Ever heard of FaceBoarding? It’s not upside-down skateboarding – it’s the future of travel, baby, and it means you’ll soon board planes using just your face. Following the news that two airports in Europe are trialling this new passport-free boarding process, one airport in the Middle East is set to ditch boarding documents altogether.
As part of Abu Dhabi Airport’s ‘Smart Travel’ project, from 2025 passengers travelling through Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport will be able to check in for their flights using just facial recognition, thanks to the rollout of this new artificial intelligence at all security checkpoints.
But how does the tech actually work? Well, it comes in the form of sensors that will be installed, and travellers will pass through three before departure the plane: one to register their likeness, one to check-in, and one to board.
In a press release celebrating the millionth passenger to use the biometric sensors, the Airport’s CEO Elena Sorlini said: ‘The initial rollout of cutting-edge biometrics at Zayed International Airport underscores our dedication to enhancing airport experiences through innovation and technology, ensuring efficiency, convenience, and superior service. Once fully implemented, Abu Dhabi will pioneer as the world’s first airport with biometrics integrated at every stage, ensuring travellers enjoy a seamless, safe, and secure journey.’
According to euronews, a statement made by the local government in July said the project will use the UAE’s Federal Authority database to automatically authenticate travellers, meaning passengers will no longer need to register upon arriving at the airport.
These tech advances aren’t the only ones going on in air travel right now, though – Etihad Airways, also a UAE airline, already has biometric systems in place to assist with boarding and self-service baggage check-ins, meaning travellers no longer need physical boarding passes.
Thanks to this technology, the time it takes to have your travel documents verified has been shortened from 25 seconds down to seven seconds – pretty speedy really.
And that’s basically the aim. A statement from Abu Dhabi Airports reads that the project ‘will enhance airline performance by eliminating the need for expensive infrastructure expansions and effectively detecting fraud and forgery in identification documents’.
More on advancements in air travel
While the technology being developed will soon be making airport check-ins a breeze, other changes made by airlines have passenger comfort in mind. One airline has just introduced a policy where women can request not to sit next to men – read more about that here.
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