Dubai airport debuts smart tunnels for passport control

The world’s busiest airport for international travel, Dubai International Airport, yesterday rolled out a new ‘smart tunnel’ that uses biometric technology instead of human checks to allow some air travelers to go through passport control in just 15 seconds, AP reports.

Passengers register at a kiosk before going through smart gates which uses iris recognition to let them through. For now, only business- and first-class passengers can use the system.

Maj. Gen, Mohammed Ahmed al-Marri, director-general at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs, said it is the “latest and most unique technology” and that the project has been in development for four years.

In January Princeton Identity’s Access500e identity management kiosk modules were deployed within the Dubai International Airport across the airport’s Emirates Airlines terminals.

"Smart Tunnel" at Terminal 3 of #Dubai International Airport enables passengers to go through passport control in few seconds. pic.twitter.com/fyrk3Da28R

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) October 10, 2018

Article Topics

biometrics  |  identity verification  |  iris recognition  |  Middle East  |  passenger processing