Abu Dhabi claims world first in biometric use at Zayed International Airport

Flying without ever needing to show your identity document or ticket could be a reality by as early as 2025, creating a world first at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport.

The primary airport serving the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Zayed is rolling out a Smart Travel Project that will use biometric technology at all the hub’s checkpoints. From check-in to duty-free to passing through boarding gates, flyers will benefit from a seamless experience offered by sensors that will recognise their facial features or eyes, meaning they won’t ever have to fumble around to show their documentation.

Curbside to airside in under 15 minutes

The apparatus is already in place in some parts of the airport, including for Etihad flights. Etihad is one of the UAE’s two flag carriers and a partner at the hub. But now the tech is “expanding to nine touchpoints and this would be a world first,” Andrew Murphy, the airport’s chief information officer told CNN Travel, explaining that “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.”

Claiming that the system has seen passengers go from curbside to airside in the vast facility in under 15 minutes, Murphy said it was “groundbreaking.” It’s true that the integration of national security data with the entire airport system makes Abu Dhabi different from other airports around the world where biometrics are also arriving on the scene.

Biometrics around the world

Singapore’s Changi Airport has already been trialling a similar approach, but is not fully seamless as it involves a token to be shown at various points. What’s more, it is only useable by Singapore residents and eligible foreign travellers, occasional verification will be made by security officers and flyers will still need their passport for overseas immigration clearance.

Trials have also taken place on a flight from Heathrow to Rome Fiumicino, and a systems called “Faceboarding”, is in place at Milano Linate and Catania airports, but requires passengers to show documents and scan their faces before the process can be used. Biometrics are also being deployed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International, Hong Kong International, and Tokyo’s Haneda and Narita for certain transit points. Lithuania, Portugal and Frankfurt are also on board.

Passenger sentiment

While the International Air Transport Association (IATA) found in a 2023 poll that 75% of passengers are positive about their biometric data being used, the body recognises that such systems are not suitable in all scenarios. Some passengers, particularly infrequent flyers, prefer human interaction and guidance.

In addition, there are issues around storing biometric data and its use when it comes to children, whose features change as they grow. IATA also points out that unless all airports work together to standardise and cooperate over the systems, then “the benefits of a great customer experience in one airport could be lost if the next airport that passenger goes to has an entirely different way of approaching it.”

The imminent launch of the EU’s entry/exit system, which stores biometrics for up to three years, could become another step towards the eventual integration of such data in travel hubs around the bloc to improve flow.