Abu Dhabi airport to replace passport checks with facial recognition technology

Abu Dhabi Airports is gearing up to launch advanced biometric technology, which uses a passenger’s facial features as their passport, from the time they arrive at the airport until they board their flight.

The technology uses smart cameras to capture an image of the passenger’s face and confirms whether they are cleared to travel. The same information is then used prior to boarding, avoiding the need to present documents again.

The technology will be implemented gradually, and its first phase is currently being tested at the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility in Abu Dhabi International Airport, the only US immigration pre-clearance service in the region that allows passengers to clear US immigration while they are 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 travellers 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 ahead of Etihad increasing flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York from four to 11 flights a week from November 15, 2022.

The USCBP technology is also in place at JFK meaning guests flying to Abu Dhabi from New York will also enjoy a seamless 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.”

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