Dubai International Airport (DXB) Terminal 3 is slated to pioneer a groundbreaking single biometric system starting this November.
The state-of-the-art system will allow travelers to navigate through various airport processes including check-in, immigration, and boarding through a single facial print, thereby streamlining the travel experience.
The revelation was made by Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, the Deputy Director-General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA-Dubai), during the opening day of ‘The International Conference on Policymaking: The Future of Ports’ in Dubai.
Following successful trials, the initiative is gearing for a full-scale implementation, and it is being facilitated in collaboration with Emirates Airlines, which predominantly operates from Terminal 3.
Describing the forthcoming innovation, Maj Gen Bin Suroor illustrated, “This is the process of a traveler using the biometric system from check-in – passing through immigration, any checkpoints, accessing lounges for first or business class, boarding – until the traveler gets on the plane.”
The endeavor marks a premier initiative not just in the region but globally, steering the airport facilities towards a paperless operation system.
The multifaceted biometric system encompasses several components, including iris print and facial print, alongside thermal print and fingerprints, ensuring the accuracy of identification even in cases of cosmetic surgeries.
For travels necessitating passport stamps, passengers can still obtain them by approaching control officers at DXB.
Despite paving the path for a seamless journey by potentially eliminating the necessity for traditional check-in and immigration counters, the novel system does not forebode a reduction in airport staff.
“Airport staff will be present, but their roles will change. They will be more involved in analysis and monitoring systems. What is required is to raise their skill-sets accordingly,” affirmed Maj Gen Bin Suroor.