Amadeus expands in biometrics with acquisition of Vision-Box

Acquisition marks important step towards fully integrated traveler journey

Vision-Box is a leading provider of biometrics solutions for airports, airlines, and border control  

Travel technology solution provider and GDS Amadeus has unveiled it will acquire Vision-Box, a leading provider of biometric solutions for airports, airlines, and border control customers.  

The acquisition of Vision-Box will bring new capabilities around biometrics hardware and software, adding border control solutions to the Amadeus portfolio. 

Through this combined offering with Vision-Box, Amadeus will now be able to deliver a full end-to-end seamless passenger experience from booking to arrival at the airport, through border control and boarding.  

Vision-Box, which is a fast-growing global business with expected revenues of €70 million and an estimated normalized EBITDA of close to €20 million in 2023, 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 this 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.

It will contribute to Amadeus’ ambition to "connect the travel industry through a seamless ecosystem approach". 

Its deal will deliver biometrics interoperability between airports, airlines and border control authorities. 

Amadeus' existing airline and airport value proposition will be improve through this move, which focuses on providing a frictionless experience for all passengers, optimising operations and driving effective disruption management.  

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 $86.1 billion dollars by 2028 from its projected 2023 value of $47.8 billion dollars. 

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

Decius Valmorbida, president, travel of Amadeus, said: “Biometrics is a strategic and fast-growing industry, and Vision-Box’s capabilities will allow us to accelerate our growth in this area. 

"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," he said.

"This acceleration of our ecosystem approach will bring immediate and tangible benefits to our customers and travelers: it’s how travel works better.” 

Miguel Leitmann, founder and CEO of Vision-Box, added: “I’m extremely excited about the growth opportunities for Vision-Box as we join Amadeus, a leading travel technology player with a global footprint. 

"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. 

This technology will allow for airlines to improve their on-time performance targets and a faster and smoother boarding experience for travellers.