Delta: Kiosks At JFK Reduced Customs Wait Lines By 90%

Delta is very bullish about U.S. Customs and Border Protection kiosks for incoming visitors at its T4 terminal at JFK, saying wait times have been reduced by 90%.

The improvement has been “fairly remarkable” for incoming visitors with wait times for Customs down to 5-7 minutes during this non-peak time period, said Stephen Gorman, Delta’s chief operating officer during the airline’s third quarter earnings call.

JFK is one of the nation’s busiest airports, and Delta CEO Richard Anderson had called the wait times at the airport an “embarassment.”

In December 2012, wait times at JFK for international arrivals could sometimes hit 4.5 hours.

It appears as though improvements at the kiosks, with automated passport system examination capabilities, have exceeded expectations.

In other Delta news today, airline president Edward Bastian said Delta’s joint-venture partner Virgin Atlantic had a profitable September and is turning around its financial performance.

Delta, which has a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic, took a $40 million benefit from Virgin Atlantic’s profit in the September quarter, officials said.