A fully digital international travel journey has been completed in Asia for the first time, paving the way for increased efficiency for global jetsetters.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) ran a proof-of-concept (PoC) exercise on a round trip flight between Hong Kong and Tokyo, with passengers using digital wallets and biometrics to complete the journey.
IATA Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety, and Security Nick Careen said the live trial showed the industry was ready to deliver a fully digital air travel experience.
Mr Careen said in the PoC, two travellers used digital wallets containing their digital passport, company ID and frequent flyer credentials to obtain personalized offers, book a flight, obtain a visa, check their travel documentation, check-in and receive boarding passes.
He said the travellers used biometric identification to manage airport processes in a live environment without repeatedly showing their travel documents.
“The successful journey integrated seven verifiable credentials, two digital wallets and a trust registry to verify issuers.”
Mr Careen said a seamless fully digital travel experience, powered by digital identity and biometrics, had moved from theory to proven reality.
“The challenge now is to make this more efficient travel experience available to all travellers.”
He said with One ID standards already in place and the expansion of Modern Airline Retailing to support digital identity with the highest levels of data privacy and protection, the industry could be ready for this in the very near future.
“Government efforts to adopt digital travel credentials based on ICAO standards are picking up pace. Europe is already planning to issue Digital Identity Wallets to citizens and residents by 2027.”
Mr Careen said a digital travel experience would allow airlines to offer more personalized, secure, and efficient journeys for passengers using digital identity.
