Abu Dhabi Airports is preparing to roll out advanced biometric technology that will use a passenger’s facial features as their passport from the time they arrive at the airport until the time they board their flight.
The technology captures an image of the passenger’s face and confirms whether they are permitted to travel using smart cameras. The same information is then used prior to boarding, eliminating the need for documents to be presented again.
The technology will be phased in, with the first phase currently being tested at the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport, the region’s only US immigration pre-clearance service that allows passengers to clear US immigration while still in Abu Dhabi.
Eng. Jamal Salem Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports said: “The project will commence at Abu Dhabi International Airport and will then be transferred to the new Midfield Terminal.”
Major General Suhail Saeed Al Khaili, the Director General of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security said: “This advanced technology will enable travelers to check in, clear immigration, access lounges, and board their flights using only biometric data, without the need to present passports or boarding passes”.
This move comes as Etihad prepares to increase its flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York from four to eleven per week beginning November 15, 2022.
The USCBP technology is also in place at JFK, ensuring that passengers flying to Abu Dhabi from New York have a smooth boarding experience.
Mohammad Al Bulooki, Group Chief Operations Officer, Etihad Aviation Group said: “This innovation is an important next step in Etihad’s self-service journey. It means Etihad’s US flights become even more streamlined, on top of the benefit of arriving as a US domestic passenger without the need for further delays.”
This system will be tested on Etihad Airways flights to the United States, and it is the first phase of a major roll-out that will be implemented throughout the airport for all airlines to benefit from in the coming months.
The introduction of this cutting-edge technology was announced on the first day of the Abu Dhabi Air Expo 2022, which will be held at Al Bateen Executive Airport from November 1 to 3.
