This airport is famous for its advanced technology. Even Elon Musk said the US should learn from it. Now, they’re trying to make the whole airport paperless. They’re putting special scanners everywhere – from checking in bags to going through passport control. These scanners will use your face or eye to identify you, so you won’t need to show any papers.
Abu Dhabi Airport is already using facial recognition in some areas, especially for Etihad flights. But they’re about to do something completely new: using this technology everywhere in the airport. This would be the first time in the world. Passengers won’t need to sign up for anything; the system will recognize them automatically.
The airport can identify passengers because the government already has their face data when they arrive in the country. The special thing is that the airport is using this government information to make the process smooth for everyone.
The goal is to speed up travel. Early tests show that people can go from outside the airport to their gate in just 15 minutes. This is very fast for such a big airport that handles millions of people.
In an October 2023 survey by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), 75% of passengers expressed a preference for using biometric data over traditional paper passports and boarding passes.
For the remaining 25% who might feel uneasy with this technology or prefer human interaction, Murphy emphasizes that traditional verification methods will remain available. International policymakers support providing this choice, particularly for infrequent travelers.
Louise Cole, head of customer experience and facilitation for IATA, points out, “If someone travels only once every two or three years, they may prefer human interaction for guidance. The human touch is about personal choice, and it’s important to offer customers options similar to those in other environments.”
Additionally, traveling with young children still necessitates showing paperwork to a staff member, although age cutoffs may vary between airports. Murphy notes, “We reserve the system for people aged 12 and above since younger children’s facial features change rapidly.”
Cole adds, “Compliance with global guidelines and policies also plays a role. Certain aspects of international travel involving children may not be suitable for biometric use, and it’s essential to ensure that the child is traveling with the appropriate caregiver.”
Many airports are trying to use face scanning instead of paper documents. Almost half of all travelers have used this technology somewhere. However, no airport has completely stopped using passports. It’s hard to make a system where people don’t need to show anything over and over again.
Airports in Asia, especially Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Delhi, are leading the way in using face scanning. Middle Eastern airports are also doing well. Europe is also making progress. For example, British Airways and Heathrow Airport tested a flight where people only used their phones to travel. The US is also using face scanning when people arrive, and in some places, when they leave.
The future of travel is here.
All airports need to use the same technology so that travel is smooth and safe. If one airport is great but the next one is different, it’s confusing for travelers. To make travel better, all countries need to work together and agree on one system. This would let people use the same digital ID everywhere, making travel faster and easier while keeping personal information safe. Airports like Abu Dhabi are showing the way for other airports to follow, leading to a future without paper documents.
