Emirates is
gearing up to launch the world’s first “biometric path” which will offer its
customers a smooth and truly seamless airport journey at the airline’s hub in
Dubai International airport.
Utilising
the latest biometric technology – a mix of facial and iris recognition,
Emirates passengers can soon check in for their flight, complete immigration
formalities, enter the Emirates Lounge, and board their flights, simply by
strolling through the airport.
The latest
biometric equipment has already been installed at Emirates Terminal 3, Dubai
International airport. This equipment can be found at select check-in counters,
at the Emirates Lounge in Concourse B for premium passengers, and at select
boarding gates. Areas where biometric equipment are installed will be clearly
marked.
Trials for
the Smart Tunnel, a project by the General Directorate of Residence and
Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA) in collaboration with Emirates, was
launched on 10 October. It is a world-first for passport control, where
passengers simply walk through a tunnel and are “cleared” by immigration
authorities without human intervention or the need for a physical passport
stamp.
Once its
internal tests are completed, Emirates will shortly launch trials for biometric
processing at the other key customer points at the airport – check-in, lounge,
and boarding gate – and subsequently at transit counters/gates, and for its
chauffeur drive services. All biometric data will be stored with GDRFA, and
customers invited to participate in the trials will be asked for their consent.
Adel Al
Redha, Emirates’ Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer said:
“Guided by our chairman His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum,
Emirates continuously innovates and strives to improve our day-to-day business.
After extensive research and evaluation of numerous technologies and new
approaches to enhance our passenger journey, we are now satisfied with the
preliminary work we have carried out and are ready to commence live trials of
the world’s first biometric path at Emirates Terminal 3.
Emirates’
“biometric path” will improve customer experience and customer flow through the
airport with less document checks and less queuing. Eventually, the “live”
passenger tracking capability will also improve security and the airline’s
ability to deliver even better and more personalised services. For instance,
enabling the Emirates airport team to locate and assist ‘late’ customers who
would otherwise miss their flights.
The
airline’s “biometric path” will cover departures, arrivals, transit, chauffeur
drive connections, and lounge access in Dubai. Initially focussed on First and
Business class travellers, Emirates intends to speedily extend the “biometric
path” to Economy class travellers in Dubai, and in the future potentially to
other airports outside of Dubai, and also for its own dedicated crew check in
facility.
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