Emirates announced it has spent AED 85 million ($23 million USD) installing more than 200 biometric cameras throughout Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport (DXB).
The installation now allows passengers to move through check-in, immigration, boarding gates, and lounges using just facial recognition to go through checkpoints. No more passport or boarding passes required.
The system, developed in partnership with Dubai’s General Directorate of Identity and Foreigner Affairs (GDRFAD), can recognize a registered passenger’s face from about three feet away, meaning travelers can be checked and processed while they are walking, eliminating the need to hand in traditional identification documents.
How does it work?
Emirates said that any of its passengers, whether visiting the UAE or living there, can register for the biometric system through the Emirates app, at self-service kiosks in the airport, or at check-in counters. Once registered, the system remembers every profile created.
According to the Dubai-based carrier, the cameras are powerful enough to identify passengers while they’re in motion. This then eliminates passengers from having to dig through documents, a move that typically slows down airport flow.
Registered travelers can use dedicated biometric lanes that bypass traditional document-checking queues.
One-Time Setup, Long-Term Benefits
Registration in the app requires consent just once. After that, passengers flying through Dubai International can choose biometric routes whenever they travel, potentially shaving significant time off the airport experience during busy periods.
The system represents Emirates’ latest push to streamline passenger processing as Dubai International Airport handles growing volumes of international travelers.
By reducing the number of times passengers need to present physical documents, the airline hopes to ease congestion at key bottlenecks throughout DXB Airport’s Terminal 3.
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