By 2025, it may become possible to board a flight without showing your passport, ID, or even a ticket at Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport because of its Smart Travel Project.
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What is the Smart Travel Project?
The Smart Travel Project is an initiative by the airport to use biometrics to streamline the process of boarding. “By 2025, Zayed International Airport aims to become the world's first fully document-free airport, integrating cutting-edge biometric technology at every checkpoint,” Zayed International Airport wrote in a post on LinkedIn.
The post further read that “This innovation will streamline the passenger experience, significantly reduce wait times, and enhance overall efficiency.”
What are biometrics and how are they used here?
Biometrics refer to the use of biological reference points such as fingerprints, facial points, the iris, and so on, that can be used to identify people.
For example, it is already used in some parts of the airport, especially on partner airline, Etihad's flights, according to a Business Standard report, which added that the sensors can verify a person's identity and travel status by simply scanning the face or eyes.
Are flyers comfortable with sharing their biometric data?
75% of passengers preferred using biometric data instead of traditional passports and boarding passes, according to an October 2023 survey by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which added that 46% of those who used biometric data reported a high satisfaction rate.
However, 40% of travellers said they would be more open to biometric solutions if they were confident their personal information was secure. This was up from 33% in 2022.
Where else is biometrics used?
Though no airport is officially passport-free yet, Singapore's Changi Airport has partnered with its official immigration authority to develop a biometric clearance system for both residents and tourists, according to the report.
There are also biometric terminals already in place at Hong Kong International Airport, Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda, and New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport.
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In Europe, IATA teamed up with British Airways for a test of the first fully integrated digital identity international flight, with a test passenger flying from London's Heathrow to Rome's Fiumicino using only their digital identity, stored in a digital wallet, and verified by biometrics.
The US has implemented biometrics at the arrival zones of all 96 international airports, with 53 locations also using biometrics for departures.