OREANDA-NEWS. Miami International Airport today became one of just two U.S. airports to offer Mobile Passport, the new U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) mobile app and the latest tech-based tool that MIA has deployed to enhance the customer experience. The first-of-its-kind mobile app for iOS and Android devices allows travelers to enter and submit their passport and customs declaration information using their smartphone or tablet instead of filling out traditional paper forms.

Mobile Passport is the result of a partnership between CBP, Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) and app developer Airside Mobile.

The free Mobile Passport app is available to U.S. citizens with a valid U.S. passport and Canadian citizens with both a valid Canadian passport and B1 or B2 visa status. After downloading the app, qualified travelers are prompted to set up a profile using information contained in their passport, and the app also allows families traveling together to create multiple profiles. Once the profile is complete, travelers can use Mobile Passport to answer standard customs declaration questions, submit their information electronically upon landing, and take advantage of dedicated lanes for Mobile Passport users.

"MIA lobbied hard to be one of the very first U.S. airports to offer Mobile Passport to our passengers, and our partners at CBP and ACI-NA are to be commended for partnering in this effort," said Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio T. Gonzalez. "MIA is the perfect fit for Mobile Passport: we are America's second-busiest port of entry, handling more than 20 million international passengers each year, and our organization is wholeheartedly committed to bringing the latest travel technology to our airport."

Mobile Passport joins a growing list of tech-based amenities that MIA has launched to improve the customer experience. In 2013, MIA was among the first three U.S. airports to introduce Automated Passport Control kiosks as a means of speeding up the immigration process. The airport currently has 36 kiosks and will add an additional 44 of the self-service devices this year. In 2014, MIA launched its own comprehensive mobile app, MIA Airport Official, which offers real-time flight information, shopping and dining options, way-finding tools and much more. Just last week, the airport introduced its new e-magazine, MIA Connections (www.miaconnex.com) - a one-stop guide in English and Spanish to the best of MIA and Miami for tablets and mobile devices. MIA is also the first airport in the world to deploy beacon technology across the entire terminal, and plans to integrate the beacon network into later versions of its mobile app.

"Since its debut last summer, Mobile Passport has transformed the Customs clearance process for eligible travelers arriving in the United States," said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke.  "Mobile Passport has proved to be an outstanding example of the kind innovation that occurs when industry and government work together to achieve cost-effective solutions.  We are very pleased to announce that Miami International Airport is the next gateway to accommodate this technology, and we look forward to additional airports coming online throughout 2015."