In Russia, plane boarding will be tested using facial recognition.

      From June 1, 2026, Russia will begin an experiment under which passengers on domestic flights will be able to check in, pass security screening and board a plane using biometrics — without presenting a passport at turnstiles. Testing will continue until December 1, 2027, and will take place at Sheremetyevo and Pulkovo airports — subject to technical readiness, Interfax reports.

      The draft decree has been published by the government: both Russian citizens and foreigners will be able to participate, but the system will work only for those who have previously uploaded their data to the Unified Biometric System and consented to its use when purchasing a ticket. Biometric passage will be a voluntary alternative — at the request of security staff the passenger will still be required to present a document.

      If the project proves successful, they plan to scale the system to other airports. Pulkovo has previously conducted closed trials of the "Migom" service — the biometric boarding technology was tested in the summer of 2025.