DUBAI: Dubai is leading the global adoption of airport technologies, with artificial intelligence (AI), biometrics, digital twins and integrated data platforms transforming passenger screening, baggage handling and energy management across the aviation sector.
The developments were highlighted at the 25th edition of Airport Show, which concluded at Dubai World Trade Centre on October 14, bringing together industry leaders to discuss how technology can improve operational efficiency and passenger experience.
During a panel discussion titled “Smart Airport Operations: Connecting Every Stage from Home to Flight”, held alongside the Global Airport Leaders’ Forum (GALF), speakers explored ways to accommodate growing passenger numbers while maintaining high service standards throughout the travel journey.
Airports are increasingly connecting different stages of travel, from check-in and security screening to baggage handling, boarding and arrival. Dubai is also advancing services that allow passengers to check in their baggage from locations across the city.
Dubai Airports plans to work towards implementing Baggage Collaborative Decision Making (B-CDM) over the coming year, supporting its broader Total Airport Management (TAM) framework.
Dubai Police outlined how AI, predictive analytics and advanced screening technologies are being integrated at Dubai International Airport (DXB). In August 2026, the airport introduced security screening equipment that allows passengers to keep laptops, liquids and other personal belongings inside their hand luggage during screening.
Other technologies include smart screening systems, centralised screening rooms, cameras for occupancy monitoring and behavioural analysis, vehicle-stopping systems, mechanisms for tracking missing passengers, passenger-flow monitoring and a digital twin developed in collaboration with Dubai Airports.
According to information presented at the forum, these systems can forecast passenger volumes up to two months in advance, with predictions refined to 15-minute intervals. The new screening equipment can process three times as many passengers as previous systems, while 98% of passengers at DXB currently wait less than five minutes at security checkpoints.
During a session examining the passenger and baggage journey, Ciaran O’Sullivan, vice president of Airline Services at dnata, highlighted the company’s “Check-in Anywhere” service, which allows passengers travelling with Emirates, flydubai and other airlines to check in their baggage from their homes, hotels or workplaces.
John Dyte, vice president of Baggage at Dubai Airports, said the organisation was exploring electronic baggage tags and off-airport check-in facilities at multiple locations across the city.
He said Dubai had an opportunity to lead globally in enabling passengers to check in baggage from virtually anywhere.
Kroos Ross, vice president for the Middle East and Africa, Airports and Border Authorities at Amadeus, highlighted the role of biometrics based on a single enrolment system in connecting baggage reconciliation with aircraft weight and balance systems.
The integration can eliminate manual data entry and help reduce fuel consumption, according to the presentation.
With infrastructure at DXB largely complete, speakers said future capacity improvements would increasingly depend on collaboration and data sharing rather than the construction of additional facilities.
Khurram Qureshi, head of Portfolio and Stakeholder Management at Dubai Air Navigation Services (dans), said Airport Collaborative Decision Making was aimed at ensuring that the right information was shared with all stakeholders across the airport ecosystem.
The discussions also examined DXB’s operations, which handle approximately 100 million passengers annually, alongside preparations for Al Maktoum International Airport, which is expected to accommodate more than 200 million passengers within the next five to six years.
Meanwhile, Ras Al Khaimah International Airport is preparing for its next phase of growth amid expanding tourism developments across the emirate.
Binu Gopal, chief operating officer of Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, said the airport had surpassed one million passengers last year and currently served approximately 14 destinations, primarily in India, Pakistan and Egypt.
As an immediate step, the airport is developing a dedicated private aviation terminal for business jets, general aviation and VIP passengers. Discussions are also underway with airlines about introducing new routes.
Gopal said the airport was planning a new passenger terminal with a capacity of at least two to three million passengers. The project remains in the preliminary design stage and is expected to be completed by 2030.
In the meantime, the existing terminal will undergo upgrades and modernisation to meet current operational requirements.
Gopal said participation in Airport Show was providing an opportunity to explore advanced technologies to improve passenger experience, particularly contactless systems and solutions that help travellers better understand their surroundings and journey. Some technologies are planned for the existing terminal, while most will be incorporated into the new facility.
The forum also examined how airport design is evolving to address rising passenger traffic, rapid technological advances and increasingly complex operational requirements.
In a case study titled “The Airport as a System of Systems: Designing for an Interconnected Future”, Carlotta Godenzoni, head of Infrastructure and Systems Design in the Technical and Implementation Area at Italy’s Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport, said modern airport development was shifting away from simply adding terminals and boarding gates.
Instead, the focus is increasingly on maximising existing infrastructure and improving operational efficiency through integrated systems.
Godenzoni said airports should be viewed as interconnected ecosystems rather than collections of separate facilities. She emphasised the need to incorporate modern technologies, systems for managing high-density air traffic and operational data to increase capacity and improve efficiency.
