu Airport international arrivals
STAR-ADVERTISER / NOV. 16, 2004
Arriving international passengers used to wait an average of 210 to 30 minutes in line to get through the customs and immigration area at the Honolulu Airport before they enter Hawaii. But a new automated system has changed that, the state Department of Transportation says.
The state says new self-service machines at Honolulu International Airport have significantly reduced average customs wait times for passengers arriving from other countries.
Hawaii Department of Transportation spokesman Tim Sakahara said Tuesday average wait times have declined by about 10 minutes. Before the department installed the 32 kiosks in February, people waited an average of 20 to 30 minutes in line.
Sakahara says 43 percent of arriving passengers have used the machines. The department expects wait times to decline further as more people use them.
About 7,000 passengers arrive in Honolulu from abroad each day.
Passengers use the machines to scan their passports and fingerprints before they are processed by immigration and customs officials.
Many foreign visitors wait in long lines in Honolulu because many flights from Asia arrive around the same time each day.
10 responses to “Machines cut wait times for Honolulu Airport international arrivals”
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HNL Airport is a disgrace. Period.
Hit the nail on the head! A disgrace!
Everyday 1000’s of illegals cross our border on the south. 100% of the passengers arriving at HNL are documented. Despite that my friends and relatives are harassed, taken in to secondary interview rooms for further scrutiny for 2-3 hours, to have their emails inspected, treated like criminals, on each occasion. What’s wrong with this picture?
Illegals have no money & burden our economy? On the other hand passengers arriving at our airport support our economy. Why the criminal treatment?
9ronboz – Please explain how ICE is checking emails as you failed to say how, why, where they are coming from, and their nationality. As a rule, ICE will only secondary someone who has failed to meet the initial screening standards. No computer on them, ICE has no access to emails. Cannot just ask for access to your email accounts.
Yes Honolulu ICE has earned a shoddy reputation for treating many tourists badly. A direct reflection on the shoddy ICE management on island. Rejects from the mainland, sent to the Nei as punishment.
Until you can provide credible information you sound like a rookie poster just making up shibai.
This is 2016. Hawaii airports are still stuck in the 60s and 70s! DISGUSTING!
I suppose the airport administration and officials think they found GOLD by putting these machines in???? And should REALLY be proud right???
I didn’t see all that much of a difference. You wait in line to use the machine, take your printed slip and passport and then wait in line again for an immigration officer to inspect them.
We saw a huge difference. Breezed right thru this past Sunday but as Nanaka said, had to wait 30 minutes for our luggage. However, the wait for our luggage was much less than the hour we normally wait for luggage after arriving home from Las Vegas.
These actually sped up the process so much. But now the problem is, you get through customs so fast, you have to wait even longer for your baggage to arrive! So kind of a push.
That photo was from 2004…can we at least see a photo of the new automated kiosks? Looks similar to what is going on at Hawaiian Air interisland check in?