Amadeus Adds Border Control Solutions to Portfolio with Vision-Box Acquisition

Dark/Light Mode (01/02/24)  Amadeus is expanding its portfolio of airport solutions with the acquisition of Vision-Box, a provider of biometric solutions for airports, airlines, and border control customers.

The acquisition will enable Amadeus to deliver an end-to-end seamless passenger experience from booking to arrival at the airport, through border control and boarding.

The use of biometrics in border control is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, with the Biometrics Research Group estimating the global biometrics sector will grow to US$86.1 billion by 2028 from its 2023 value of approximately US$47.8 billion.

That growth is being pushed by the travel industry’s increased focus on the digitalization of the passenger journey to improve the experience of travel, meet operational pressures, and deliver against regulatory demands.

Biometric boarding gate at BKK. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com

“Biometrics is a strategic and fast-growing industry, and Vision-Box’s capabilities will allow us to accelerate our growth in this area,” said Decius Valmorbida, President, Travel, Amadeus. “With a portfolio which is deeply complementary to our existing offering for both airports and airlines, our combined best-in-class solutions will now deliver a seamless passenger journey from booking to boarding. This acceleration of our ecosystem approach will bring immediate and tangible benefits to our customers and travelers: it’s how travel works better.”

With expected revenues of €70 million and an estimated normalized EBITDA of close to €20 million in 2023, Vision-Box is partially owned by Keensight Capital, a private equity fund dedicated to pan-European Growth Buyout investments.

Amadeus will be fully acquiring privately-owned Vision-Box for an agreed price (EV) of approximately €320 million. As part of the acquisition, approximately 470 Vision-Box employees will transfer to Amadeus.

The deal is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in H1 2024.

“I’m extremely excited about the growth opportunities for Vision-Box as we join Amadeus, a leading travel technology player with a global footprint,” said Miguel Leitmann, Founder & CEO of Vision-Box. “Together we can deliver the next big step in the travel experience: to unite all separate players and systems in a single, digitally- integrated, and orchestrated ecosystem. This compelling value proposition will drive user experience, on-time-performance, infrastructure usage, and other key indicators to new levels of efficiency.”

IATA’s Global Passenger Survey 2023 found that 75% of passengers are keen on using biometric data to expedite processes at the airport instead of showing passports and boarding passes. Frictionless touchpoints can help to reduce stress levels and enable a smoother boarding experience. Another upside of the technology is that fewer airline staff are required to assist at biometric touchpoints, freeing agents to look after more complex customer enquiries.

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