Removing liquids exceeding 100 millimetres and laptops from hand luggage at Dubai International Airport may soon become a thing of the past amid trials of new technology for faster security checks.
DXB is testing new screening equipment and artificial intelligence that will analyse the contents of passengers' hand luggage so they can pass through security checks carrying perfumes, creams and bottles of liquid, Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths told The National.
"We're already installing new machinery into both hold baggage screening and passenger baggage screening, which means that laptops and liquids can stay in bags."
The next step is to harness AI to screen bags at security checkpoints to profile their contents at the molecular level in a more detailed way, to quickly determine the safety of materials in question.
"AI can very quickly and powerfully check that there's nothing untoward that customers are taking through those security channels, which will give us a more robust security service and also a much faster one," Mr Griffiths said.
"AI making that decision will be quicker, more reliable and of course it doesn't need to take holidays or take a break. So, the use of AI will be very productive in terms of enhancing customer service and improving security."
'Frictionless experience'
Funnelling more passengers quickly through the airport means passengers spend less time waiting in long queues and more leisure time before their flights. DXB, the world's busiest airport, handled a record 46 million passengers in the first six months of this year, up 2.3 per cent from a year ago.
"The idea is that we really want a frictionless experience at DXB so that people can just breeze through the airport without stopping, arrive at our lounges and restaurants, do shopping, and just really hand them back that time so they're not standing in line waiting for things."
The technology will also help process more travellers faster through the airport, which is quickly nearing its maximum capacity amid continued growth in passenger traffic.
"It's absolutely essential because obviously we've grown 20 per cent in the last 10 years without any delivery of additional major infrastructure," Mr Griffiths said.
"So trying to make our existing infrastructure more and more efficient is a very important part of our growth strategy over the next few years."
Still under trial
The new machines are currently in the trial phase and the timetable for their use depends on successful testing and issuing the new rules.
"We want to accelerate as soon as possible and it's good to see that this is rolling out throughout the world," Mr Griffiths said. "If all goes well and the delivery schedule we've been promised actually materialises, then hopefully we can have those rules in place, which will be better for customers, staff and the entire airport experience and reputation."
The 100ml policy has been in place since 2006, when a plot to blow up transatlantic planes using liquid explosives was foiled. The rule remains widely in place around the world.
Airport security screening equipment capable of scanning the contents of large liquid containers approved by the European Commission recently could be deployed soon across the EU.
Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects in May awarded a contract to Smiths Detection, a specialist in threat detection and screening technology, to deliver state-of-the-art checkpoint screening at all terminals at DXB. Mr Griffiths confirmed these were the machines currently under trial.
Annual traffic
Mr Griffiths said he expects annual traffic at DXB to grow to 115 million passengers by 2032, when its $35 billion new terminal at Dubai's second hub, Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), will open.
As DXB reaches its maximum capacity, airlines would increasingly move to DWC in the interim to get their ideal slot timings, he added.
He also confirmed the vertiports for Dubai's first flying taxis are currently under construction at the airport. "I do believe this is going to be the future of personal mobility," he said.
"It won't be too many steps before we see flying taxis flying autonomously between destinations and it will be transformative over time."
The region's first electric air taxi test flight was carried out in Dubai last month ahead of a planned launch of commercial operations next year.
