‘I want to eliminate queues entirely at Dubai International Airport,’ says CEO Griffiths

Dubai: Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths says his driving ambition is clear: “I just want to eliminate queues. I want to make the entire process frictionless.”

Speaking to Gulf News on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow, Griffiths explained that everything—from biometric check-ins to advanced security—aims to transform the passenger experience at both Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC).

Griffiths added, "What we want to do is remove as many pain points as possible—things people commonly dislike about airports. The list is long: queues, waiting times, slow processes, and unnecessary questions like "Do you have a laptop inside?" or instructions to "take your belt off" or "take your shoes off." None of that should be part of a customer-friendly, hospitality-oriented environment."

"Imagine walking into a five-star hotel and being told to take off your shoes—it's ridiculous."

Rather than treating everyone with suspicion, Griffiths said the goal is to shift towards assuming passengers are trustworthy unless proven otherwise.

"We understand the absolute necessity of maintaining the highest levels of aviation security, but with modern technology, we can do so in a much friendlier way."

Griffiths said Dubai Airports encourage companies to invest in creating single points of customer interaction; for example, capturing a biometric signature of a passenger's face just once through concealed cameras integrated into the infrastructure.

"As you walk through, the system recognises you instantly—if you get a green square around your face, you're good to go. It’s only the passengers with yellow or red flags that require additional attention or questions, and those exceptions are treated discreetly," he added.

"This way, we don’t assume everyone is guilty. How many other industries treat all their customers as criminals until proven otherwise? We know why security checks are necessary, but there must be a better, more efficient, and less intrusive way of providing even greater security without making passengers feel uncomfortable," he said.

Next-gen tech to make flying smoother

Dubai Airports is pushing the boundaries with the latest biometric and facial recognition systems, allowing travellers to be identified “with a single scan, often from cameras you can’t even see embedded in the infrastructure.”

Griffiths is adamant: “With modern technology, we can keep security tight but do it in a much friendlier way.”

In the future, passengers should be allowed to “just breeze through,” with technology making customs, immigration, and boarding seamless—“so you get from kerb to gate as quickly as possible, without the hassle,” he added.

DWC expansion draws international support

The transformation is not limited to DXB. DWC’s second phase is now fast-tracked, after a $3.5 billion UK export credit facility put the Dubai project on the map for international investors. “It’s a massively confident endorsement… and will likely open the door to even more global partnerships,” Griffiths said.

Design and operational planning for DWC are nearly complete, he added, stressing that everything from transport and road links to high-tech vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) hubs are being factored in to unlock smooth accessibility.