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Face it — times are changing.
Facial recognition technology will soon be enabled at every security checkpoint inside Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport — a global first, CNN reported.
The Smart Travel project, currently being implemented inside the futuristic flight hub serving the capital of the wealthy United Arab Emirates, will replace the traditional screening process — and the whipping out of travel documents, like a passport or ID card.
The capability will reportedly also be implemented at duty-free shops, lounges and boarding gates as well.
The goal is to have the biometric concept — which has courted controversy in the United States — fully running in 2025 at nine locations. Some parts of the airport have already incorporated the tech, as has Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi’s hometown carrier.
“It’s designed with no pre-enrollment required, passengers are automatically recognized and authenticated as they move through the airport, significantly speeding up the entire process,” said the airport’s chief information officer Andrew Murphy.
He bragged about its traffic-altering capabilities.
“People are reporting going from the curb into the retail area or to the gate in less than 15 minutes,” the spokesperson stated.
“To be able to move through an airport of that size in just a matter of minutes is really groundbreaking,” he added.
Last year, a survey from the International Air Transport Association found that 75% of surveyed passengers supported the initiative to move towards biometric identification.
In the U.S., where the TSA announced a planned rollout in more than 400 American airports, backlash over the concept has largely been related to privacy concerns.
“The TSA program is a precursor to a full-blown national surveillance state,” Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley.
“Nothing could be more damaging to our national values of privacy and freedom. No government should be trusted with this power.”
In Abu Dhabi, people can reportedly still opt for traditional scans.
