Utrecht – NL, May 19, 2021. WCC has become the first company to use artificial intelligence as part of its border management and passenger screening solution.

The WCC Group, a leading provider of advanced solutions for Public Employment Services and Staffing Agencies and ID/Security government agencies, has become the first organization to successfully implement artificial intelligence (AI) within its border management offering. The new AI capabilities are included as part of WCC’s HERMES Advance Passenger Information (API)/ Passenger Name Records (PNR) solution.

Despite the huge disruption to global travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry is expected to bounce back in the coming years, with passenger numbers predicted to recover. This means that pressure will continue to grow on airports, seaports, government agencies, and aviation firms to improve the passenger screening process, ensuring a safe and streamlined journey for all.

Augmenting existing passenger screening methods, WCC is now able to offer AI-based Anomaly Detection. Using an AI algorithm to analyze all incoming passenger data and flag travelers that display irregular characteristics, the solution promises to more accurately carry out risk assessments and use predictive analytics to foresee previously unknown threats.

Besides Anomaly Detection, WCC is also utilizing AI to deliver pattern recognition and trend analysis for existing passenger data. This will allow a passenger information unit to better predict the number of matches for travelers on a daily basis, facilitating more accurate staff planning at the border. Every passenger match will demand additional resources from border control officers, with each match requiring further investigation.

With the addition of AI algorithms to the HERMES platform, passengers can rest assured that their privacy will never be compromised, nor will their personal data be collected without their consent. All of our passenger screening tools are approved and mandated by EU regulations, as well as national legislation. Plus, AI algorithms are never employed in place of a human decision. They merely add an extra level of automation to streamline the process – final decisions are always left to human border security staff.

“Leveraging the AI solutions built into WCC’s HERMES platform allows for faster, safer and more reliable threat assessment at the border, whether individuals are traveling across land, sea or air.”

Alexander Hogenboom, Sr. Data Scientist at WCC

Find out more about HERMES, WCC’s Advance Passenger Information System (APIS), by viewing our company video.