Pulkovo Airport is the first in Russia to begin testing the Migom service, which allows passengers to go through all stages of control — from registration to boarding — without a passport. To do this, it is enough to upload data in advance to the Unified Biometric System (UBS), scan the QR code and go through face identification.
The experiment is being conducted jointly with the Ministry of Digital Development and will last until 2026, after which the service will be available to a limited group of domestic flight passengers. Previously, Pulkovo had already introduced biometrics for access to business lounges, but now the technology covers the entire passenger journey. According to Leonid Sergeev, General Director of the airport operator, in the future 70% of passengers will be able to pass through biometrics, and 30% through traditional documents.
Although biometric systems in airports have already become the standard in the world, their implementation in Russia is delayed. For example, at Sheremetyevo, passport control by face has been available since 2021, but mass application of the technology is expected only by 2029-2030, as Dmitry Ilyin, Deputy General Director for IT of Sheremetyevo Airport, stated at the CIPR-2025 forum.
Read also materials on the topic:
Boarding of long-distance trains using biometrics will be introduced in Russia by 2029
Face recognition technology is being introduced to monitor workers at construction sites in Moscow