Dubai joins biometric trend

Emirates is gearing up to launch the world’s first “biometric path” to offer its passengers what it says will be “a smooth and truly seamless airport journey” at its hub at Dubai International airport.

The airline says utilising the latest biometric technology, a mix of facial and iris recognition, passengers will soon be able check-in for flights, complete immigration formalities, enter the Emirates Lounge and board simply by strolling through the airport.

The latest equipment has already been installed at Dubai’s Terminal 3 at certain check-in counters, at the Emirates Lounge in Concourse B for premium passengers  and at selected boarding gates.

Trials for the “Smart Tunnel”, a project by the General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai in collaboration with the airline, were launched earlier this month.

Officials claim it is a world-first for passport control, with passengers simply walking through a tunnel to be “cleared” by immigration authorities without human intervention or the need for a physical passport stamp.

Emirates says once its internal tests are complete, it will begin trials for biometric processing at other key customer points at the airport such as at check-in, in the lounge and at the boarding gate, and later in transit areas and for its chauffeur-drive service.

www.emirates.com

www.dubaiairports.ae

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