Emirates Airline Launches Contactless Biometric Passenger Processing System in Dubai

Emirates airline is now offering a contactless passenger experience to travelers leaving from and traveling through Dubai International Airport (DXB). The integrated biometric path begins at check-in and passes through immigration on the way to boarding.

The system identifies passengers with a combination of face and iris recognition, with scans that take place at select boarding gates and at check-in desks that have been installed in DXB’s Terminal 3. Biometric tech has also been deployed in a new Smart Tunnel, which allows travelers to pass through immigration and customs without ever making contact with a human agent or receiving a passport stamp. The Smart Tunnel project is a collaboration between Emirates and the General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai.

Emirates passengers can use biometrics to enter the airline’s lounge, while the airline itself is the first outside of the US to receive clearance for face-based boarding from US Customs and Border Protection. The contactless technology is part of a broader effort to restore consumer trust in air travel in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is vital to make use of technology and introduce processes that focus on health and safety during their travel journey,” said Emirates COO Adel Al Redha. “The contactless biometric path is the latest in a series of initiatives we have introduced to make sure that travelling on Emirates is a seamless journey.”

Biometric boarding and the Smart Tunnel program have been in the works since 2018.

Sources: Gulf News, Arabian Aerospace

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October 23, 2020 – by Eric Weiss