The days of manual check-ins, physical passport handling and paper boarding cards could be at an end, with new research showing a fully digital travel experience is close to reality.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and its partners have successfully demonstrated that the industry is ready to deliver a fully digital air travel experience. This was achieved in a proof-of-concept (PoC) involving two passengers using different digital wallets and travel credentials on a round-trip between Hong Kong and Tokyo.
IATA partnered with Cathay Pacific, Narita International Airport and others in the experiment.
In the PoC, two travellers used digital wallets containing their digital passport, company ID, and frequent flyer credentials to obtain personalised offers, book a flight, obtain a visa, check their travel documentation, check-in and receive boarding passes.
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 – ePassport copy, live biometric image, visa copy, company ID, frequent flyer membership, order, and boarding pass – two digital wallets and a trust registry to verify issuers.
“A seamless fully digital travel experience powered by digital identity and biometrics has moved from theory to proven reality. The challenge now is to make this more efficient travel experience available to all travelers. There is good reason for optimism. 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,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety, and Security.
This successful pilot is a key step towards a seamless digital travel experience, allowing airlines to offer more personalised, secure, and efficient journeys for passengers using digital identity, while ensuring traditional manual processing remains available for those who prefer it or in case backup systems are needed.
