Imagine boarding a flight without having to show your passport, ID or ticket even once at the airport. By 2025, this could become a reality in Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi .
Now, the airport launches the Smart Travel Project which aims to install biometric sensors at every identification point on site, from check-in counters to immigration booths, duty-free shop cashiers, airline lounges and boarding gates.
Biometrics are the biological measurements that identify us as individuals. The sensors mean that at any point where a document is required for access, a passenger’s identity and travel status can be verified by facial or iris recognition.
Known for its high-tech infrastructure, the airport was praised by the businessman Elon Musk who said that “the United States needs to pursue” these changes.
The news
In Abu Dhabi, the technology is already in use in certain sections of the airport, especially on flights operated by the partner airline, Etihad . However, the ambition to expand the technology across the entire passenger flow is a step forward.
“We are expanding to nine touchpoints, and that would be a world first,” he says. Andrew Murphy Chief Information Officer at Abu Dhabi Airport.
“It is designed with no need for pre-registration, passengers are automatically recognized and authenticated as they move through the airport, significantly speeding up the entire process.”
Murphy explains that anyone arriving in the UAE for the first time, whether a resident or a tourist, has their biometric data collected at immigration by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP).
The airport system accesses this database and verifies passengers as they pass through checkpoints. “What makes this biometric solution truly unique here is the partnership with ICP to utilize this data to make the passenger experience seamless. And that’s why everyone can use it,” he explains.
Murphy says the goal is to facilitate the flow of passengers making transit much faster. Initial implementation has proven this so far.
“People report walking to the shopping area or the gate in less than 15 minutes, and when you consider this is a huge facility, […] capable of processing 45 million passengers, being able to get through an airport of this size in just a few minutes is truly revolutionary,” he says.
Opt-out option
In an October 2023 International Air Transport Association (IATA) survey, 75% of passengers would prefer to use biometric data instead of paper passports and boarding passes.
For the remaining 25%, who may be uncomfortable with technology or prefer human interactions, Murphy says there is still there will be the option to go through a more traditional check .
Giving passengers the choice of whether or not to use facial recognition is supported by international policymakers, especially when it comes to people who are not used to traveling through an airport.
“If someone only travels once every two or three years, which is the case for many, many, many people, then they may actually prefer human interaction for guidance,” he says. Louise Cole head of customer experience and facilitation at IATA.
“I believe the human touch really comes down to personal choice, giving customers an option that mirrors what we have in other environments,” she adds.
Additionally, you will need to show documentation to an employee if you are traveling with small children, although the minimum age may vary from airport to airport.
“We reserved the system for people 12 and older because we found that with younger children […] their facial features change rapidly,” explains Murphy.
It could also be a matter of compliance with global guidelines and policies. “There are other aspects of international transit involving children where it may not be appropriate to use biometrics,” Cole says. “You need to make sure the child is traveling with an appropriate caregiver,” she adds.
Global competition
Other airports around the world are also relying less on paper and more on biometrics. In IATA’s October 2023 report, 46% of respondents said they had used the technology at an airport before.
However, no airport is officially considered passport-free . “I know there’s a lot of intent to get to this completely touchless biometric experience,” Cole says. “But one of the reasons the industry is so far behind is that it’s hard to imagine any other consumer experience where you have to stop and try something on over and over again.”
Still, there are some examples of progress around the world. Singapore’s Changi Airport is one of the leaders in implementing the technology. Like Abu Dhabi, it has also partnered with the government’s immigration authority to develop a biometric clearance system that is accessible to both residents and tourists. The system will be rolled out progressively, starting this month.
Hong Kong International Airport, Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda and Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport have also launched biometric terminals at certain points during transit.
The dedication of airports in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific places them at the forefront, Cole said. “These regions are setting the standard for biometric integration in air transport,” he said.
European airports are also making significant progress. Last year, IATA partnered with British Airways to test the first international flight with digital identity fully integrated.
Taking off from Heathrow and landing in Rome Fiumicino, a test passenger flew with only their digital identity, known as a W3C Verifiable Credential. Their passport, visa and e-ticket were stored in a digital wallet, all verified by biometric recognition.
In the US, Customs and Border Protection has implemented biometrics in the arrivals zones of all 96 of its international airports, with fifty-three locations also having the technology in the boarding area.
Paperless solution
For Cole, ensuring all testing and technology is aligned is crucial to efficiency and safety. “The benefits of a great customer experience at one airport can be lost if the next airport that passenger goes to has a completely different approach,” he explains.
The key to success, says Cole, is standardization and international cooperation. “Being able to use a single digital identity across multiple airports and with multiple airlines means a much more seamless customer experience, while keeping privacy at the core and handling data securely.”
As airports like Abu Dhabi expand their use of biometric technology, they could set the standard for other transit zones to follow suit, opening the door to document-free travel.
Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
