Your face is your passport in Dubai Airports

Air travel through Dubai just got safer. The new project by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA)-Dubai called the “Biometric Passenger Journey” will ease travel through Dubai Airports in cooperation with Emirates.

The new project has now been launched at Dubai International Airports to create a contact-free travel journey and to cut down on queues in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Utilising the latest biometric technology — a mix of facial and iris recognition — passengers can check in for their flight, complete immigration formalities, enter the Emirates lounge and board their flights, simply by strolling through the airport.

The new touchpoints, which are now open for Emirates passengers travelling through and from Dubai, let travellers to check in, cross the passport control zone and board flights without coming in contact with the airline staff. The 122 smart gates will allow passengers to walk through between five to nine seconds only based on the passenger’s movement and steps to finish the procedures.

Brigadier Talal Ahmad Al Shanqiti, General Director assistant of Ports Affairs in GDRFA-Dubai said, “We have around 3,000 passengers per day using the biometric system. The smart gates were modified for the seamless journey. Passengers can choose between using the normal way of smart gates by using their Emiratis ID or by showing their faces to the gates.”