Emirates Group is developing a new luggage-handling robot designed to combine facial recognition, baggage acceptance and tagging in a single automated process as the airline expands the use of technology across airport operations.
The system is expected to be showcased and launched during the first quarter of 2027. Keenan Hamza, Vice President of Innovation and New Technologies at Emirates Group, revealed details of the project during ForsaTEK 2026 in Dubai, held at the company’s headquarters on September 21 and 22.
The planned robot is being developed using technology and experience gained from Sara, Emirates’ robotic check-in assistant. Sara uses facial recognition to match passengers with their scanned passports, completes the check-in process and directs travellers to baggage drop facilities.
The new system is intended to take that process further by handling the physical baggage itself. According to Hamza, an approaching passenger would first be identified through facial scanning before handing over a bag to the robot. The machine would then weigh the luggage and automatically attach the appropriate baggage tag.
Emirates has already introduced several automated and off-airport processing options in Dubai. Sara remains in use at Emirates City Check In and Travel Store at the Dubai International Financial Centre, while passengers can also access self-service kiosks, staffed check-in counters and baggage processing services outside the airport.
