Listen: CBP Atlanta Area Port Director Clay Thomas explains a more streamlined customs processing system at the Atlanta airport. 

EPP scanners

A CBP agent stands next to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport's new EPP system.

Credit: Sarah Kallis/GPB News

International travelers returning to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport can now use a new streamlined system as they pass through customs. 

The Enhanced passenger processing system, or EPP,  captures photos of travelers going through customs on a tablet and matches them with facial recognition technology instead of requiring them to pull out their passports. The program is available to U.S. Citizens only. 

At a media briefing at the airport, Customs and Border Protection Area Port Director Clay Thomas said wait times are down 22% in the roughly six weeks since the program began.

"With the capability of eliminating the administrative burden, it allows that officer to really engage with the passenger to determine the true intent of their arrival today and maybe where they've been throughout their travel," he said. 

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is one of seven airports around the country that has implemented EPP. You can find out more information about the program on CPB's website. 

Tags: Hartsfield Jackson Airport  CBP  Airport  border control  Georgia  Atlanta