Dubai airline uses mix of facial and iris recognition to offer passengers a seamless journey through Dubai International Airport
Emirates is gearing up to launch the world’s first “biometric path” which will offer its customers a seamless airport journey at Dubai International airport.
Utilising the latest biometric technology – a mix of facial and iris recognition - Emirates passengers can soon check in for their flight, complete immigration formalities, enter the Emirates Lounge, and board their flights, simply by strolling through the airport.
The latest biometric equipment has already been installed at Emirates Terminal 3 and can be found at select check-in counters, at the Emirates Lounge in Concourse B for premium passengers, and at select boarding gates.
Areas where biometric equipment are installed will be clearly marked.
Once its internal tests are completed, Emirates will shortly launch trials for biometric processing at the other key customer points at the airport – check-in, lounge, and boarding gate – and subsequently at transit counters/gates, and for its chauffeur drive services.
Initially focused on First and Business class travellers, Emirates intends to extend the “biometric path” to Economy class travellers in Dubai, and in the future potentially to other airports outside of Dubai, and also for its own dedicated crew check in facility.
Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Executive vice president and chief operations officer said: “Emirates continuously innovates and strives to improve our day-to-day business. After extensive research and evaluation of numerous technologies and new approaches to enhance our passenger journey, we are now satisfied with the preliminary work we have carried out and are ready to commence live trials of the world’s first biometric path at Emirates Terminal 3.”
Major General Mohammed Ahmed Almarri, Dubai General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) said: “We are pleased to roll-out these new initiatives at Terminal 3 in collaboration with Emirates and our airport stakeholders. The Smart Tunnel tests are running smoothly, and we are now preparing to mobilise the other biometric systems at the other areas in T3.”
Emirates said that eventually, the “live” passenger tracking capability will also improve security and enable the airline to locate and assist ‘late’ customers who would otherwise miss their flights.
The move follows trials for the Smart Tunnel, a project by the General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA) in collaboration with Emirates, was launched earlier in October.
It is a world-first for passport control, where passengers simply walk through a tunnel and are “cleared” by immigration authorities without human intervention or the need for a physical passport stamp.
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