Dubai Airport to alert shopping, dining passengers about departure time at checkout counters

Dubai: Not only will passengers soon be able to breeze through Dubai International Airport (DXB) security with liquids and laptops still in their bags, but they will also get a polite reality check at checkout counters if they have lost track of time shopping or dining.

Dubai Airports is developing a system that will identify passengers making purchases and remind them if they're running short of time to catch their flight, CEO Paul Griffiths has revealed, adding another layer of convenience to the airport's technology revolution.

“When you make a transaction at a restaurant or at one of our retail stores, that transaction will identify who you are, where you're travelling to, and we'll do a quick check to see how long it takes you to get to the gate," Griffiths told Gulf News in an interview on Wednesday.

“If you're running short of time, then a polite reminder from the assistant—'your flight departs in 22 minutes, the gate is 10 minutes away, you better move on'—sort of thing, just to keep people on track,” he explained.

The initiative aims to prevent the trauma of passengers missing flights, which “happens occasionally,” according to Griffiths. The system would work by linking payment transactions to passenger information, calculating real-time distance to gates, and alerting both the customer and retail staff when departure is imminent.

“We want to avoid that trauma of people missing flights,” Griffiths said, describing the new passenger wayfinding technology as one of several innovations being trialled at DXB.

For travellers who arrive hours early, those who are always at the airport three hours before their flight, Griffiths quipped: the system won't be intrusive. But for those who treat the airport as an extension of their shopping itinerary or dining destination, it could prove invaluable.

The technology is part of a broader passenger wayfinding initiative that will track where customers are as their flight approaches departure time. “As a flight starts to get towards its departure time, [the new system gives] the ability to tell where our customers are so that we can remind them that they've got very little time to get to their plane,” Griffiths explained.

The system represents a shift from passive airport operations to active passenger assistance, using technology to anticipate problems before they occur rather than simply responding to missed flights.

Dubai International's extensive retail and dining offerings, from Dubai Duty Free shopping to lounge dining and numerous restaurant options, have long been a draw for travellers, with the airport serving as a shopping destination in its own right. However, with gates spread across multiple terminals and walking distances that can be substantial, timing remains crucial.

The checkout reminder system is being developed alongside other major technology upgrades at DXB. The airport is currently installing over 100 new AI-powered security scanners that will eliminate the need to remove liquids, laptops and electronics from bags at security checkpoints.

Five or six of these advanced Level 3 machines are already operational, with the majority set to be replaced during 2026. “Some of the machines have been installed already. You can actually go through the lanes and not take laptops or liquids out of your bag,” Griffiths confirmed.

The new scanners will also end the 19-year restriction on carrying aerosols and deodorants in hand luggage. Since May 31, 2007, passengers travelling through UAE airports have only be permitted to take through airport security screening checkpoints in cabin baggage, liquids such as toiletries, perfume, shaving foam, deodorant and lip balm providing they are in containers no bigger than 100ml each.

“I get so fed up not being able to take things like aerosols or deodorants, and all the things that you need when you travel. You have to buy them everywhere because you can't take them if you've only got hand baggage, and soon that will be over," Griffiths said.

Both the checkout reminder system and security scanner upgrades are being trialled at DXB before potential rollout at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), which is scheduled to open its second phase in 2032.

“There's a huge number of different things we're doing,” Griffiths said, describing DXB as “the perfect test bed for everything that we do at DWC in the future.”

Other technologies in development include passport-less immigration using facial recognition, where passengers “literally walk towards the security area and the facial recognition cameras recognise you and you just walk through without any stops.”

The initiatives form part of Dubai Airports' broader “no red lights” strategy, eliminating all stopping points during the airport journey. “The idea of no red lights is very much an initiative that we're pioneering at DXB," Griffith said.

Griffiths emphasised that airports worldwide have relied on systems that have not really changed for many decades, and it is time to apply high-tech solutions to improve the passenger experience.

“The technology certainly exists. We've just got to be bold and apply it and be bold enough to trial things to make sure that they work properly,” he said.

Dubai Airports is also trialling technology to eliminate the burden of carrying heavy bags through the airport altogether. The vision is to allow passengers to check in their baggage from anywhere in the city and have their luggage delivered directly to their homes or offices at their destination.

“When you buy a ticket, that should be it. You should be checked in. What we would really love to see would be the ability to have bags delivered and picked up from various stations on a network throughout Dubai,” Griffiths said.

He described a scenario where international connectivity would be seamless. “If you could check in in Frankfurt and have your bag checked all the way through to DIFC, for example, wouldn't it be wonderful? If you don't see your bag until you get to your final destination, or it's waiting for you at home, or in your office when you actually return from a trip?”

The airport is planning trials of this technology over the next few years. “Having to pick up and carry heavy bags through an airport is something that we are trying to relieve from, as a burden from our customers,” Griffiths said.

marhaba – a part of Emirates’ travel and airport services arm dnata – has already integrated offerings from DUBZ (the baggage technology and logistics company) into its expanding service portfolio.

Dubai International handled 95.2 million passengers in 2025 and has forecast 99.5 million for 2026 as it approaches the 100 million milestone.

However, Griffiths is confident the airport will exceed that conservative forecast. “I will be very disappointed if we have to close 2026 at 99.5m," he said, urging everyone to “get all your friends and family to travel twice as often this year” to help push past the 100 million mark.

“Our forecasts are always decently conservative. So, I hope that towards the end of the year, we will be saying it looks more like 100 million," Griffiths added.

In January 2026, the airport overtook Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to become the world's busiest airport by seat capacity, handling 5.5 million seats, placing it ahead of Atlanta, which recorded around 4.9 million seats for the same period.

Griffiths said DXB serves 291 unique destinations across 110 countries with 108 international airlines.

With 454,800 flights operated in 2025 and an average of 214 passengers per flight, the scale of operations makes passenger management increasingly complex and innovations like checkout reminders increasingly necessary.