Touchless travel on departures from Abu Dhabi to the USA

Etihad Airways has introduced touchless travel for flights departing from Abu Dhabi to the USA. The airline currently flies to NewYork (JFK), Washington DC (IAD) and Chicago (ORD) in the United States.

Etihad departures from New York JFK returning to Abu Dhabi also use contactless boarding.

How does touchless travel work in Abu Dhabi?

Biometric facial scanners have been installed at all boarding gates used for flights to the United States. The scanner checks a passenger’s facial features.

If the system recognises the passenger, a green light indicates they are free to board. There is no need to show either a passport or boarding pass.

Touchless travel is the future at Abu Dhabi

Flights to the US are only the first to use touchless boarding. Abu Dhabi Airport intends to expand the touchless travel experience to include check-in and all departures from the airport.

The long-awaited Midfield Terminal will be totally touchless once it eventually opens.

Will it be easier?

Etihad promises that touchless boarding will be a quicker and easier passenger experience. However, I am curious to experience touchless boarding in practice.

Anyone who has ever used e-gates at various airports around the world knows that sometimes the technology can be clunky. Passengers will also take a little time to get used to the new technology.

I am also curious to see how issues like seat changes and operational upgrades are handled during touchless boarding. I assume a red light will illuminate to alert the gate agent that manual intervention is required.

US CPB Pre Clearance at Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi (AUH) is the only airport in the Middle East with a US Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance facility. Passengers clear US immigration before take-off and are treated as domestic arrivals on landing.

Pre-clearance has two big advantages. First, on arrival in the US, you are free to pick up your bags and go. If you’re connecting to another destination in the US, it is also possible for Etihad to check bags straight through to your final destination. Not something possible if you need to clear customs on arrival in the US.

Conclusion

All departures from Abu Dhabi (AUH) to the United State now use touchless boarding. Eventually, the entire travel experience will be touchless in Abu Dhabi.