The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has developed new industry standards to bring the ‘Ready to Fly’ option for passengers at airports closer to reality.
IATA’s new ‘Recommended Practice on Digitalization of Admissibility’ will allow passengers to digitally prove their admissibility to an international destination without stopping at the check-in desk or boarding gate for document checks.
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As part of the One ID initiative, air carriers are working with IATA to digitalise the passenger experience at airports using contactless biometric-enabled processes.
The new standard will help in the realisation of One ID through a system that will allow passengers to digitally obtain all necessary pre-travel authorisations directly from governments before their trip.
Travellers can avoid on-airport document checks by sharing their ‘OK to Fly’ status with their airline company.
Going forward, they will be able to create a verified digital identity using their airline app on their smartphone and later send their digital identity as proof of all required documentation to destination authorities in advance.
Passengers will then receive a digital ‘approval of admissibility’ in their digital identity/passport app, which can be shared with their airline company.
IATA Operations, Safety and Security senior vice-president Nick Careen said: “Passengers want technology to make travel simpler. By enabling passengers to prove their admissibility to their airline before they get to the airport, we are taking a major step forward.
“The recent IATA Global Passenger survey found that 83% of travellers are willing to share immigration information for expedited processing. That is why we are confident this will be a popular option for travellers when it is implemented.
“And there is a good incentive for airlines and governments as well with improved data quality, streamlined resourcing requirements and identification of admissibility issues before passengers get to the airport.”
