Dubai Airports is planning to introduce biometric “smart tunnels” that will enable travellers to complete immigration checks in just 15 seconds, Gulf News reports.
According to officials of the General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, who unveiled the plan at the Gitex 37 technology week in Dubai, the new system will eliminate the need for travellers to show their passports during immigration checks.
Passengers will be able to walk through the tunnel while the system uses facial and iris recognition technology to scan them. The process is completed in two steps – a stationary iris scan before the tunnel followed by a facial recognition scan within. Digital floorboards within the tunnel will change from green to red as the process is completed.
While no specific launch date has been announced, officials claimed the introduction of the system would also be accompanied by transportation to the airport in Tesla cars, during which passengers can pre-register their details via smartphone. Luggage weight detection and boarding pass delivery will also be completed within the car itself, after which luggage is automatically transported through the smart system without the passenger needing to carry it.
Dubai Airports has been unveiling a number of technology-driven features in recent months. Earlier this year, it announced plans to introduce biometric technology and automated border control gates at its Terminal 3 departures area. Meanwhile, a new service offering free movie streaming at the airport began trials in August.
Dubai International Airport welcomed its highest ever number of monthly passengers in July, welcoming more than eight million travellers – a 5.9 per cent increase from 2016.
