Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has developed industry standards to make it easier for travelers to arrive at airports ready-to-fly. Through the newly released Recommended Practice on Digitalization of Admissibility, travelers can digitally prove their admissibility to an international destination without having to stop at the check-in desk or boarding gate.
IATA’s One ID initiative aims to enable contactless biometric processes at airports to digitalize the passenger experience.
Many airports already use biometric boarding passes to enable travelers to use airport processes such as boarding without presenting paper documentation. In many cases, travelers would still need to present physical documents for proof of their admissibility (such as passports, visas, and health credentials).
One ID will be made possible by the Digitalization of Admissibility standard, which allows passengers to obtain all necessary pre-travel authorizations digitally directly from governments before their trip. Travelers can avoid all on-airport document checks by sharing their “OK to Fly” status with their airline.
“Passengers want technology to simplify travel. The ability to prove your admissibility to your airline before you get to the airport is a huge step forward. According to the IATA Global Passenger Survey, 83% of travelers are willing to share immigration information for expedited processing. This is why we believe it will be a popular option for travelers when it is implemented. As a result, airlines and governments will also benefit from improved data quality, streamlined resourcing requirements, and identifying admissibility issues before passengers arrive at the airport. This is according to IATA Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety, and Security Nick Careen.
Travelers will be able to do the following in the future:
• Utilize their airline app on their smartphone to verify their digital identity
• Their digital identity allows them to send all required documentation in advance to the destination authorities.
• Their digital passport/identity app will provide them with a digital ‘approval of admissibility’
• Provide their airline with the verified credential (not all of their data)
• Arrive at the airport after receiving confirmation from their airline that everything is in order
Information security
These updated standards protect passengers’ data and ensure that travel remains accessible to all. Data remains in the hands of passengers, and only credentials are shared peer-to-peer (without an intermediary). The Digital Travel Credential is interoperable with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). To allow travelers to opt-out of online admissibility processing, manual processing options will be retained.
This process will be convenient and secure for travelers. It is important to note that information is shared only with those who need to know it. While governments may require detailed personal information for visa issuance, airlines will only be informed that a traveler has a visa and under what conditions. The passenger’s data will remain in their hands, so no large databases will need to be protected. Louise Cole, IATA’s Head of Customer Experience and Facilitation, explained that simplicity, security, and convenience are built into the system by design.
Timatic
With IATA’s Timatic offering, airlines and travelers will have trusted information about entry requirements. By integrating Timatic into apps providing entry requirements registry models, a global collection, verification, updating, and distribution process is implemented.
You can find more information by contacting:
Corporate Communications
Tel: +41 22 770 2967
Email: corpcomms@iata.org
Editor’s Notes:
• Some 300 airlines comprise 83% of global air traffic and are members of the IATA (International Air Transport Association).
• If you would like to stay up-to-date on industry news and announcements, follow us on twitter.com/iata.
• Global Media Days media kit
