Latest advanced passenger systems launched for Dubai

Major General Obaid Mohair bin Suroor, (right) deputy director general of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA-Dubai) said with Dubai airports projected to receive over 100 million passengers by 2020, the emirate will launch an APIS system to support the direct passenger flight connections to 149 cities with populations of over one million people, creating potential export markets of over 916 million people, or 13 per cent of the world’s population.
The APIS aims to raise the security at airports and at the same time reduce the time of passenger-checking procedures to less than 20 seconds.
Although the first phase of APIS will start with Emirates Airline’s premium passengers, it will gradually expand to include the Economy class passengers.
Suroor said the Dubai government will circulate guidelines to all the airlines to follow the suit and benefit from the APIS. GDRFA-Dubai will be also be launching APIS for cruise tourists by mid-2015.
The UAE has already made steps in the APIS technology.
The GCAA early this year opened its Advance Passenger Information (API) Center in Abu Dhabi, which, according to HE Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Minister of Economy and Chairman of General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), will play a role in maintaining the security of UAE’s borders by accessing and assessing information of arriving, departing and transiting passengers by air, sea and land ports.
The API Center is using the state-of-art technology tools and latest technical regulations.
Mansoori said: “The UAE has always supported integration as a two-way process and the API Center is a UAE project which works closely with all airports and immigration authorities, which reflects the excellent cooperation between all entities.”
With the UAE visitors’ growing knowledge of using smart technology and E-systems, the country has been investing heavily in enhancing its airports’ smart gate practice, online check systems, do-it-yourself luggage methods, among others, which directly shrinks the time-consuming parts for a traveller, he said.
“National and regional cooperation regarding safety and security, investing in technology as well as educating the general public are all vital in order to facilitate the passengers’ demands while investing in capacity building,” Mansoori said.
Mansoori and Suroor will be speaking at the Future of Borders International Conference in Dubai from March 11 to 12.
The conference is hosted by GDRFA-Dubai and operated is under the patronage of HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) and Chairman of Dubai Airports
Over 24 globally-renowned experts from 12 countries and international organizations will address the conference at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, DIFC. Over 500 delegates are expected to attend, including Interior ministers, heads of border control, airlines CEOs, airports operators and representatives of international organizations such as IATA, ICAO and ACI.
Arabian Aerospace is a media partner for the event.