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Dubai Airports Unveils Modernization Plans with Air Taxis and Biometric Upgrades

Aviation and Aerospace

Biometric technology, Air taxis, passengers

Business Honor
21 October, 2024

Dubai Airports to enhance passenger experience with air taxis, biometrics, and accessibility upgrades

Dubai Airports is advancing its modernization strategy for Dubai International (DXB) with various initiatives aimed at enhancing passengers' experiences, including air taxis, biometric technology upgrades, and access-related improvements for disabled passengers.

Omar Binadai, Chief Technology and Infrastructure Officer at Dubai Airports, announced that an operator is working with regulators for licenses of flying taxis due to launch in the first quarter of 2026. Air taxis will make up one of the core modes of transporting passengers to and from the world's busiest airport in terms of international passenger traffic, which is DXB.

Besides air taxis, Dubai Airports is also upgrading its biometric infrastructure for facial recognition capture of arrival and departure data. The innovation will enable passengers to travel without the need for physical documents such as passports or tickets. Binadai noted that the use of biometric e-gates is projected to increase from 37% to 80%, extending this convenience to transit passengers as well.

Moreover, the concept of "one-stop security" is under consideration by the operator, whereby checks on transferring passengers at airports are reduced. Dubai Airports is assessing its data storage needs to support these advanced technologies and is currently managing these requirements in-house through its own data center complex.

New technologies and new accessibility technologies will be built, and Dubai Airports will implement 83 specialist terminals for passengers who can't hear and need clear and easy communication with specialists to be able to better operate. The airport also makes plans for technological solutions as well for the people afflicted by other disabilities by emphasizing reliance on AI and technology and facilitating greater independence.

Dubai Airports revised its annual forecast upwards after passenger numbers rose by eight percent in the first half of 2024. The operator now projects a record 91.8 million passengers for the year, compared with its previous estimate of 91 million.