For many people in several countries, air travel can be a major headache. The long queues to have the passport checked, baggage cleared, security checks can really be a pressure on a lot of people. It is particularly a strain and a drain on the energies of those who are sick or elderly.

In these matters, the UAE leads the way to pathbreaking journeys, starting with Dubai, which makes travel procedures so easy-peasy to deal with. To illustrate, long queues are a thing of the past.

Passengers travelling through Dubai airport will no longer be forced to wait in serpentine queues to get passport clearance as the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA-Dubai) has launched a new fast-track passport control service that uses face and iris-recognition technologies.

Over a hundred smart gates at arrival and departure terminals in Dubai airports are now equipped with the new biometric systems deployed to enable passengers to complete passport control procedures in five to nine seconds depending on the movement and steps of the passenger.

Pre-registration is required to avail the service. Outbound passengers can avail of the new fast-track service at the smart gates located at the departure terminal after obtaining their boarding pass and completing pre-registration.

Using advanced artificial intelligence (AI), the new service enhances passengers’ travel experience by expediting immigration procedures.

The newly developed system is part of GDRFA-Dubai’s efforts to develop innovative smart services in line with the leadership’s directives to integrate advanced technologies into all government services to enhance people’s quality of life.

Director General of GDRFA-Dubai Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri said GDRFA-Dubai is using biometric systems and artificial intelligence extensively to enrich passengers’ travel experience at airports. The launch of the new service is the culmination of the GDRFA project team’s efforts to use technological advancements to speed up immigration processes and simplify travel procedures.

It’s just not Dubai, which is trying to make travel through its airports very comfortable. Etihad Airways too does not lag behind. The International Air Transport Association and Etihad Airways, the UAE national airline, have announced a partnership to launch the IATA Travel Pass for Etihad Airways’ guests.

The IATA Travel Pass is a mobile application to help passengers easily and securely manage their travel in line with government requirements for COVID-19 tests or vaccines.

IATA Travel Pass will initially be offered to Etihad’s guests on selected flights from Abu Dhabi in the first quarter of 2021. If successful, the pass will be extended to other destinations on the Etihad network, the airline said in a statement on Tuesday.

The IATA Travel Pass will enable Etihad’s guests to create a ‘digital passport’ to receive COVID test results and verify they are eligible to undertake their journey. Importantly, the Travel Pass will keep passengers in control of their data and facilitate the sharing of their test with airlines and authorities for travel. It will also make it convenient for passengers to manage travel documentation throughout their journey.

It all goes to show that not only has the UAE dared pick up the coronavirus gauntlet, it has also turned the challenges posed by the pandemic into opportunities.

The aviation sector has played a significant role in delivering Emirati humanitarian aid during the coronavirus crisis.

The aviation sector has intensified its efforts to evacuate Emirati citizens who were abroad during the peak of the crisis and the citizens of friendly countries, to ensure their safe return.

The UAE has also supported many countries affected by the pandemic by sending aid on national carriers, benefiting over 118 countries with tonnes of relief and medical aid.