Dubai Airports is “deconstructing” the travel experience at the future Al Maktoum International Airport: passengers will simply buy a ticket and will not have to take out their passports for immigration, or laptops and liquids for screening. They will drop off their luggage and walk straight to the aircraft for boarding.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, shared this vision for Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central (DWC), built around removing the traditional friction points of air travel, starting with check-in, during a briefing with the local and international media on Thursday.

“I want to make you think you're not at an airport, and if I manage to achieve that, then that will be a big tick in the box. The whole idea is that the whole check-in process should vanish, so you shouldn't need to stand behind a check-in desk and actually physically check in.”

Dubai International Airport's (DXB) entire operations will be relocated to Al Maktoum International Airport, with the first phase set to commence operations in 2032. Al Maktoum Airport will be the largest airport globally when it is fully operational, with capacity reaching 260 million.

Griffiths said passenger and passport details should be captured entirely at the point of ticket purchase, with travellers simply dropping off their bags on arrival at the airport before walking straight through, aided by facial recognition and ceiling- and wall-mounted cameras that identify passengers and their flights.

On baggage handling, Griffiths questioned why the industry still relies on paper tags.

(Source: Khaleej Times)