Abu Dhabi Airports announced the launch of Biometric Smart Travel project which will replace the requirement for travel documents

Abu Dhabi Airports on Sunday announced the opening of the Biometric Smart Travel project, which will eliminate the need for passengers to interact directly with airport staff or obtain travel documents by providing automated traveller registration, self-service baggage delivery, and facial recognition verification at e-gates and boarding gates. The initiative, which aims to integrate biometric authentication technology across all airport security and operations touchpoints, will be implemented in three phases.

The initiative uses biometric technology to automatically identify travellers by utilising databases of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security. This eliminates the need for departing passengers to register in advance. The biometric systems were deployed at several airport touchpoints by Etihad Airways and Abu Dhabi Airports in conjunction with the opening of the new terminal at Zayed International Airport in November 2023. This comprised self-service luggage delivery, automated traveller registration, and face recognition verification at boarding gates and e-gates—all of which could be accessed without requiring travel documentation or requiring direct communication with airport personnel.

In order to register travellers' biometric data and enable facial recognition, Abu Dhabi Airports has started implementing a second phase of this project, which involves installing biometric systems at check-in for five additional airlines, installing e-gates in designated transit areas, and installing all boarding gates. Duty-free shopping establishments and the Etihad Airways lounge are also part of the upcoming development.

The Biometric Smart Travel initiative will improve airline efficiency by preventing costly infrastructure extensions and by successfully identifying identity document fraud and forgeries.