The international hub is aiming to become fully biometric by 2025.

You might be being follow the next time you ’re cruise through Abu Dhabi ’s Zayed International Airport . I ’m not talking about actually being watched , like , say , by a undercover agent or hidden cameras . Instead , I ’m talking about obvious biometric cameras that practice facial acknowledgment to key out you .

By 2025 , the aerodrome might become the first airport in the world to be able to rely entirely onbiometric identification . In other words , it might become the first airport where you do n’t call for to hold or use your passport , ID , or flight of steps ticket .

AsCNNreports , this is part of the Smart Travel Project , which the drome is launching now . The goal is to make the airport entirely biometric - focused , meaning that every identification checkpoint will be fit with biometric sensors to recognize and allow access to travelers . From the moment rider go about the balk - in desk , through security , and board the plane , they wo n’t have to worry about showing any documents — their face will suffice .

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While the Abu Dhabi airport is n’t new to the technology ( biometric sensor are already used in some parts of Zayed International Airport ) , it has never in full adopted it . Doing so would deed over it the title of the globe ’s first fully biometric ( and passport - free ) airport .

But what ’s the point of it , anyway ? According to official , it arrive at the transportation experience smoother and quicker . Reports show promising data in areas where the technology is already being used .

" People are report sound from the curb bit into the retail area or to the gate in less than 15 minutes , " Andrew Murphy , the chief information officer at Abu Dhabi Airport , toldCNN . " When you view that this is a huge facility , [ … ] capable of process 45 million passenger , to be able to move through an airport of that size of it in just a matter of proceedings is really innovative . "

But do n’t accent out about it too much . If you do n’t need your facial information scanned and put in ( like 25 % of travelers , according to a 2023survey ) , you could opt out and expend the good old human interaction - establish checkpoint system rather .

" I conceive that the human tactile sensation , it does hail down to personal choice , " Louise Cole , head of customer experience and facilitation for IATA , told CNN . " And it ’s giving customers a choice that reflect what we have in other environments . "