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Netherlands · biometric border control · eGates

Schiphol biometric passenger trial and framework

In operation Status as of 18 February 2019 · Funding type: Not published

Schiphol announced a facial-recognition boarding trial for Cathay Pacific passengers on 18 February 2019. The partnership involved the government, Schiphol, Cathay Pacific, KLM and technology supplier Vision-Box. Passport control remained a separate check at that stage, with integration planned for a later phase. 1 The court record identifies a framework announced in February 2017. In June 2021 the court rejected IDEMIA's interim patent claims after Vision-Box disputed infringement and urgency. The ruling did not settle the merits of infringement. The contract price and term remain unpublished in these sources. 2

Key terms

Read the guide to API and PNR passenger data.

Buyer
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Vendor
Vision-Box
Vendor based in
Portugal, with a Netherlands subsidiary 2
Signed
Framework announced February 2017, exact signature date not published 2
Duration
Not published
Value
Not published
Funding
Not published
Procurement route
Framework 2
System ownership
Not published
Data terms
The trial scanned the passport, boarding pass and face at enrolment, then compared a boarding-gate face scan with the enrolment scan. Storage and retention terms are not published in the cited release. 1

Timeline

  1. Signed or started: Framework announced February 2017, exact signature date not published 2
  2. 18 February 2019: Recorded status is In operation.
  3. 4 June 2021: IDEMIA alleged that the Schiphol system infringed EP 3 008 704. Vision-Box contested the claim and the urgency of interim relief. The Hague court rejected the interim claims for lack of urgency and declined cross-border jurisdiction over the Portuguese defendant. It ordered IDEMIA to pay EUR120,667 in costs. This was not a final decision on patent infringement. A later merits outcome is not confirmed in the sources reviewed. 2

Sources

  1. Schiphol: facial-recognition boarding trial (18 February 2019)
  2. The Hague District Court: ECLI:NL:RBDHA:2021:5671 (4 June 2021)

Fields marked "Not published" or "Not confirmed" could not be established from an official or reliable source. If you hold a document that fills a gap or corrects an entry, write to editor@bordercontracts.org. Last checked 19 October 2026.

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