The Organization of International Civil Aviation (ICAO), the United Nations Agency dedicated to Civil Aviation, is preparing a structural change in the way passengers interact with airports and airlines.
The initiative, reported by the British newspaper involves the creation of a “digital travel credential” that will integrate passport and ticket data into an electronic format stored on the mobile phone.
What is changing at airports?
With this digital credential, it would no longer be necessary to check the traditional check-in or present boarding cards. The process would become automated, with facial recognition to assume a central role.
The passenger’s face would function as a single identifier, allowing access to different points of the terminal without the need for human contact or document display.
How will the digital pass work
The operation of the system provides that, after the flight reservation, the passenger receives a digital “travel pass”, which will be automatically updated in case of changes in the itinerary.
At the airport, as the passenger’s face is identified by the biometric systems, the company is notified from its presence, dispensing with the conventional check-in process.
We recommend:
Facial Recognition: The New Passport
The proposal, which comes at a time when digitization accelerates in several sectors, is seen as the largest revolution in the aviation sector since the introduction of the electronic ticket in the early 2000s.
According to statements by Valérie Viale, Director of Product Management at Amadeus, cited by The GuardianThis innovation will allow more efficient flow of flows at airports and a more agile response to disturbance situations such as delays or cancellations.
Privacy, security and technical challenges
This transformation, however, implies a significant investment in technology. Airports will have to be equipped with biometric readers and safe systems capable of accessing data stored on mobile devices.
The issue of privacy also plays a central role. According to Amadeus, the collected biometric data will be automatically eliminated 15 seconds after each interaction with the systems.
What is missing for this change to happen?
The ICAO plan should be progressively implemented over the next three years, and is still dependent on the adherence of the Member States and the national and European legislation on the protection of data and rights of passengers.
Also read:
