Long Islanders planning to travel by plane this holiday season may be pleasantly surprised to find that there's a new system in place at John F. Kennedy International Airport that seeks to shorten the long customs lines.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has installed new automated passport control kiosks at JFK Airport's Terminal 4.

Customs officials say the new system will cut down on wait times by 50 percent without compromising security.

Users must slip their passports through an automated scanner at the kiosk, answer some questions about the people they are traveling with and declare the items they've brought with them. Then, the machine prints a picture of the traveler and spits out a receipt. Those receipts are then examined by customs officers.

Travelers at the airport today who spoke with News 12 gave positive feedback. Many noted that the automated kiosks were quick, simple and straightforward.

The passport kiosks have already been rolled out at airports in Vancouver and Chicago.