February 19, 2004Biometric PassportsFinnish technology group Setec said Tuesday it won the first order for passports with new biometric technology required by international aviation authorities and the U.S. government. Finnish Co. to Make Biometric Passports Published: February 17, 2004 Filed at 9:03 a.m. ET HELSINKI, Finland (AP) -- Finnish technology group Setec said Tuesday it won the first order for passports with new biometric technology required by international aviation authorities and the U.S. government. Denmark ordered 3 million passports to be made in Finland and personalized by the Setec's Danish subsidiary near Copenhagen, the company said. Deliveries will begin in late 2004. Since the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington, governments worldwide have increased security at airports, including the introduction of biometric technology that enables officials to match a person's face to information digitally coded in their travel documents. U.S. legislation requires 27 countries, mostly in Europe, to add biometrics to passports they issue after Oct. 26, 2004, or have their citizens apply for visas. Last year, the Danish government decided to adopt biometric passports starting in 2004, but passport holders won't have to switch until their current documents expire. Similar plans are being adopted by other Nordic countries. The Danish order is the first for identification documents that meet specifications of the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, and U.S. visa waiver requirements, Setec said. Germany last week began a six-month pilot project that allows some travelers to pass through an automated passport control system at Frankfurt airport using iris-recognition technology.
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