Boarding Without a Passport: Russia Tests Biometric Travel System
Starting in 2026, Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg will begin testing “Migom,” a biometric system that allows passengers to complete all stages of travel—from check-in to boarding—without showing a passport.
Enhancing Passenger Comfort
The new biometric system is integrated with Russia’s Unified Biometric System (EBS), which has already been used more than 150 million times nationwide. “Migom” radically simplifies all preflight procedures: passengers will no longer need to present documents when checking in for domestic flights, entering the secure zone, or boarding.
The first pilot of its kind in Russia will begin at Pulkovo in 2026, with a limited group of volunteers. All necessary equipment—including face-recognition scanners and software—has already been installed and tested. In October 2025, the system was presented to a government delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko, who noted the growing demand for biometric technologies among Russian citizens.
The project’s importance is underscored by a four-party agreement between the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Digital Development, the Center for Biometric Technologies, and Aeroflot. It marks the first official document affirming the introduction of biometric systems in Russian aviation. Importantly, participation will remain voluntary—each passenger can choose between biometric identification and traditional passport checks.
From Pulkovo to a National Network
After the successful completion of the pilot in St. Petersburg, the technology will be scaled to Russia’s major airports. The first in line are Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Vnukovo, where IT modernization is already underway. Sheremetyevo began developing biometric technologies in 2021 and is ready for implementation pending legal updates.
Minister of Transport Andrey Nikitin expects large-scale adoption of biometric identification in major airports between 2028 and 2029. Because the process involves coordination with law enforcement agencies, full implementation will take several years. By the end of 2025, the trial phase is expected to confirm system reliability.
While export potential is limited by national data laws and integration requirements, the technology could be adopted by CIS countries and other partners following Russia’s digital governance model. The project also serves as a case study in deploying mass biometrics under state data oversight.
From Pilot Programs to Global Standards
The Russian project aligns with global trends in airport automation. Singapore’s Changi Airport began full biometric border control in 2024. Dubai International introduced “smart tunnels” for automatic face recognition, and in the U.S., biometric eGates are being tested at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport for rollout by 2026.
Russia’s Unified Biometric System has shown remarkable growth: the number of registered users rose from 3 million in February to 7 million by August 2025. In the first half of 2025 alone, 5.9 million services were processed through EBS—five times more than in the previous three years. Biometrics are already used for fare payments in subways across five Russian cities, for public services, and in banking.
Unlike many foreign systems built by private companies for individual airports, Russia’s approach is centralized—integrated with national digital platforms and unified security standards. This makes it more resilient and scalable across the country’s aviation network.
Digital Transformation Outlook
The Pulkovo pilot marks a new era in Russia’s aviation industry. In the short term, by 2027, legal regulation of biometric use in air transport is expected to be finalized, with commercial operation launching at Pulkovo. In parallel, other airports will upgrade their infrastructure for broader deployment.
By 2030, biometric identification is projected to become standard for most domestic flights. The global airport biometrics market, valued at $34.9 billion in 2025, could reach $146.3 billion by 2035, with an average annual growth rate of 15.4%.
The successful rollout will pave the way for integrating biometrics into Russia’s wider transport ecosystem. Since September 2025, long-distance train boarding by biometrics has been available, laying the groundwork for seamless multimodal travel where a single biometric ID provides access to all transport modes.
In the long term, Russian airports aim to evolve into fully digital transport hubs, integrated with smart city systems, personalized services, and automated passenger management. For travelers, this means less time spent on formalities and greater comfort. For the aviation industry, it promises operational efficiency and new digital value creation opportunities.
