Munich, October 30, 2023 – IDnow, a leading identity verification platform provider in Europe, in collaboration with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and other industry partners, supported the first integrated digital identity travel experience, streamlining the process from flight shopping to arrival. The demonstration took place on a journey from London Heathrow (LHR) to Rome Fiumicino (FCO) with British Airways.
“Working closely on this project with IATA and the other partners underlines our commitment to a future travel experience that is digital, efficient, and seamless. The integrated journey we demonstrated at the World Passenger Symposium in Chicago paves the way for simpler and more seamless travel experiences,” says Dr Heinrich Grave, Senior Vice President Digital Identity at IDnow.
“Thank you to IDnow for their collaboration in demonstrating the first fully integrated digital identity travel experience, from shopping for flights to arrival. Our goal has always been a future of travel that’s fully digital and secured with biometric identification. Though we’ve had the technology for individual steps, bringing them together has been a challenge. Today, with the support of our partners, we’ve shown it’s achievable. This is a significant stride towards simpler and smoother travel experiences in the future,” says Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety and Security.
Key highlights of the digital travel experience include:
- Personalised Offers: Leveraging data, such as loyalty card details stored securely in digital wallets, to curate personalised offers for travellers.
- Simplified Orders: Streamlined order generation that eliminates the need for traditional tickets, storing all essential journey details in a verifiable digital credential accessible via a QR code.
- Effortless Travel Requirements Check: Pre-journey processes to confirm travel requirements, backed by IATA’s Timatic system.
- “Ready to Fly” Simplifying and Securing Check-ins: Enhancing the check-in process by sharing necessary digital documents with the airline, ensuring passengers are ready for their journey.
- Contactless Airport Experiences: The potential for a hands-free airport experience, facilitated through biometric gates, from security checks to boarding.
IDnow supported the project with its IDnow Wallet. The IDnow Wallet is used for storing and presenting digital travel credentials, such as boarding passes and Digital Travel Authorizations, such as digital visas. IDnow also provides the remote identity verification solution that is used when the passenger enrolls for digital credentials in the wallet solution.
The LHR-FCO journey serves as a “Proof of Concept” incubated in the IATA Innovation Lab. IDnow remains dedicated to such innovative collaborations that aim to push the boundaries of what is possible in the aviation industry.
