Around six million passengers have passed via the smart gates at the Dubai International Airport in 2022, and officials have asked more people to register for the service to prevent delays due to the summer rush.
The state-of-the-art biometric systems set up at the gates have relieved pressure on officers of passport control as more people choose to pass via the gates rather than being queued up for a physical stamp at immigration.
On average, around one million passengers every month have utilised the 122 smart gates throughout the airport since the start of 2022.
The GDRFA-Dubai (General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs) stated that they take just seconds to go via and eliminate the requirement for passengers to show identification documents at various touch points around the airport.
The Deputy Director Assistant for Airport Operations at GDRFA-Dubai, Colonel Faisal Al Nuaimi, said they have a 50% rise in 2022 of people using the smart gates and tunnel at the airport.
SmartGate airport system of Dubai makes travel hassle-free as most passengers don’t need to pass by an actual officer until they reach the plane because of smart travelling.
In 2021, GDRFA-Dubai established the fast-track biometric passenger journey at all 122 of its smart gates.
It uses face and iris-recognition technology to let passengers complete the passport control process in less than five seconds.
Travellers can also use their passports to pass via the gates in just eight seconds.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, the department launched the ‘Smart Tunnel’ that enables passengers to clear Passport Control in a speedy time.
Al Nuaimi stated that more people are utilising the smart tunnel when departing from the airport.
Around 23,000 people used the smart tunnel in the first six months of 2022.
Passengers can use it by walking via a biometric recognition system without requiring human intervention.