Air travel can be thrilling, but the process of getting on a flight can be a real hassle. From rummaging through your bag for your passport to fumbling for your ID or ticket at every checkpoint, it's a frustrating and time-consuming ordeal. But what if you could skip all that stress and breeze through check-in, immigration, and boarding without ever showing your passport, ID, or ticket? This can soon become a reality at Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport.
According to CNN, the airport is all set to revolutionise air travel with its innovative Smart Travel Project. By 2025, the entire airport will be equipped with cutting-edge biometric sensors at every identification checkpoint, from arrival to departure. This game-changing technology will transform the travel experience, making it faster, more secure, and more convenient.
"It's designed with no pre-enrollment required, passengers are automatically recognized and authenticated as they move through the airport, significantly speeding up the entire process. People are reporting going from the curb into the retail area or to the gate in less than 15 minutes. To be able to move through an airport of that size in just a matter of minutes is groundbreaking,'' said the airport's chief information officer Andrew Murphy.
The technology is already in use at certain sections of the airport, particularly on flights operated by its partner airline Etihad.
According to Mr Murphy, when individuals arrive in the UAE for the first time, whether as residents or tourists, their biometric data is captured by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) at immigration. The airport's system then utilizes this existing database to verify passengers' identities as they move through various checkpoints, streamlining the process and ensuring a seamless experience.
''Where the real unique nature comes in is that this particular biometric solution here is to partner with ICP to utilize that data to make this passenger experience seamless. And that's why everybody can use it,'' he said.
In an October 2023 survey by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), 75% of passengers claimed they would prefer using biometric data over paper passports and boarding passes.
