Dubai International Airport is set to revolutionize passenger experience through the complete implementation of a single biometric technology for check-in, immigration, and boarding processes, Khaleej Times reported.
In a press conference held on Tuesday, officials from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) revealed plans to facilitate swift and seamless passenger clearance by identifying individuals based on unique physical or behavioural characteristics. The project, termed as a “smart journey,” has been under development for two years with the objective to enhance the efficiency of passenger journeys.
Major General Obaid bin Suroor, the deputy director-general of GDRFA, elucidated that the upcoming system would signify the end of traditional immigration counters. “In the future, we may not see classic counters what we see now,” he noted, emphasizing the effort to provide a hassle-free journey to passengers through the integration of biometrics at various stages including check-in, immigration, lounge access, and aircraft boarding.
This pioneering technology was previewed by Khaleej Times in February 2021, showcasing a contactless smart travel system that absolved the necessity for identification papers. According to Major General Obaid, the much-anticipated technology is slated for a “very soon” rollout.
Major General Talal Al Shangeti, the assistant director-general of the Airport Passport Sector at GDRFA, indicated that the airport is collaborating with all stakeholders to augment its services, cementing its position as one of the best globally. “Our target is to achieve 80 per cent of people using smart gates and other technologies. We hope to achieve this target in a couple of years,” Major General Talal shared, citing iris and facial biometrics as pivotal elements for a frictionless passenger journey.
He further noted that 37% of passengers, summing up to over 42 million individuals, utilized smart gates for airport and immigration protocols during the first half of the year. The plan is to escalate this number drastically, with ambitions to fully deploy biometric technology at the Dubai airport.
In line with the vision, there is a substantial increase in the number of operational smart gates, from 120 to an anticipated 150 by early next year, aiming to facilitate a smoother flow of the growing number of airport users.