• The contactless airport experience reduces human interaction, putting
emphasis on health and safety
• Emirates launches integrated biometric path at the airport for added
convenience
Dubai, UAE, 23 October 2020 – As part of Emirates’ commitment to
continuous innovation and an unmatched customer experience, the airline
has launched an integrated biometric path at Dubai International airport
(DXB). The contactless airport experience is now open to Emirates
passengers travelling from and through Dubai.
The integrated biometric path will give passengers a seamless travel
journey from specific check-in to boarding gates, improving customer
flow through the airport with less document checks and less queuing.
Utilizing the latest biometric technology – a mix of facial and iris
recognition, Emirates passengers can now check in for their flight,
complete immigration formalities, enter the Emirates Lounge, and board
their flights, simply by strolling through the airport. The various
touchpoints in the Biometric path allow for a hygienic contactless
travel journey, reducing human interaction and putting emphasis on
health and safety.
Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer said: “We have always
focused on providing a great customer experience at any touchpoint and
now it is more vital than before to make use of technology and implement
products, and introduce processes that focuses not only on fast tracking
customers, but more importantly on health and safety during their travel
journey. The state-of-the-art, contactless biometric path is the latest
in a series of initiatives we have introduced to make sure that
travelling on Emirates is a seamless journey and gives customers added
peace of mind.”
The biometric touchpoints are currently installed at select First,
Business and Economy Class check-in desks in Terminal 3 at DXB;
immigration gates including a “smart tunnel”; Emirates’ premium lounge
entrance at concourse B as well select boarding gates. Areas where
biometric equipment are installed will be clearly marked and additional
units will be installed at each touchpoint in the future.
The Smart Tunnel, a project by the General Directorate of Residence and
Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA) in collaboration with Emirates, is a
world-first for passport control, where passengers simply walk through a
tunnel and are “cleared” by immigration authorities without human
intervention or the need for a physical passport stamp.
Emirates is also the first airline outside America to receive approval
for biometric boarding from the U.S. Customs Border Protection (CBP).
Customers flying from Dubai to Emirates’ destinations in the U.S. will
be able to choose facial recognition technology at the departure gates.
The biometric path is the latest in a host of initiatives by Emirates to
provide a smart contactless journey. In the last month, the airline has
introduced other services including self-check-in and bag drop kiosks at
DXB for a smoother airport experience.
Emirates’ booking policies offer customers flexibility and confidence to
plan their travel. Customers who purchase an Emirates ticket for travel
on or before 31 March 2021, can enjoy generous rebooking terms and
options, if they have to change their travel plans. Customers have
options to change their travel dates, extend their ticket validity for 2
years, or convert their ticket into a travel voucher to use against any
future flight-related purchase for themselves or their family and
friends.
Customers can now travel with confidence, as Emirates has committed to
cover COVID-19 related medical expenses, free of cost, should they be
diagnosed with COVID-19 during their travel while they are away from
home. This cover is immediately effective for customers flying on
Emirates until 31 December 2020, and is valid for 31 days from the
moment they fly the first sector of their journey. This means Emirates
customers can continue to benefit from the added assurance of this
cover, even if they travel onwards to another city after arriving at
their Emirates destination. For more details:
www.emirates.com/COVID19assistance.
Emirates has implemented a comprehensive set of measures at every step
of the customer journey to ensure the safety of its customers and
employees on the ground and in the air, including the distribution of
complimentary hygiene kits containing masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and
antibacterial wipes to all customers. For more information on these
measures and the services available on each flight, visit:
www.emirates.com/yoursafety.
Tourist entry requirements: For more information on entry requirements
for international visitors to Dubai visit: www.emirates.com/flytoDubai.
Dubai residents can check the latest travel requirements at:
www.emirates.com/returntoDubai.