Emirates introduces biometric passport-free travel

Source: Time Out Dubai

We all know that there are loads of perks when it comes to travelling with Emirates — from luxe amenities kits to a variety of food choices and earning Skywards.

Soon, Emirates passengers using Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport will have another benefit of using the airline as a touchless travel experience is on the horizon.

The new passport-free travel will use biometric and facial recognition systems and should be in place in the next few months.

It’s understood that the airport is currently trialing the technology, with it set to become a “smart passage” for Emirates flyers.

Speaking at the Global Conference for Shaping Future Policies of Ports at Madinat Jumeirah, Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, Deputy Director General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), said: “We are ready and will implement it in November. We are working on a smart passage so that everything is done electronically.

“We will replace electronic gates with smart gates for easy and seamless travel.”

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group, added that the update will mean less interaction and form-filling for customers.

“If countries share data rather than relying on passengers, exit or entry of passengers will be easier and faster. There is a need to use facial recognition so the passenger himself becomes the identity at every touch point, he said.

“If I am exiting Dubai, some airports ask me to fill in the information again. Technology is available but we are not collaborating. There should be a system to communicate with each other,” said Al Redha, during the conference.

He added that in the future there are plans to expand the process to more travellers with “90 percent automaton and 10 percent on human interaction.”

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This week, DXB was rated the best-connected airport in the Middle East.

The airport came top of the Airport Connectivity rankings for the Asia-Pacific and Middle East Region as it now reaches 225 destinations.